Recently I received an e-mail asking me to explain the “very confusing” 11/14 hour truck driving rule. As you know, this is the rule which tells the driver how many hours he/she may work, when to break, how long to break, and how many hours of  driving that he/she may drive during a 24 hour period.

Here is my reply to her that I would like to post for all new drivers:

This is a real simple rule that sometimes people can make harder than it really is….me included, when it first came out. In a nutshell…it simply states that you cannot “work” more than 14 hours in a 24 hour period…and cannot drive more than 11 hours in a 24 hour period, without taking a 10 hour break.

“Work” means the same as “on duty”…As soon as you start your pre-trip, you are on duty….you have 14 hours to be “on duty” from that moment on, before you are required to shut down for your 10 hour break.

So, if you start your pre-trip at 6 AM, you have to be stopped, shut down, done! by 8 PM. Your on duty “work” includes, pre-tripping, post tripping, driving, unloading, loading, waiting time, stopping for a meal, bathroom break, stopping to make a phone call…ANYTHING you are doing between the pre-trip and post trip….this is your 14 hours you have to complete your day’s work.

Example : Let’s say you start your pre-trip at 10 AM. and you drive over to the shipper to get loaded and you get there at 10:30 AM, and they tell you it will take about 5 hours to get loaded. You are finally loaded at 3:30 PM. You now only have until midnight to drive or “whatever”, before you must shut down for the 10 hour break. You will be completely legal because you shut down at midnight, which is 14 hours (10 AM to Midnight)…and you only drove 9 hours (10 AM to 10:30 AM, and 3:30 PM to Midnight)…even though you are 2 hours under the 11 hour driving rule, the 14 hour rule beat you to the punch because of the waiting time the shipper placed on you.

Just remember, whatever time you start the day on your log, you have to be completely shut down (break), within 14 hours. Now, if you start your pretrip at 10 AM, arrive at shipper at 10:30 AM, and are loaded by 11 AM, you can drive until 9:30 PM – (11 hour rule – 10-10:30, 11-9:30), ….even though 14 hours is midnight (10 AM to midnite), the 11 hour rule beat you to the punch…you can still be on duty through midnight, like waiting to get unloaded, calling dispatch, repairing a trailer tire…etc., you JUST CAN’T DRIVE anymore.

After 14 hours you should be doing only one thing : on a 10 hour break. Just because you hit 11 hours of driving, you can still be doing work-related duties, as long as you are not driving…AND…once you hit the 14 hour spot…you must be shut down, totally, and be on your 10 hour break.

Remember two things :

1. Be shut down (on your break) within 14 hours of starting your log.

2. Within that 14 hours, make sure you have not driven more than 11 hours.

NOW! There is also the 34 hour rule! But this is easy…if you are off duty for at least 34 hours, all your hours beforehand are “erased” and you can start “clean” with another 70 hours. There is talk about doing away with this rule, but for now, it is still on the books.

UPDATE TO THIS POST:  7-20-09

Since I am constantly receiving emails from those who only wish to criticize and attempt to prove something to themselves, I would like to  address a recent email I received:

Here is the email I just received:

He wrote:

“I read, The 11/14 Hour Truck Driving Rule", it is incorrect. You state that after your 14th consecutive hour on duty you must be off duty or in the sleeper berth, not true. The law states a driver must not drive after his 14th hour on duty, nothing about working. Any work as  unloading, post trip, fueling are fine to do after your 14th hour. Please make sure you know the law prior to acting like an authority. Thanks.”

Now,  if  this guy had really read the post, then he would have seen the following paragraph within this post:

“Just remember, whatever time you start the day on your log, you have to be completely shut down (break), within 14 hours. Now, if you start your pretrip at 10 AM, arrive at shipper at 10:30 AM, and are loaded by 11 AM, you can drive until 9:30 PM – (11 hour rule – 10-10:30, 11-9:30), ….even though 14 hours is midnight (10 AM to midnite), the 11 hour rule beat you to the punch…you can still be on duty through midnight, like waiting to get unloaded, calling dispatch, repairing a trailer tire…etc., you JUST CAN’T DRIVE anymore.”

Furthermore, this guy would have seen my previous comment to another, more professional poster … here’s my previous posted comment:

Yes, you are correct.  You are referring to Reg. 395 (d) –

D. 14-HOUR DUTY PERIOD
D-1. May a driver be on duty for more than 14 consecutive hours?

Yes. A driver may remain on duty for more than 14 hours; however, the driver of a property-carrying CMV cannot drive after the 14th hour after coming on duty. Also, the additional on-duty time will be counted toward the 60/70-hour on-duty limit. But, as you mentioned, MOST companies require you to be shut down by the 14th hour. Every company I’ve ever worked for, even now, require you to be completely done by the 14th hour. So that is why I explained it this way. With a former company I was driving for, I did go over the 14 hours, legally….but I was still called in by the log and safety dept. Even though I explained to them what I did was legal, I was still “slapped” on the hand for doing it! LOL … but again, you are right….it is just that most companies want you “shut down” by the 14th hour……thanks for your post…..I appreciate it!

Allen — Posted on: 10-22-2008

So I will make this response a permanent part of this post, hopefully I can STOP receiving rude and hateful emails which do not benefit anyone.
Also, my intentions are NOT to come off as ” the authority” but instead try and help newcomers to the industry.   I suggest that people fully read my posts before attacking  either myself or other posters.
For the rude posters: Maybe they just can’t read very well or they have trouble comprehending?

Allen Smith

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