The DOT 70-Hour Rule Explained

If you operate a fleet of commercial trucks, you’re already aware that you need to abide by the rules put forth by the U.S. Department of Transportation and its branches, like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. For example, the current FMCSA compliance checklist includes certain hours of service rules, like the 70-hour mandate. 

Here’s the DOT 70-hour rule explained, including what this regulation entails and what non-compliance could mean for your trucks.

What Is the DOT 70-Hour Rule?

The 70-hour rule, also known as the “70-hour, 8-day” rule, puts strict limits on the hours of service (HOS) for truck drivers. The basic rule states that your drivers who are operating a commercial vehicle must not drive for more than 70 hours over eight consecutive days. 

The point of imposing this driving limit is safety on the road, with one aspect being that the DOT aims to protect your truck drivers from the dangers of overworking. For example, operating heavy vehicles while tired or unfocused could spell disaster, so total compliance is important. It’s a precedent for much of the truck industry, as most fleets operate seven days a week. 

A separate rule applies where businesses take a day off during the week—drivers can't exceed 60 hours of service over a seven-day period.

How the 70-Hour Rule Works For Trucks

With the DOT 70-hour rule explained, a real-life scenario can be helpful in seeing some of the nuances involved. 

Let's say you run a trucking company that operates seven days a week, and this rule applies on a rolling-day basis. For your trucking business, this will mean adding every day a driver spends on the road to their previous eight days. Can your managers successfully keep a running tally of each driver's hours of service and track the total over the previous eight days to ensure compliance? 

You may have one driver scheduled for a 14-hour shift today. However, if their total service hours from the last seven days equal 60 hours, they legally can't put in more than ten hours today during their 14-hour shift. 

The timeline will reset if a driver takes more than 34 hours off (a new rolling-day tally will begin on their first day back at work).

Other Hours of Service Regulations

Having the DOT 70-hour rule explained covers just one portion of a commercial driver's hours of service parameters. In addition, the authorities dictate that fleets follow these recommendations:

• Longest shift: For the well-being of your workers, drivers may not work a shift that's longer than 14 hours.
• Maximum drive time: During a 14-hour shift, the maximum drive time allowed is 11 hours. The remainder of the shift covers vehicle preparation and maintenance. 
• Between shifts: The regulations require a 10-hour break between each 14-hour shift to give drivers adequate rest time.
• Driving breaks: The regulations require that your drivers take 30-minute breaks after driving for eight consecutive hours before they resume their shift. 

The Importance of the DOT 70-Hour Rule in Practice

Imagine driving for ten hours a day or longer. It’s understandable that sticking to that schedule for several days in a row can be draining on your physical and mental health. Long periods of driving leave you feeling fatigued and continuing to drive in this state could endanger you and others sharing the road with you.

By implementing the 70-hour rule and other hours-of-service regulations, the federal authorities aim to protect commercial vehicle drivers and their fellow road users. Getting behind the wheel without adequate rest increases the chance of falling asleep while driving, which risks collisions with serious, even fatal, consequences.

Penalties for Breaking the 70-Hour Rule

So, what happens if you don't comply with the DOT’s 70-hour rule? Besides the safety aspects, your business will face costly consequences in non-compliance penalties, such as:

• Fines: The trucking authorities can charge fines stretching into the thousands.
• Driver shutdowns: The authorities could force a driver who exceeds 70 hours of service to stop where they are until they log enough off-duty time. 
• Investigations: Your business could be the subject of an investigation by the DOT or FMCSA, which may impact your operations. 

Abiding by this safety standard can save your business money and driver resources, as well as ensure that goods reach their destination in a timely manner. 

Receive Guidance on All Federal Trucking Regulations

Having the DOT 70-hour rule explained should give you a better understanding of some of the safety regulations in place by federal authorities. This rule is among the many mandates that the Department of Transportation put forth. If you’d like some help in making sense of it all and complying with all trucking laws in California and other states, the FMCA Filings team can help.

Use our convenient online portal to explore the regulations and permits you need, or reach out to FMCA Fillings’ live support agents for advice, assistance, and more.