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ELD & Hours of Service

Split Sleeper HOS: Explanation & Example

Michael Ip
March 1, 2024
March 26, 2024

Here we provide easy to understand explanations of how to properly use different sleeper berth period splits, and how it impacts your hours-of-service.

In this article

Before you continue reading: The Split-Sleeper berth provision only applies to drivers driving a vehicle with a sleeper berth. This will be verified by the DOT/NSC during an audit!

The right ELD will ensure that you calculate your hours easily. We have also provided a quick video which explains how the Split Sleeper Berth provision works.

How to calculate your Split Sleeper Berth Hours

Split Sleeper Berth rules are not supposed to be complicated. Here we provide a clear and simple guide that provides explanations and examples of how you can use split-sleeper berth provisions properly.

Want to learn more about other hours-of-service tricks? Visit our simple Hours-of-Service guide to learn more.

Why use Split Sleeper Berth Provision?

The split-sleeper berth rule is a way to split up an entire 10-hour rest period into two separate break periods. One useful example of split-sleeper is to make use of split-sleeper periods as drop-off or pick-up times, so that you can have more time on the road.

The key aspect of how Split-Sleeper helps your hours is that the split-sleeper berth provision moves your Shift Window forward.

Split-Sleeper Berth Rule & Provision

There are a few key aspects of split-sleeper berth periods that you have to know. First, split-sleeper berth periods can be split into 8/2 and 7/3 only. Second, short breaks can be in Off-Duty or Sleeper Berth duty status. Third, split-sleeper berth periods do NOT count towards shift limits.

The FMCSA is looking into whether they will include 6/4, and 5/5 as support sleeper berth, but currently this is not implemented yet.

You’re able to use the split-sleeper provision in periods of:

  • 7 hours (long-break) and 3 hours (short-break)
  • 8 hours (long-break) and 2 hours (short-break)

Calculating Split Sleeper Berth Hours (8/2 Split, 7/3 Split examples)

Calculating your shift window is the most complicated part of the split-sleeper berth rule. Below we’ve provided examples to make it as simple as possible.

When you combine 2 break periods (8/2, or 3/7), the shift-window window moves forward to the end of the first period.

What does this mean? Let us show you in the example below:

HOS Logs Example of Split Sleeper with 3 & 7 hours
The Shift Window moved from 00:00AM to 10:00AM.
Shift time increased by 7 hours. Driving time increased by 6 hours.

How did the shift window move?

Under CFR Title 9, it states that: "The driving time limit and the 14-hour duty-period limit must be re-calculated from the end of the first of the first of the two periods".

From the picture above, we can calculate the hours at different points of the day:

Midnight (Beginning of Day)

  • Driving Time Remaining: 11 hours
  • On-Duty Time Remaining: 14 hours

7:00 AM

  • Driving Time Remaining: 5 hours
  • On-Duty Time Remaining: 7 hours

10:00 AM

  • Driving Time Remaining: 5 hours
  • On-Duty Time Remaining: 7 hours

Shift Time increased by 3 hours

5:00 PM

  • Driving Time Remaining: 0 hours
  • On-Duty Time Remaining: 0 hours

Midnight

  • Driving Time Remaining: 6 hours
  • On-Duty Time Remaining: 7 hours

In the example above, the end of the first of the two periods is at 10am.
As a result, the shift time increased by 7 hours, and driving time is increased by 6 hours at the start of the next day.

7/3 Split Sleeper Example: 3 hours (short) & 7 hours (long)

Example Sleeper Berth using 3 hours + 7 hours
Example Sleeper Berth log using 3 hours + 7 hours

In this example showing the 7/3 Split Sleeper in action, the driver will have counted 5 hours driving, and 7 hours on-duty reduced towards their shift by the end of the day.

Once the split sleeper long break has been completed, the driver only needs to start counting their shift from the end of the first break (which in the example is 10AM).

In the example above, at midnight the next day, the driver will have 6 hours driving time remaining, and 7 hours on-duty time remaining.

8/2 Split Sleeper Berth Example: 2 hours (short) & 8 hours (long)

Example Sleeper Berth log using 2 hours + 8 hours
Example Sleeper Berth log using 2 hours + 8 hours

In the situation here, the driver will have counted 4 hours driving, and 7 hours on-duty reduced towards their shift by the end of the day.

Once the split sleeper long break has been completed, the driver only needs to start counting their shift from the end of the first break (which in the example is 10AM).

In the example above, at midnight the next day, the driver will have 7 hours driving time remaining, and 7 hours on-duty time remaining.

Advanced Sleeper Berth Split Rule Tricks

For Short Breaks: Off-Duty or Sleeper Berth Is OK

What’s important here is that the short break (2 hours, or 3 hours) does not have to be in Sleeper Berth duty status.

