{"abstract":"FMCSA revises the hours of service (HOS) regulations to provide greater flexibility for drivers subject to those rules without adversely affecting safety. The Agency expands the short-haul exception to 150 air-miles and allows a 14-hour work shift to take place as part of the exception; expands the driving window during adverse driving conditions by up to an additional 2 hours; requires a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving time (instead of on-duty time) and allows an on-duty/not driving period to qualify as the required break; and modifies the sleeper berth exception to allow a driver to meet the 10- hour minimum off-duty requirement by spending at least 7, rather than at least 8 hours of that period in the berth and a minimum off-duty period of at least 2 hours spent inside or outside of the berth, provided the two periods total at least 10 hours, and that neither qualifying period counts against the 14-hour driving window.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION","name":"Transportation Department","id":492,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/transportation-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/492","parent_id":null,"slug":"transportation-department"},{"raw_name":"Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration","name":"Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration","id":181,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/federal-motor-carrier-safety-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/181","parent_id":492,"slug":"federal-motor-carrier-safety-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2020/06/01/2020-11469.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":385,"title":49},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":395,"title":49}],"citation":"85 FR 33396","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2020-07-01","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This final rule is effective September 29, 2020. Petitions for Reconsideration of this final rule must be submitted to the FMCSA Administrator no later than July 1, 2020.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. FMCSA-2018-0248"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"The Risk of a Safety-critical Event Associated with Mobile Device Subtasks in Specific Driving Contexts - Fitch, Hanowski, Guo","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8331"},{"title":"Prevalence and Distribution of Young Driver Distraction Errors in Naturalistic Driving - Carney, McGehee, and Reyes","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8328"},{"title":"Ohn-Bar, Martin, Trivedi - Driver hand activity analysis in naturalistic driving studies challenges, algorithms, and experimental studies","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8314"},{"title":"Forbes - Trucking Companies Hauling In Higher Sales","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8309"},{"title":"FMCSA - Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators Final Rule (81 FR 88732)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8306"},{"title":"FMCSA - Hours of Service of Drivers Interim Final Rule (72 FR 71247)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8304"},{"title":"FMCSA - Notice of final disposition; grant of application for exemption; U.S. Department of Defense (78 FR 64265)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8297"},{"title":"FMCSA - Notice of final disposition; grant of application for exemption; U.S. Department of Defense (78 FR 64265)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8296"},{"title":"FMCSA - Notice of final disposition; grant of application for exemption; Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (81 FR 75727)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8295"},{"title":"FMCSA - Notice of final disposition; grant of application for exemption; National Tank Truck Carriers and Massachusetts Motor Transportation Association (83 FR 15221)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8293"}],"agency_name":"FMCSA","documents":[{"comment_count":13,"comment_start_date":"2020-06-01","updated_at":"2025-07-03T11:56:59.301-04:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FMCSA-2018-0248-8249","allow_late_comments":false,"id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8249","comment_end_date":"2020-07-02","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":91,"id":"FMCSA-2018-0248","title":"Hours of Service of Drivers"}],"document_number":"2020-11469","effective_on":"2020-09-29","end_page":33452,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2020/06/01/2020-11469.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/06/01/2020-11469/hours-of-service-of-drivers","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2020-11469?publication_date=2020-06-01","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2020-06-01/2020-11469/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":57,"page_views":{"count":154429,"last_updated":"2026-04-03 18:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-06-01/pdf/2020-11469.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-11469.pdf?1590497153","publication_date":"2020-06-01","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2020/06/01/2020-11469.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2126-AC19":{"issue":"202004","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2126-AC19/hours-of-service-of-drivers","title":"Hours of Service of Drivers","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202004&RIN=2126-AC19&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Economically Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2126-AC19"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"The Risk of a Safety-critical Event Associated with Mobile Device Subtasks in Specific Driving Contexts - Fitch, Hanowski, Guo","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8331"},{"title":"Prevalence and Distribution of Young Driver Distraction Errors in Naturalistic Driving - Carney, McGehee, and Reyes","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8328"},{"title":"Ohn-Bar, Martin, Trivedi - Driver hand activity analysis in naturalistic driving studies challenges, algorithms, and experimental studies","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8314"},{"title":"Forbes - Trucking Companies Hauling In Higher Sales","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8309"},{"title":"FMCSA - Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators Final Rule (81 FR 88732)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8306"},{"title":"FMCSA - Hours of Service of Drivers Interim Final Rule (72 FR 71247)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8304"},{"title":"FMCSA - Notice of final disposition; grant of application for exemption; U.S. Department of Defense (78 FR 64265)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8297"},{"title":"FMCSA - Notice of final disposition; grant of application for exemption; U.S. Department of Defense (78 FR 64265)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8296"},{"title":"FMCSA - Notice of final disposition; grant of application for exemption; Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (81 FR 75727)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8295"},{"title":"FMCSA - Notice of final disposition; grant of application for exemption; National Tank Truck Carriers and Massachusetts Motor Transportation Association (83 FR 15221)","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8293"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2126-AC19/hours-of-service-of-drivers","title":"Hours of Service of Drivers"},"comments_count":13,"agency_id":"FMCSA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=FMCSA-2018-0248","supporting_documents_count":91,"docket_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248","document_id":"FMCSA-2018-0248-8249","regulation_id_number":"2126-AC19","title":"Hours of Service of Drivers","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2025-07-08T20:55:05Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":33396,"subtype":null,"title":"Hours of Service of Drivers","toc_doc":null,"toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Highway safety","Incorporation by reference","Mexico","Motor carriers","Motor vehicle safety","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements"],"type":"Rule","volume":85}