Logistics Route Optimization: Guide in 2025
July 12, 2024
Table of Contents
As a logistics company, it is essential for you to understand the truck driver’s driving time and implement strict regulations to ensure smooth operations. Think about driving for hours, settling down on highways, and dealing with fatigue while keeping your full attention on the road ahead. It may seem a little tough for an ordinary person, but for a truck driver, it’s the toughest daily routine.
However, safety always comes first, and they are very strict about ensuring that they do not exceed the limits set for safety. The Department of Transportation manages these rules and regulations, which are known as Hours of Service (HOS). The goal of defining this is to regulate the truck driver’s time because driving beyond one’s capacity can lead to disastrous outcomes for everyone: the driver, the company, and the public on the road.
In this blog, we will be discussing specifically how long can a truck driver drive in a day, the reasons why such are in existence, and the strategies put in place to ensure optimum performance while maintaining safety.
What is the Maximum Driving Hours Per Day For Truck Drivers?
As per the Hours of Service (HOS) rules, Truck drivers are permitted to drive for up to 11 hours following a required 10-hour off-duty period. In other words, after ten hours of restful sleep, a driver can resume driving for up to eleven hours before needing to take another break. This rule aims to ensure that drivers aren’t driving over and beyond what is safe for them.
Driving continuously for a long time without taking a break and not getting enough sleep can raise the risk of accidents. These regulations aim to decrease accidents caused by sleepy and fatigued motor vehicle drivers by imposing acceptable time limitations on how long a person can drive.
However, it’s important to remember that a truck driver works more than just truck driving hours during the workday. An additional rule that limits the amount of time a driver can spend on duty in a day is known as the 14-hour workday limit. Let’s examine this in more detail.
The 14-Hour Workday Limit
Truck drivers have another rule to adhere to in addition to the 11-hour driving limit, which is a 14-hour workday limit. This regulation states that a truck driver has 14 hours from the beginning of their workday to finish all on-duty tasks, such as driving, loading and unloading goods, performing inspections, other work-related duties, or even just waiting at a warehouse.
In simple words, a driver has a maximum of 14 hours straight from the beginning of their workday to do everything. Once their allotted 14 hours are up, they must take a 10-hour break before beginning their next shift.
The 14-hour workday limit aims to keep drivers away from working overly long shifts even if they aren’t driving the entire time because fatigue can still strike when they’re waiting or working on other tasks.
How to Manage Rest and Break Requirements During the 14-Hour Rule?
Time management is so important for truck drivers. Within the allotted 14 hours, they must balance driving, non-driving tasks, and small breaks.
Only knowing about the time limitations of trucking time in a single day is not enough for the driver’s safety. In addition to these limitations, the Hours of Service (HOS) regulations mandate that drivers take frequent breaks. Let’s examine this more closely.
1. 30-Minute Break Requirement
This regulation specifies that drivers should take a thirty-minute break after eight hours of nonstop driving without a significant break. This law is designed to reduce fatigue and increase everyone’s safety while driving.
During the break, the drivers can eat something, stretch, rest, or just unwind themselves before driving again. It’s not necessary to take the 30-minute break at the exact 8-hour driving mark. They can stop earlier if they decide to do so. However, they are not permitted to drive for another eight hours after that point without stopping for at least a 30-minute break.
Moreover, it is the truck driver’s choice to select a particular activity for this break requirement. They are allowed to be on duty during this break time, but it should be remembered that they can’t drive. They can be engaged in vehicle inspections or some paperwork.
The most important point is that these thirty minutes must be continuous. The goal of this 30-minute break requirement is to allow truck drivers to recover and maintain full focus before resuming the journey. Drivers who violate the 30-minute break regulation risk fines and other consequences.
2. Off-Duty Rest Periods
In addition to the 30-minute break, drivers are required to take a complete 10-hour break off duty at the end of one shift. During these ten hours, drivers are free to do anything that would help them unwind and refuel. It is totally a driver’s choice whether they want to sleep in the sleeper berth of their truck or want to stay in a cozy room. It doesn’t really matter where they are spending these ten hours as long as they are fully off-duty.