Example: Short Break using Sleeper Berth Duty Status

Example log using Sleeper Berth for short break
Example log using Sleeper Berth for short break

Example: Short Break using Off-Duty Duty Status

Example log using Off-Duty for short break
Example log using Off-Duty for short break

In both situations, you will have a valid Split-Sleeper. A couple things to remember here are:

  • Your short break cannot be a combination of Sleeper Berth and Off Duty, it has to be one or the other!
  • Long Breaks (7 or 8 hours) can only be in Sleeper Berth duty status.

For Shift Limits Split-Sleeper berth periods do not decrease shift time

If you’re using the split-sleeper berth provision, each of your breaks will not count towards shift limits. That means that, done properly, you can extend your shift beyond 14 hours.

Let’s look at some examples of how using the split-sleeper berth provision can extend your shift window.

Example: Using Sleeper-Berth to extend shift by 3 hours

Example Sleeper Berth using 3 hours + 7 hours, with 11 hours Driving and 14 hours On-Duty
Assume that the driver has 11hrs driving / 14hrs on-duty starting from midnight – without split-sleeper, they could only work until 2pm. A 3 hours Off-Duty Split-Sleeper break was taken at 7am, and the driver was allowed to work until 5pm

What’s the catch?

Your breaks have to properly be matched with another break period:

  • 7 with 3
  • 3 with 7
  • 2 with 8
  • 8 with 2

If you don’t ensure that your break is matched up with the other break, then your shift window won’t actually shift.

But how does this all affect your next shift window? See below.

Extending your long break (8 or 7 hours) to 10 hours will give you full hours back.

If you take 10 hours during your split-sleeper berth, you will reset your entire Driving time and On-Duty time limits.

Example Sleeper Berth using 2 hours Off-Duty + 8 hours in Sleeper Berth
8 hours long-break for split-sleeper

Using 8 hours for long-break

From the picture above, at 24:00 (midnight at the end of the day) the driver would have:

  • 7 hours driving remaining
  • 8 hours on-duty remaining

Example Sleeper Berth using 2 hours Off-Duty + 10 hours in Sleeper Berth
10 hours long-break for split-sleeper

Using 10 hours for long-break

From the picture above, at 24:00 (midnight at the end of the day), the driver would have:

  • 11 hours driving remaining
  • 14 hours on-duty remaining

Chaining Split Sleeper Periods: you can move your shift window again by completing matching another split-sleeper period the next day

Here is a quote from our conversation with the DOT:

If a driver does 10 hours in the sleeper berth and has something to pair it with it can be used as a split sleeper berth…
Based on the rule, any period of time that is part of a split sleeper berth calculation is not counted towards the 14 hour window.

Safety Investigator

Washington State Division
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Using continual split-sleeper periods, you can keep moving your shift window forward. For example, you can continually do 3 + 7 + 3 + 7 + 3 (or 2 + 8 + 2 + 8) periods.

Chaining Split-Sleeper Example (Day 1) Sleeper Berth using 2 hours Off-Duty + 8 hours in Sleeper Berth
Chaining Split-Sleeper Periods: Day 1

In Day 1 above, the driver completes a standard split-sleeper log. At 24:00 (midnight at the end of the day) the driver would have 7 hours driving remaining, and 8 hours on-duty remaining.

The interesting thing happens in Day 2 below.

Chaining Split-Sleeper Example (Day 2) Sleeper Berth using 2 hours Off-Duty + 8 hours in Sleeper Berth
Chaining Split-Sleeper Periods: Day 2

In Day 2, shown above, the long-break from Day 1 will combine with the short-break on Day 2to move the shift window from 10am to midnight.

At the end of the short-break on Day 2 (10:00am) the driver would have 4 hours driving remaining, and 6 hours on-duty remaining.

Split Sleeper and Hours of Service

If it's taking some time to get the hang of split-sleeper rules, that's okay. It is not the easiest hours-of-service rule to understand. Learning to calculate how split-sleeper affects the shift window take some practice.

If you’re still confused, the FMCSA has provided a very useful tool to calculate hours-of-service here: ELD – Educational Tool for Hours of Service (dot.gov)

We know sometimes split-sleeper can be confusing, and hopefully with the examples above, they can clear the air. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Switchboard and our team is ready to answer any questions you have about Hours-of-Service.

Michael Ip
Michael brings a deep understanding of industry challenges and a commitment to practical solutions, and ensures that Switchboard's offerings empower trucking companies to reduce costs and enhance efficiency. His collaborative approach fosters innovation, making Switchboard a trusted partner in the ever-evolving world of trucking logistics.
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