FMCSA Moves Forward With 14-Hour Driving Window Pilot

Updated: August 31, 2026 at 1:04 PM

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is moving forward with two pilot programs that could eventually give truck drivers more flexibility under federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules.

The FMCSA announced on August 27 that it has completed small-scale pre-tests for its Split Duty Period and Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot programs. The agency is now reviewing the results before launching larger studies in 2027.

The FMCSA 14-hour driving window pilot, formally known as the Split Duty Period Pilot Program, could have a particularly noticeable impact on a driver’s workday. Participating drivers will be able to pause their 14-hour driving window for up to three hours under certain conditions.

However, the current 14-hour rule has not changed. The added flexibility applies only to qualifying participants operating under the pilot program. The FMCSA is studying whether these alternatives can provide drivers with more scheduling flexibility while maintaining or improving safety.

Pilot Could Let Drivers Pause the 14-Hour Clock

Under current HOS regulations, most property-carrying drivers must complete their driving within a 14-consecutive-hour window after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty. The clock generally continues to run even when a driver stops driving.

The FMCSA’s Split Duty Period Pilot Program will test a different approach.

Participating drivers may take a qualifying break lasting at least 30 minutes and up to three hours. That time can then be excluded from the driver’s 14-hour driving window.

Qualifying time may include:

• Off-duty time
• Time in the sleeper berth
• On-duty, non-driving time at a pickup or delivery location

The length of the pause corresponds to the qualifying break, up to the three-hour maximum.

For example, a qualifying two-hour break could effectively pause the 14-hour clock for two hours.

Importantly, the pilot does not increase the 11-hour driving limit. It changes how qualifying non-driving time is treated when calculating the 14-hour window.

Drivers who want a more detailed explanation of the existing requirements can read our 14-Hour Rule for truck drivers guide.

Why Is the FMCSA Testing a Pause?

The FMCSA says the added flexibility could help drivers deal with conditions that do not always fit neatly into a fixed workday.

A driver could encounter heavy traffic or severe weather and decide that waiting is safer than continuing to drive. Drivers can also spend significant amounts of time waiting at customer facilities to load or unload freight.

Under the existing rule, that time can continue eating into the driver’s 14-hour driving window even though the truck is not moving.

The HOS pilot program will test whether allowing drivers to pause the clock during qualifying periods gives them more control over when they drive and rest without reducing safety.

FMCSA also says it will monitor shippers during the pilot to determine whether the added flexibility results in increased detention or driver exploitation.

Could the Pilot Create 17-Hour Workdays?

Not everyone supports the proposal.

Highway safety advocates have raised concerns that allowing drivers to pause the 14-hour clock for three hours could stretch the elapsed time between the beginning and end of a driver’s workday.

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety opposed the Split Duty Period proposal during the FMCSA’s 2025 public comment period. The organization argued that the FMCSA should focus on problems such as excessive detention time and driver coercion instead of extending the 14-hour window.

With the maximum three-hour pause, the time between a driver first coming on duty and the end of the driving window could potentially span as much as 17 hours.

That does not, however, mean a participating driver could drive for 17 hours. The FMCSA HOS pilot does not change the federal 11-hour driving limit.

Supporters of greater HOS flexibility have made a different argument. They contend that a rigid clock can sometimes pressure drivers to keep moving because traffic, weather, detention, and other delays continue consuming their available time.

The pilot is intended to give the FMCSA real-world data to determine whether additional flexibility can be provided without reducing safety.

FMCSA Has Completed Its First Split Duty Test

The FMCSA has already conducted a small pre-test of the Split Duty Period concept.

The test ran from May 18 through July 17, 2026, and included nine drivers working for three motor carriers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

Each driver participated for six weeks and received $600.

The small number of participants is important. The pre-test was not the full pilot and was not intended to provide the final answer on whether the proposed flexibility is safe.

Instead, the FMCSA used it to evaluate its procedures, data collection methods, and driver participation requirements before expanding the research.

The agency is now reviewing those results and preparing for the larger 2027 pilot.

Flexible Sleeper Berth Options Are Also Being Tested

The FMCSA is moving forward with a second HOS pilot at the same time.

The Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program will test additional ways drivers can divide their required rest periods.

Current regulations allow qualifying property-carrying drivers to split the required 10 hours off duty using certain combinations, including 8/2 and 7/3 splits.

Under the pilot, drivers will have additional options, including 6/4 and 5/5 splits. The two periods must total at least 10 hours, and one must include at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.

The FMCSA says the goal is to determine whether drivers can safely match their rest periods more closely to their schedules, operating conditions, and individual need for sleep.

The Flexible Sleeper Berth pre-test ran from April 1 through June 11, 2026. Like the Split Duty Period pre-test, it involved nine drivers from three motor carriers. Participating drivers were based in Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Each driver participated for six weeks and received $600.

Larger HOS Pilot Programs Are Planned for 2027

The next phase will be significantly larger.

The FMCSA expects each pilot to include 256 drivers, bringing total expected participation to 512 drivers across the two programs.

Drivers will participate for four months and may receive up to $1,600 for completing all required study tasks.

The FMCSA will use the data to compare driver safety and fatigue under the existing regulations with performance while using the additional flexibility provided through the pilots.

The results could eventually help determine whether the FMCSA pursues broader changes to federal Hours of Service regulations.

That decision has not been made.

What Should Carriers and Drivers Do Now?

For most carriers and drivers, nothing changes right now.

The current federal Hours of Service regulations remain in effect. The Split Duty Period and Flexible Sleeper Berth programs are controlled studies involving drivers and motor carriers that meet the FMCSA’s participation requirements.

Drivers should not begin pausing their 14-hour clock for up to three hours or using the pilot’s expanded sleeper berth options simply because the FMCSA is testing them.

For now, carriers and drivers should continue following the HOS regulations and other FMCSA compliance requirements that apply to their operations and watch for further FMCSA announcements as the agency prepares for the larger pilot programs in 2027.

The results of those studies could help shape the future of federal HOS rules. Whether the added flexibility ultimately becomes available to drivers outside the pilot programs will depend on what the FMCSA learns from the research.