The important thing is that this break should be completely off-duty, which means they are not allowed to do any paperwork, vehicle inspection, or small work-related tasks.
The 60/70-Hour Limit Over a Week
We have covered the maximum limit a driver can spend while driving in one day. It’s time to learn about a complete week’s limitations. The regulation states that a commercial truck driver is limited to 60 hours of employment per week. Once they reach that restriction, they are unable to drive again until their hours fall back below 60. They have two options for doing this: either they take a 34-hour reset, which gives them a new start, or they wait for some of their hours to drop when the week is finished.
The 70/8 rule is another limit over a week that functions somewhat similarly. According to this rule, drivers are permitted to work up to 70 hours in any eight-day period. They have to take a break till their hours fall below 70 when they hit that 70-hour milestone. Once more, they have the option to reset their clock by using the 34-hour reset or by waiting for a few hours to pass.
Now, we are aware of the 60/70-hour limit over a week, but we still need to configure how to reset the weekly driving clock. As per the rule, a 34-hour restart is accessible for drivers to manage and reset their weekly driving limits. This implies that they can clear their 60 or 70-hour clock if they take 34 consecutive hours off. It aims to provide a fresh start for the truck drivers.
For drivers who want to continue working but have reached their weekly limit, this restart is a lifeline. They can readjust their hours and resume driving without fear of breaking any laws by taking that time off. It allows them to get some rest and return to driving fit.
Exemptions and Special Circumstances
The HOS rules maintain stability and driving safety on the road. However, drivers may occasionally find themselves in situations where they are unable to follow these guidelines. Here, exemptions and special circumstances come into light.
These exemptions are designed to provide drivers with some flexibility when they’re coping with unusual situations. For example, a commercial truck driver may be able to modify their truck driving hours if they encounter unforeseen difficulties, such as bad weather or an emergency. Their ability to adapt allows them to stay safe while navigating challenging circumstances.
1. Short-Haul Exception
The FMCSA has special rules for short-haul drivers. According to this exception, short-haul drivers are exempt from certain of the strict HOS rules that long-haul truckers are required to adhere to.
In simple terms, a driver may have more flexible truck driving hours if they meet certain requirements and operate within a specified distance (often within 150 air miles from their starting location). This exception is intended to facilitate the existence of drivers who do not frequently drive for extended periods by meeting their demands and enhancing safety at the same time.
However, what are these special rules? Well, with the help of short-haul exceptions, drivers are allowed to drive for 11 of the 14 hours they are on duty. Moreover, they are not required to take a mandatory 30-minute break after eight hours of driving.
The following table helps you understand the difference better:
K Key points | Normal HOS rules(Long-Haul Truckers) | Short-Haul Exception |
O On-Duty Time | The maximum amount of time a driver may be on duty is 14 hours, during which they may perform any other work-related duties in addition to driving. | During their shifts, drivers are allowed to work up to 14 hours. |
Driving Time | After a 10-hour break, they can continue driving for up to 11 hours. | They are permitted to drive for a maximum 11 hours. |
Breaks | After eight hours of driving, drivers are required to take a 30-minute break. | The mandatory 30-minute break is not essential after eight hours of driving. |
Di Distance Limit | The maximum distance they can travel is not predetermined. | They are often required to work within 150 air miles of their place of origin. |
R Record Keeping | They must utilize ELDs(electronic logging devices) to track their time and maintain thorough records of their truck driving hours. | Drivers are exempt from using electronic logging devices (ELDs) or maintaining thorough records of their work hours (RODS). |
2. 16-Hour- Short Haul Exceptions
You may be eligible to use the 16-hour short-haul exception if the truck driver usually returns to the work-reporting location and leave for home at the end of the workday. With this exception, you can increase the driving window from 14 to 16 hours once every seven days. To make use of this exception, you need to take the following actions:
- The driver must report back to the work site on that day and during the final five duty tours. The time from when they arrive at work until when they leave will be considered a duty tour. The interval of at least ten hours between the off-duty periods will be regarded as the “workday.”
- Within sixteen hours of reporting for duty, the driver should be released from their duty.
