DOT Hours of Service Calculator (2026) – Free, No Login
DOT Hours of Service Calculator (2026)
This DOT hours of service calculator helps truck drivers estimate the 11-hour drive limit, 14-hour duty window, split sleeper options, and weekly recap time — fast, clear, and mobile-friendly.
How the DOT hours of service calculator works
Use the DOT hours of service calculator to enter your on-duty start time and logged hours, then review your estimated drive time remaining and when your day ends. You can also explore split sleeper strategies and whether a 30-minute break is due based on driving time.
Built for real-world HOS planning
If you’re comparing HOS scenarios for dispatch planning, trip timing, or safe parking decisions, this DOT hours of service calculator gives a quick estimate you can verify against your ELD and company policy.
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Everything a Class A CDL driver (and fleet manager) needs to know about DOT (HOS) rules
This is the practical, real-world version of the rules: what inspectors look for, what trips drivers up, and how to write a fleet policy that keeps everyone compliant without killing productivity.
Built around FMCSA’s major HOS updates (30-minute break, adverse conditions, short-haul, split sleeper) and FMCSA’s official Personal Conveyance guidance and ELD FAQs. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
HOS basics (the “non-negotiables”)
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Driving window + break logic: Rules changed so the 30-minute break is triggered by 8 hours of driving time (not “on duty time”), and an on-duty/not-driving period can count as the break. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
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Split sleeper is real (and legal): Drivers can meet the 10-hour minimum by pairing a 7+ hour sleeper period with a 2+ hour off-duty (in or out of the berth), as long as the two periods total 10 hours; qualifying periods don’t count against the 14-hour window the same way a straight shift does. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
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Adverse conditions got expanded: The driving window can be extended by up to 2 additional hours under the adverse driving conditions exception (when truly unforeseen). :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
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Short-haul got expanded: FMCSA expanded the short-haul exception to 150 air-miles and allowed a 14-hour work shift as part of the exception (when you meet all conditions). :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Supporting documents (what backs up the log)
FMCSA guidance says supporting documents are key for verifying RODS and identifies 5 categories in the regulations. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
What counts as a “supporting document”? ⌄
Supporting documents are records created in the normal course of business that can verify a driver’s RODS. FMCSA identifies five categories (described in regulation) and treats them as evidence the log matches reality. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
ELD edits: can drivers/carriers delete mistakes? ⌄
FMCSA’s ELD FAQ makes it clear that deleting ELD records is not permitted. Corrections are handled by edits/annotations, and the original record is retained with an “inactive” status. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Carriers/support staff can propose changes, but edits by anyone other than the driver require the driver’s electronic confirmation or rejection (to prevent manipulation). :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
Personal Conveyance (PC): what it CAN and CAN’T be used for
The big idea (plain English) ⌄
Personal Conveyance is meant for personal use of the commercial vehicle when the driver is relieved from work and the movement is not for the benefit of the motor carrier. Inspectors focus on the “benefit to carrier” test and whether the driver was truly off duty.
Common “allowed” examples (done correctly) ⌄
- Driving from a safe/legal parking spot to food/lodging after being relieved from duty.
- Commuting in the CMV when the carrier allows it and you’re not advancing the load.
- Moving for personal reasons that aren’t connected to picking up, delivering, or positioning freight.
These examples are consistent with FMCSA’s PC guidance framing: personal use, not benefiting the carrier, driver relieved from duty.
The “NOT allowed” stuff drivers argue about online ⌄
FMCSA’s PC guidance repeatedly warns against using PC to advance the load or otherwise benefit the motor carrier.
- Using PC to get closer to the receiver/shipper for a better appointment or to beat traffic.
- Leaving a shipper and PC’ing toward the delivery because “I’m tired” (that’s still freight movement).
- PC to find parking after you already drove past safe parking to “make more miles.”
- PC after being told to reposition by dispatch (that’s a work instruction → on-duty movement).
PC & ELD precision: what changes in the record? ⌄
FMCSA’s ELD FAQ notes that when PC is selected (when configured/allowed by the carrier), the CMV’s location is recorded with lower precision (approx. a 10-mile radius), and PC appears differently on the graph grid. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
Yard Moves (YM): what it is and how it’s recorded
Yard Moves in the ELD (what the system must do) ⌄
FMCSA’s ELD FAQ explains that the ELD can be preconfigured to allow yard moves; when enabled, the driver selects the start and end of the yard move period, and the graph grid shows it with a different style line/shading and an abbreviation. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}
YM vs PC: the fastest way to get in trouble ⌄
The risk pattern in audits is drivers using PC for movements that look like on-duty yard work (spotting trailers, moving between docks, repositioning for loading). If the movement supports carrier operations, keep it out of PC.
