The sleeper berth split, explained

What the rule says

If you drive a property-carrying truck with a sleeper berth, 49 CFR 395.1(g)(1) gives you several ways to get the 10 hours off you need before driving again:

• 10 or more consecutive hours off duty.
• 10 or more consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.
• A consecutive mix of off duty and sleeper berth time adding up to at least 10 hours.
• At least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth plus up to 3 hours riding in the passenger seat of the moving truck, right before or after, for at least 10 consecutive hours. This one is for teams. See team driving.
• A split: two separate rest periods that together count as 10 hours off.

The split works only if all of these are true:

1. Neither period is shorter than 2 consecutive hours.
2. One period is at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth. Off duty in a motel or the lounge doesn't count for this one.
3. The two periods add up to at least 10 hours.
4. Not more than two periods. You can't build 10 hours out of three or four naps.
5. The driving before and after each rest period, added together, stays within 11 hours and the 14-hour limit.

The shorter period can be off duty, sleeper berth, or a mix of the two. It can't be on-duty time. So 7/3, 8/2 and anything in between (7.5/2.5, for example) all work, and the long period can come first or second.

This version of the rule took effect on September 29, 2020. Before that, the sleeper period had to be at least 8 hours. The 2020 rule also made both qualifying periods pause the 14-hour window. For the basic limits, see hours of service basics.

How the 11 and 14-hour clocks work with a split

Two sentences in 395.1(g)(1)(iii) do the work:

• The 14-hour window doesn't include the qualifying rest periods. While you're in either half of a valid split, your 14-hour clock is paused.
• Once you finish the second period, you recalculate from the end of the first one. Count the driving and the on-duty time from the end of the first period up to now, skipping the second rest period. Whatever is left of the 11 and the 14 is what you have.

A simple way to do it:

1. Find the end of the first rest period of the pair.
2. Add up the driving since then. Subtract it from 11. That's your driving left.
3. Add up all the time since then (driving, on duty and any off-duty time that isn't part of the pair), but not the second rest period. Subtract it from 14. That's your window left.
4. You can drive for whichever is shorter.

The 30-minute break still applies. You can't drive after 8 hours of driving without a 30-minute interruption (395.3(a)(3)(ii)). Off duty, sleeper berth and on-duty not driving all count, so a 2-hour or longer split period covers it.

The split doesn't change your 60/70-hour limit. On-duty and driving time still add up toward it, and only a 34-hour restart resets it.

Example 1: a 7/3 split, short break first

This is a made-up schedule to show the math. The driver starts after a full 10 hours off.

If the driver later takes another break of at least 3 hours, it pairs with the 7-hour sleeper period and the count starts again from 03:00. That's how drivers keep "rolling" a split. Each new pair has to meet all the rules on its own.

Example 2: an 8/2 split, long period first

Another made-up schedule. This time the driver sleeps first, for example while waiting on a late appointment.

Want to check your own day? Our HOS calculator handles the basic limits. Do the split math by hand the first few times so you understand what your ELD shows.

Common mistakes

• Driving all 11 hours before the long break and expecting the split to help. The driving before and after each rest period can't add up to more than 11. If you used all 11 before an 8-hour sleeper period, you can't drive after it until you complete 10 hours off.
• A short period under 2 hours. A 1.5-hour break doesn't qualify. It counts against your 14-hour window like any other off-duty time.
• Taking the long period outside the sleeper berth. The 7 hours must be consecutive and in the berth. Seven hours off duty in a motel room doesn't qualify for a split.
• Working during the short period. Fueling, a pre-trip or helping unload is on-duty time. It breaks the period. Log it honestly and restart the count.
• Restarting the 14 from the end of the long break. You recalculate from the end of the first period of the pair, not from whenever you woke up.
• Three pieces. The rule allows not more than two periods. Two 4-hour naps and a 2-hour break are not a split.
• Splitting in a day cab. The 7-hour period needs a sleeper berth that meets 49 CFR 393.76.
• Forgetting the 60/70. A perfect split doesn't give you hours you don't have on your weekly limit.

How the split shows on your ELD

• Sleeper berth is its own duty status. The ELD rule lists four: off duty, sleeper berth, driving and on duty not driving. Your graph grid shows each on its own line, with daily totals for each.
• Pick the right status. The 7-hour period must be logged as sleeper berth, not off duty. If you log it as off duty, it won't qualify, even if you were in the bunk.
• The ELD switches you to driving when the truck moves. Change to off duty or sleeper before you go to bed, and back to on duty when you start your pre-trip.
• Check your app's clocks. Many ELD apps show split sleeper clocks. If the clocks your app shows don't match your own math, ask your ELD provider how its hours-of-service settings handle the split, and go with the rule, not the app.
• Be ready to explain it. At an inspection, you may need to walk an officer through the pair. Know which two periods you're using and where you recalculated from. See the roadside inspection guide.

Shopping for an ELD? See comparing ELDs and the ELD checklist.

Proposed pilot programs (not started yet)

On September 17, 2025, FMCSA proposed two hours-of-service pilot programs in the Federal Register:

• Flexible sleeper berth pilot: participants could take the long sleeper period as short as 5 consecutive hours, so a 5/5 or 6/4 split, or anything in between, would count as 10 hours off.
• Split duty period pilot: participants could pause their 14-hour window once a day with a break of 30 minutes to 3 hours (off duty, sleeper berth, or on duty not driving at a pickup or delivery).

Each pilot is for about 256 selected drivers whose carriers meet safety criteria. On October 6 and 7, 2026, FMCSA published notices about the data it plans to collect from participants, with comments due December 7, 2026. We found no notice that either pilot has started. Even when one does, the relief will apply only to enrolled drivers. Everyone else must follow the 7/3 rules on this page.

Using the split in real life

• Long dock waits. If you're stuck at a shipper, a 2- or 3-hour break (off duty or in the berth, not loading) can become the short half of a split and stop your 14-hour clock. If they're loading you, that's on-duty time.
• Traffic. Rest through a city's rush hour and drive when the roads are clear.
• Parking. A split can help you reach the truck stop you want instead of the first one you find. See truck parking and HOS planning.
• Sleep. The rule doesn't make you less tired. If you're tired, rest.

Fleetorica is a dispatch service. When we plan loads, we ask about your clocks and appointment times so the plan fits your hours. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Questions carriers ask