DOT Hours of Service Calculator

How to use this calculator

1. Pick your weekly cycle rule (60-hour/7-day or 70-hour/8-day) and whether you have taken a 34-hour restart.
2. Enter how your day has gone so far: hours driven today, on-duty (not driving) hours, and how long it has been since you came on duty.
3. Enter how long you have driven since your last 30-minute break and how many on-duty hours you have already used in your current cycle.
4. Read your driving time remaining, the four clocks, and the plain-language limiting factor that tells you which rule is holding you back.

How it works

This calculator applies the federal FMCSA hours-of-service limits in 49 CFR 395.3 for property-carrying commercial drivers and tells you how much you can legally drive right now. It does not model passenger-carrying drivers, who have different limits.

You pick your weekly cycle rule and whether you have taken a 34-hour restart, then enter how your day has gone so far. From those numbers the tool checks four clocks at once:

• The 11-hour clock limits total driving in a shift. You may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
• The 14-hour clock limits how long after coming on duty you may drive at all, and it keeps running even during meals and rest breaks.
• The 30-minute break clock requires a break once you have driven 8 cumulative hours.
• The 60- or 70-hour cycle clock limits your total on-duty time across the rolling week.

Your driving time remaining is the smallest of those four caps, each floored at zero. The tool also names which clock is holding you back, so you know whether you need a 30-minute break, a 10-hour reset, or a 34-hour restart. These limits are published in the official FMCSA Hours of Service visor card and the FMCSA summary of hours of service regulations.

The figures are estimates for trip planning only. Your ELD and your carrier’s policy are the official record. This tool leaves out sleeper-berth splits, short-haul exceptions, and adverse-driving extensions to stay simple and predictable.

Examples

70-hour/8-day driver, 6 hours driven, 8 hours into the shift, no break yet. If you input 6 hours driven, 8 hours since coming on duty, 6 hours of driving since your last break, and 40 cycle hours used, the tool returns 2 hours of driving time remaining. The 30-minute break rule is the binding limit, because you may drive only 2 more hours (8 minus 6) before a break is due, and that is less than your 11-hour and 14-hour room.

60-hour/7-day driver near the end of the 14-hour window. If you input 9 hours driven, 13 hours since coming on duty, 3 hours since your last break, and 55 cycle hours used, the tool returns 1 hour of driving time remaining. The 14-hour window is the binding limit, because only 1 hour is left in the window (14 minus 13) even though your 11-hour and break clocks have more room.

Driver who just took a 34-hour restart, starting fresh. If you select Yes for the restart with all daily clocks at zero, the cycle resets to the full 70 hours and the tool returns 8 hours of driving time remaining. The 30-minute break rule caps you at 8 hours, because a break is due after 8 cumulative driving hours, even on a fresh 11-hour clock.

What this tool does that others don’t

• It includes the 60/70-hour cycle limit. The official FMCSA ETHOS tool states that it does not cover the weekly cycle limits, so you cannot see your remaining cycle hours there. This calculator shows the cycle clock alongside the 11-hour, 14-hour, and break clocks.
• It names the single binding limit. Many tools show separate numbers but never tell you which limit is the constraint right now. This tool surfaces one driving-time-remaining figure as the minimum of all caps, plus a plain-language reason.
• It works without JavaScript. Some competing calculators render nothing to crawlers or to users with JavaScript off. This page computes your results on the server and explains the rules in plain text.
• It stays focused. Other tools pile on 15 to 20 inputs for split sleeper segments, air miles, and team drivers, with no worked example. This calculator uses a few inputs for the core property-carrier case and shows you worked examples.

Frequently asked questions

What are the FMCSA hours of service limits for property-carrying drivers?

There are four core limits. You may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. You may not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty. You must take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving. And you may not be on duty more than 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days, depending on your carrier’s cycle.

What is the 14-hour rule and does it stop for breaks?

The 14-hour rule means you cannot drive after the 14th consecutive hour following your last 10-hour off-duty period. Critically, this clock does not pause for meals, fuel stops, or rest breaks. The only common exception is a qualifying sleeper-berth split, which can extend the window but is not modeled in this basic calculator.

When is the 30-minute break required?

The 30-minute break is required once you have accumulated 8 cumulative hours of driving time since your last break of at least 30 minutes. It is triggered by driving time, not on-duty time, and can be satisfied by any 30 consecutive minutes not driving, including off-duty, sleeper-berth, or on-duty-not-driving time.

What is the difference between the 60-hour and 70-hour cycle?

Carriers that do not operate every day of the week typically use the 60-hour/7-day cycle, which caps your on-duty time at 60 hours over any 7 consecutive days. Carriers that operate every day of the week use the 70-hour/8-day cycle, capping on-duty time at 70 hours over any 8 consecutive days. Your carrier assigns which cycle applies to you.

How does the 34-hour restart work?

If you take at least 34 consecutive hours off duty (or in the sleeper berth, or a combination), your weekly cycle resets to a full 60 or 70 hours. This is optional; it is a way to free up cycle hours rather than waiting for hours to roll off the back of the 7- or 8-day window.

What is the difference between driving time and on-duty time?

Driving time is the time you spend operating the vehicle. On-duty time includes driving plus all other work such as loading, unloading, inspections, fueling, and paperwork. The 11-hour limit applies only to driving, while the 14-hour window and the 60/70 cycle count all on-duty time.

What happens if I violate hours of service rules?

HOS violations can result in being placed out of service at roadside, federal and state fines, lower carrier and driver safety scores (CSA), and potential liability in the event of a crash. Your ELD records the violations automatically, so the data is part of the official compliance record.

Do these hours of service rules apply to passenger-carrying drivers?

No. Passenger-carrying drivers have different limits: a 10-hour driving limit (after 8 hours off duty), a 15-hour on-duty window, and the same 60/70-hour cycle figures. This calculator models property-carrying limits only; passenger-carrying drivers should not rely on these results.

Does this calculator handle sleeper-berth splits or short-haul exceptions?

No. To stay simple and predictable, this tool does not model the sleeper-berth split provisions, the 150 air-mile short-haul exemption, the 16-hour short-haul exception, or the adverse-driving-conditions extension. Those provisions can change your available hours, so consult your ELD and carrier policy when they apply.

Is this DOT hours of service calculator legally binding?

No. It is a planning aid only. Your electronic logging device (ELD) is the official record of duty status, and your carrier’s safety policy may be stricter than the federal minimums. Always verify against your ELD and dispatch before driving.

Sources

• eCFR :: 49 CFR 395.3, Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles
• FMCSA Hours of Service (HOS) Regulations visor card (FMCSA-MCE-20-009, August 2020)
• Summary of Hours of Service Regulations | FMCSA