The rules in force
Under 49 CFR Part 395, property-carrying CMV drivers may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive off-duty hours, may not drive after the 14th consecutive on-duty hour, and may not drive after 8 cumulative hours of driving without a consecutive 30-minute interruption. The break can be off duty, in the sleeper berth, or on duty not driving (49 CFR §395.3(a)(3)(ii)). The 60-hour-in-7-days or 70-hour-in-8-days duty-cycle limits apply; the 7- or 8-day period may be restarted with 34 or more consecutive hours off duty (§395.3(b)-(c)).
Passenger-carrying CMV drivers operate under a separate schedule (10-hour drive / 15-hour on-duty after 8 consecutive hours off duty / 60-or-70-hour cycle, §395.5).
ELD mandate is settled
The Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate under 49 CFR §395.8 has applied since December 18, 2017. Carriers that had installed Automatic On-Board Recording Devices (AOBRDs) before that date could keep using them until December 16, 2019. Today, drivers required to keep records of duty status (RODS) must use a registered ELD unless an exception in §395.8(a)(1)(ii) applies - for example, RODS required on no more than 8 days in any 30-day period, certain driveaway-towaway operations, or vehicles manufactured before model year 2000.
One small 2026 change: effective July 22, 2026, FMCSA rescinded the requirement to keep a copy of the ELD operator's manual in the vehicle (91 FR 37050).
Drivers who stay within a 150 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location and return and are released from work within 14 consecutive hours continue to qualify for the short-haul RODS exception under §395.1(e)(1). That exception means no RODS or ELD is required, but the motor carrier must keep accurate time records for each driver for 6 months.
What inspectors check
HOS items inspectors check include the 11-hour driving limit, the 14-hour window, the 30-minute break, the 60/70-hour limits, and the accuracy of ELD records, including unassigned driving time and edits.
Source: 49 CFR Part 395 (eCFR): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-395
Carriers should run quarterly internal HOS audits using their ELD provider's back-office reports. Drivers consistently flagging close-to-limit warnings on the in-cab display should be reviewed for dispatch-driven violations.