Split Sleeper (7/3 or 8/2) — what changed and what dispatch should know ⌄
FMCSA’s HOS final rule modified the sleeper berth exception so a driver can satisfy the 10-hour minimum off-duty requirement with at least 7 hours in the berth plus a second off-duty period of at least 2 hours (in or out of the berth), as long as the two periods total at least 10 hours. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}
30-minute break — the part social media gets wrong ⌄
FMCSA’s HOS updates require a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving time (not after 8 hours since you went on duty), and an on-duty/not-driving period can qualify as the break. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}
- Can fueling count? If your status is on-duty/not-driving and it’s 30+ minutes, yes in principle.
- Can waiting at a dock count? If you’re properly logged on-duty/not-driving and it’s 30+ minutes, yes in principle.
- But: if you log it wrong (or “drive” sneaks in), the clock resets and you’re out of compliance.
Adverse driving conditions — what “unexpected” actually means ⌄
FMCSA expanded the adverse driving conditions exception by up to 2 additional hours of driving time. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
Fleet policy should define “unexpected” clearly (e.g., sudden highway closure, crash, unforecasted severe weather), and require an annotation describing what happened and why it couldn’t reasonably be known at dispatch time.
Short-haul (150 air-mile) — who qualifies and what trips fleets up ⌄
FMCSA expanded the short-haul exception to 150 air-miles and allowed a 14-hour work shift as part of the exception. :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
“Social media confusion” — quick myth checks
“PC is fine as long as I’m off duty.” ⌄
Being off duty is necessary but not sufficient. FMCSA emphasizes the movement must be personal use and not for the benefit of the carrier. If you’re advancing the load or repositioning for work, it’s not PC.
“Dispatch told me to PC to parking—so it’s okay.” ⌄
If the movement is directed by the carrier to support operations, it starts looking like on-duty movement that benefits the carrier. PC should be driven by the driver’s personal needs after being relieved from work, under a clear company policy.
“I can delete an ELD mistake and redo it.” ⌄
FMCSA’s ELD FAQ: deleting records is not permitted. Edits/annotations must retain the original record (made inactive) and preserve the history. :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}
“The 30-minute break is after 8 hours on duty.” ⌄
FMCSA updated the break requirement to be after 8 hours of driving time, and an on-duty/not-driving period can satisfy the break. :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}
“Yard moves are basically off duty because I’m not on the road.” ⌄
Yard moves are a special driving category that ELDs can record when enabled; drivers mark start/end and the graph grid displays it distinctly. It’s still operational time, not personal time. :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}
Fleet policy checklist (what to put in writing)
Personal Conveyance policy (make it unambiguous) ⌄
- Define allowed PC uses (food/lodging, personal errands after being relieved, commuting if permitted).
- Define prohibited PC uses (advancing a load, repositioning for pickup/delivery, dispatch-directed moves).
- Set a cap (distance/time) and require a standard annotation template for PC.
- Train dispatch to never instruct “PC to make the appointment.” That’s the fastest way to create paper trails that fail audits.
FMCSA’s PC guidance centers on personal use + no benefit to carrier + driver relieved from work.
ELD edits & annotations (prevent “log manipulation” accusations) ⌄
- Ban deletion attempts; require edits/notes instead (records must be retained). :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24}
- Require the driver to confirm/reject carrier-proposed edits and document the “why.” :contentReference[oaicite:25]{index=25}
- Standardize note format: “status change + reason + evidence”.
Supporting docs retention & review rhythm ⌄
- Create a weekly “mismatch review” workflow: compare dispatch, fuel, tolls, BOL timestamps vs logs.
- Teach drivers what documents can corroborate duty status and location/time patterns. :contentReference[oaicite:26]{index=26}
- Coach “high-risk patterns”: repeated PC near customers, repeated late edits without notes, inconsistent YM use.
Training topics that reduce violations fastest ⌄
- 30-minute break: triggered by driving time; on-duty/not-driving can count. :contentReference[oaicite:27]{index=27}
- Split sleeper: how to plan it without creating accidental violations. :contentReference[oaicite:28]{index=28}
- Adverse conditions: when it applies and how to annotate. :contentReference[oaicite:29]{index=29}
- PC vs YM: the “benefit to carrier” test and what dispatch should never say in writing. :contentReference[oaicite:30]{index=30}
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