Hours of Service: FMCSA Is Launching Two New Pilot Programs

FMCSA Seeks Drivers to Test Hours of Service Pilot Programs

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is seeking 18 commercial truck drivers to help test two pilot programs focused on potential changes to federal hours of service regulations.

The agency says the drivers will help researchers test study plans, training materials, and data collection tools before the programs move to a larger rollout. The pre-testing phase will last six weeks and will involve a limited group of participants.

Both pilot programs are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pro-Trucker Package announced by Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. The effort also supports President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14286, titled “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers.”

According to FMCSA, the programs will study alternatives to the current hours of service rules. The goal is to see if greater flexibility could improve the lives and working conditions of truck drivers while keeping safety at the same level or better.

FMCSA is working with researchers from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to design and conduct the studies.

Two Pilot Programs Under Development

FMCSA is preparing two separate pilot programs that examine different parts of the hours of service regulations.

One program focuses on changes to the sleeper berth rule. The other examines a new option that would allow drivers to pause their 14-hour driving window under certain conditions.

To prepare for the full studies, the agency is recruiting 18 drivers to participate in early testing. Nine drivers will participate in each pilot program.

The six-week study period will include two weeks operating under current hours of service rules and four weeks using the exemption tied to the specific pilot program.

Researchers will use the data from this phase to confirm that the study design and data collection methods work as intended.

Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program

One pilot program will examine changes to the sleeper berth portion of the hours of service rules.

Under current regulations, drivers using the split sleeper berth option must take at least seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth when using the 7/3 split.

The Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot program will test whether drivers can still obtain the equivalent of 10 consecutive hours off duty while using a wider range of split options.

Drivers participating in the program will receive an exemption allowing the longer sleeper berth period to be reduced to five consecutive hours. This would allow drivers to test several split options, including:

• 5/5
• 6/4
• 7/3
• 8/2

FMCSA is seeking drivers who already use split sleeper berth options such as 7/3 or 8/2 and who are interested in regularly testing the 6/4 or 5/5 splits during the study.

The agency hopes the research will help determine whether these changes to the hours of service sleeper berth rule could give drivers more flexibility when managing rest periods and schedules.

Split Duty Period Pilot Program

The second pilot program will study a potential change to the hours of service rule that limits the daily driving window.

Under current hours of service regulations, most truck drivers must complete their driving within a 14-hour window that begins when they come on duty. Breaks taken during the day do not stop the clock.

The Split Duty Period pilot program will test whether drivers can pause the 14-hour driving window by taking an additional break.

Under the exemption, drivers would be able to pause the window for a period lasting between 30 minutes and three hours.

This break could be taken in several ways:

• Off-duty or sleeper berth status at any location
• On-duty (not driving) status at the location of a pickup or delivery

FMCSA is looking for drivers whose schedules regularly push them close to the end of the 14-hour window and who would like to test the pause option.

Researchers will study whether allowing drivers to pause the clock could help them better manage delays, loading times, and rest periods while still maintaining safety.

Data Collection for the Hours of Service Pilot Programs

Drivers participating in the hours of service pilot programs will work closely with researchers from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

Before the study begins, drivers will meet with a researcher to complete paperwork, sign consent forms, and receive study equipment.

During the six-week study period, participants will complete several tasks designed to collect safety and fatigue data. These tasks include:

• Completing pre-study and post-study questionnaires
• Taking reaction time tests through a study tablet
• Recording sleep logs and fatigue reports
• Uploading records of duty status (RODS) from their electronic logging device (ELD)

A telematics device will also be installed on the inside of the truck’s windshield. This device collects data related to vehicle speed, braking, acceleration, and movement.

Drivers will also wear an actigraph watch on their non-dominant wrist. The watch records body movement and sleep patterns. Participants will transfer data from the watch to an app about once per day.

How Driver Log Data Will Be Handled

As part of the hours of service pilot programs, drivers will transfer their records of duty status to FMCSA’s electronic Records of Duty Status (eRODS) system twice each week.

Instead of using an inspector’s badge number, drivers will enter a special transfer code assigned to the pilot program.

FMCSA states that the records submitted for the study will not be used for enforcement purposes. The logs will only be stored temporarily in the eRODS system before being retrieved by the authorized pilot program manager and transferred to VTTI researchers.

After the records are transferred, the driver’s name will be replaced with a driver identification number.

The agency says the uploaded logs will be permanently deleted from the eRODS system within 24 hours, with only an access log remaining to document the transfer process.

Payment for Drivers Participating in the Hours of Service Studies

Drivers who complete all tasks required for the hours of service pilot programs may receive up to $600 for participating in the study.

Payments will be issued through a reloadable MasterCard and distributed throughout the six-week program.

The payment schedule includes:

• $100 after signing up
• $150 after week two
• $150 after week four
• $200 after week six once the final questionnaire is complete and study equipment is returned

How These Hours of Service Pilot Programs May Affect Truck Drivers

The results of these pilot programs could help shape future decisions about federal hours of service regulations.

FMCSA says the research is intended to determine whether additional flexibility could help truck drivers better manage their schedules while still maintaining strong safety outcomes.

If the research shows positive results, the findings could influence future discussions about potential updates to hours of service rules.

For commercial truck drivers, possible changes could include additional sleeper berth split options or the ability to pause the 14-hour driving window during certain breaks. Supporters of these ideas say the changes could help drivers better manage delays, waiting times at loading docks, and rest periods during long trips.

The six-week pre-testing phase will help ensure the research tools and study design are ready before the pilot programs expand to a broader group of drivers.