- This exception can only be used once per seven days (unless the driver takes 34 hours off in a row to start a new seven—or eight-day period).
If you are already following the “Short Haul Exception”, then, you are not eligible to use this exception.
3. Adverse Driving Conditions Exception
Adverse driving conditions are another vital exception when driving in bad weather or on rough roads. This allows drivers to extend their driving time by up to two hours if stopping is not safe.
For example, a vehicle can drive for an additional two hours to reach a safe location if it is navigating heavy snow, rainfall, storm, dense fog, or traffic backed up due to an accident. This law encourages vehicles to continue when stopping could be risky.
Consequences of Violating HOS Regulations
When a truck or CMV driver exceeds the trucking hours, they violate the HOS. Truck drivers face several penalties if they are found to violate their permitted hours of service, which can have serious consequences for both drivers and trucking companies.
Depending on the severity of the violation, drivers who violate HOS regulations may be fined several hundred to thousands of dollars. Also, there are possibilities of suspension when a driver commits serious violations or repeats them; their Commercial Driver’s License will be suspended or revoked.
If trucking companies’ drivers operating in their fleets violate the HOS regulations, they will be penalized, and this will negatively impact their business activities. Both the trucking firm and the driver may be held legally liable if their violation causes an accident. Liability for damages, higher insurance costs, and possible lawsuits from harmed parties are all examples of this.
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How NextBillion.ai Help You with HOS Compliance?
The HOS rules are introduced for the safety of the driver and road safety, marking it as an important measure that you follow in yout trucking company. NextBillion helps you thrive in HOS challenges with our route optimization software. 
Optimized routes help reduce the truck driving time, thereby ensuring that all the regulations are followed for the safety of the drivers. How? NextBillion’s route optimization API considers 50 parameters to create an optimized route.
Besides, it can be easily integrated with your telematics system. As the telematics system monitors truck driving hours, idle time, and other parameters, the route optimization API will analyze the trend and create tailored routes. With dispatch-ready routes, you can be assured that each route covers all the delivery stops along with time allocated for breaks and prerequisite tasks, like refuelling.
We also offer our dedicated fleet management system, which comprises all the essential APIs and SDKs required to track and monitor truck drivers’ activities. It includes a live tracking API, a distance matrix API, a Navigation API and SDK, a Snap-to-road API, and a Geofencing API. 
We understand that managing truck drivers’ activities is difficult; however, AI-powered fleet management APIs and SDKs can make it super simple for fleet managers to monitor their activities and streamline their operations.
The Bottom Line
Truck drivers’ safety on the road is greatly impacted by the Hours of Service rules’ driving restrictions. These regulations, which establish limited truck driving hours and enforce rest periods, promote worker health and minimize fatigue-related accidents.
Knowing these rules helps to highlight the difficulties faced by truck drivers and highlights the importance of safety in the transportation sector. It’s obvious that following these rules is crucial to ensure that everyone on our roads is safe, regardless of whether they drive, work for a trucking company, or are just interested in the subject.
Also, the only way to comply with these rules is by introducing advanced softwares and APIs in your fleet management operations. If you are thinking of leveraging NextBillion’s route optimization API features, then witness its AI-powered capabilities live in action.
Route optimization is a must for every logistics and fleet management company for two reasons: first, optimized routes mean less wastage of resources, and second, better outcomes. So, what are you waiting for? See NextBillion’s API live in action!
Frequently Asked Questions
Truck drivers are allowed to drive for up to 11 hours once they have taken at least 10 hours off duty. However, they are required to follow the 14-hour workday limit, which prohibits them from driving beyond 14 hours of continuous service.
Even though 11 hours is the legal limit, safety tips suggest drivers take breaks and use their time wisely. To encourage safety and attentiveness on the road, the HOS regulations also mandate that drivers take a 30-minute break after eight consecutive hours of driving.
When it comes to truck driving safety, the HOS requirements are essential in reducing potential risks associated with fatigue. These regulations guarantee that drivers stay attentive and capable of making safe decisions on the road, protecting both themselves and other people.
