For truck drivers in Canada and the United States, understanding hours-of-service cycle hour limits critical.
See also our post on: HOS Daily Driving & On-Duty Time Limits
US HOS Duty Cycles (70/8 or 60/7)
In the United States, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets the rules and regulations for daily driving and on-duty limits for CMV drivers.
70/8 Hour Rule
If you are using the 70/8 cycle rule, you cannot drive after accumulating 70 hours of On-Duty time in any 7 consecutive days.
60/7 Hour Rule
If you are using the 60/7 cycle rule, you cannot drive after accumulating 60 hours of On-Duty time in any 8 consecutive days.
Accumulation Period
The days in the cycle is a rolling period. For example, if a driver is working under a "70/8" cycle, and works for 10 hours each day, after 7 days, they will have completed 70 hours of On-Duty in 7 days. After a day of no work, they would be able to do 10 more hours of On-Duty time.
Resetting your US Duty cycle
To reset the 60/70-hour clock, drivers must take a minimum of 34 consecutive hours Off-Duty.
Note: Sleeper Berth counts as Off-Duty
Check out our post on: Hours of Service - A Quick Guide for Drivers
Canada HOS Duty Cycles (70/7 or 120/14)
In Canada, the driving and on-duty limits are regulated by Transport Canada and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).
70-Hour/7-Day Cycle
If you are using the 70/7 cycle rule (also known as Cycle 1), drivers cannot drive after accumulating 70 hours of On-Duty time in any 7-day period.
120-Hour/14-Day Cycle
If you are using the 120/14 cycle rule (also known as Cycle 2), drivers cannot drive after accumulating 120 hours of On-Duty time in any 14-day period. In addition, after completing 70 hours in On-Duty you must take a consecutive 24 hours in Off-Duty before continuing your cycle.
Resetting the Clock
If you’re using the 70/7 duty cycle (cycle 1), you must take 36 consecutive hours Off-Duty to reset your cycle hours.
If you’re using 120/14 duty cycle (cycle 2), you must take 72 consecutive hours Off-Duty to reset your cycle hours.
Note: Sleeper Berth counts as Off-Duty
Accumulation Period
The days in the cycle is a rolling period. For example, if a driver is working under a "70/7" cycle, and works for 10 hours each day, after 7 days, they will have completed 70 hours of On-Duty in 7 days. After a day of no work, they would be able to do 10 more hours of On-Duty time.
To help calculate your rolling cycle period, it helps to use a recap table. A recap table keeps track of your On-Duty hours completed over the previous days, so you can calculate your remaining cycle hours.
Some ELDs allow you to keep track your cycle hours automatically. Switchboard is a third-party certified ELD that focuses on simplifying your hours-of-service. Click here to learn more.
Check out our article: Do you need ELDs? Rules & Exceptions
Switchboard provides a third-party certified ELD and helps you manage your HOS & safety compliance. If you’re looking for a comprehensive and easy to use ELD for managing your hours-of-service, sign up to get a demo of Switchboard.
