Team Driving Hours of Service (2026)
Team drivers follow the same HOS regulations as solo drivers, but the sleeper berth provision is what makes the team model possible. Understanding exactly how the split sleeper berth works — and where teams commonly make compliance mistakes — is essential for keeping the truck legal and rolling.
11 hrs
Max Driving Per Driver
7/3
Common Sleeper Split
10 hrs
Required Off-Duty
20-22
Team Driving Hours/Day
Ahmad Qazi
Founder & CEO, O Trucking LLC
Fact-Checked by O Trucking Compliance Team
5+ years monitoring HOS compliance for team and solo drivers
Written by Ahmad Qazi, founder of O Trucking LLC, drawing on 9+ years dispatching for owner-operators. Learn more about us.
O TruckingTeam Driving Hours of Service: HOS Rules & Sleeper Berth Splits (2026)
Key Takeaways
- Each team driver keeps a separate clock and ELD log: 11 hours driving, a 14-hour window, and 10 hours off before driving again.
- Under 49 CFR 395.1(g), the 10-hour off-duty requirement can be split as 7/3 or 8/2, where one period is at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.
- A qualifying 7+ hour sleeper berth period pauses the 14-hour clock; a nap or sub-7-hour period does not and keeps counting.
- A resting driver who steps out to help load must log on-duty (not driving) — the most common team HOS violation.
- The 60/70-hour weekly limit still applies to each driver; staggering start times keeps both clocks from expiring at once.
Basic HOS Rules That Apply to Team Drivers
Each team driver independently follows the standard property-carrier HOS rules. Both drivers have their own clock, their own log, and their own compliance obligations:
11-hour driving limit — Each driver may drive a maximum of 11 hours after having 10 consecutive hours off duty (or equivalent sleeper berth time).
14-hour on-duty window — Each driver cannot drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty. For team drivers using the sleeper berth provision, qualifying sleeper berth periods of 7+ hours pause the 14-hour clock.
30-minute break — Each driver must take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving. Sleeper berth time counts as a break.
60/70-hour limit — Neither driver may drive after being on duty 60 hours in 7 consecutive days or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days. The 34-hour restart resets this limit.
10-hour off-duty — Each driver needs 10 hours off duty before driving again. For team drivers, this can be satisfied through the split sleeper berth provision (7/3 or 8/2 splits).
The Sleeper Berth Split Provision
The sleeper berth provision under 49 CFR 395.1(g) is the regulation that makes team driving work. It allows drivers to split their 10-hour off-duty requirement into two periods:
How the 7/3 Split Works
First period: 7+ hours in sleeper berth — The driver spends at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth while their partner drives. This period pauses the 14-hour clock.
Second period: 3+ hours off-duty or sleeper berth — The driver takes at least 3 hours off-duty or in the sleeper berth (can be combined). Neither period counts against the 14-hour window.
Combined: 10+ hours — The two periods together must total at least 10 hours, satisfying the off-duty requirement. The driver can then start a new 11-hour driving and 14-hour on-duty window.
The 7-Hour Minimum Is Critical
Common Team HOS Scenarios
Here are the most common real-world scenarios team drivers encounter and how HOS applies:
Scenario 1: Standard Relay
Driver A drives 10 hours. Driver B sleeps in the berth for 10 hours. They swap. Driver B drives 10 hours. Driver A sleeps 10 hours. Each driver gets a full 10-hour off-duty in one continuous block. This is the simplest team HOS scenario — no split sleeper calculations needed.
Scenario 2: Split Sleeper (7/3)
Driver A drives 8 hours, then takes 7 hours in the sleeper berth while Driver B drives. Driver A comes back on duty, drives 3 hours, then takes 3 hours off-duty. The 7-hour sleeper period + 3-hour off-duty = 10 hours total. Driver A's 14-hour clock paused during the 7-hour sleeper berth period.
Scenario 3: Loading/Unloading During Partner's Shift
Both drivers must be in the sleeper berth or off-duty to accumulate rest time. If Driver B is in the sleeper berth but gets out to help with loading, they must log on-duty (not driving). This on-duty time counts against Driver B's 14-hour window and does NOT count as rest. This is the most common violation in team operations.
Scenario 4: Both Drivers Out of Hours
If both drivers hit their 11-hour driving limit or 14-hour window simultaneously (poor planning), the truck must stop. This defeats the purpose of team driving. Proper dispatch coordination staggers the drivers' clocks to prevent this scenario.
ELD Requirements for Team Drivers
Both team drivers must maintain separate ELD logs. Most modern ELD systems support "team mode" that allows both drivers to log into the same device:
Separate profiles — Each driver logs in with their own credentials. The ELD tracks driving time, on-duty time, sleeper berth, and off-duty independently for each driver.
Co-driver feature — When the truck moves, the ELD automatically assigns driving time to the active driver. The co-driver's status shows as sleeper berth or off-duty (whichever they selected).
Roadside inspection — Officers can view both drivers' logs during a roadside inspection. Both logs must be current, accurate, and available for review within the current 24-hour period plus the previous 7 days.
Common Team HOS Compliance Mistakes
These are the most frequent HOS violations we see in team operations:
Off-duty driver helping with loading — When the resting driver gets out of the sleeper to help at the dock, they must log on-duty (not driving). Many teams forget this, creating false log entries that are caught during audits.
Sleeper period under 7 hours — Taking a 6.5-hour sleeper berth period and thinking it qualifies for the split. It does not. The minimum qualifying period is 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.
Wrong driver logged as driving — If Driver B takes the wheel but forgets to swap ELD profiles, Driver A accumulates driving time they did not earn. This creates violations for both drivers.
Both clocks running out simultaneously — Poor planning leads to both drivers exhausting their hours at the same time. The truck sits until at least one driver has a valid restart.
Ignoring the 60/70-hour rule — Teams focused on daily cycles forget to track weekly cumulative hours. Even with proper daily rest, a driver can hit the 60/70-hour wall mid-week if they have been running hard.
Stagger Your Start Times
How We Monitor Team HOS Compliance
At O Trucking LLC, we actively track both drivers' HOS clocks when dispatching team trucks:
Dual-clock monitoring
We track remaining driving hours, 14-hour window status, and weekly cumulative hours for both team drivers independently. Before dispatching a load, we verify that the appropriate driver has sufficient hours to cover the route.
Appointment alignment
We schedule pickup and delivery appointments to align with driver swap times, preventing scenarios where both drivers need to be on-duty simultaneously for loading or paperwork.
Proactive alerts
When a team driver is approaching their 60/70-hour weekly limit, we flag it before it becomes a problem. This allows the team to plan a 34-hour restart without losing a load or getting caught short on hours mid-delivery.
Team Driving Guide Collection
Team Driving HOS: Frequently Asked Questions
Can a team truck legally run 24 hours a day?
No. Each team driver is still capped at 11 hours of driving per duty period, so a single driver cannot cover the full day. What a team gains is near-continuous wheel time: while one driver runs, the other accumulates rest in the sleeper berth. In practice a well-coordinated team keeps the truck moving roughly 20-22 hours per day, not a full 24, because swaps, fuel stops, loading, and the required off-duty periods still consume time.
What is the difference between a 7/3 and an 8/2 sleeper berth split?
Both are valid ways to break the 10-hour off-duty requirement into two pieces under 49 CFR 395.1(g). In a 7/3 split the driver takes at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth plus a separate period of at least 3 hours off-duty or in the sleeper berth. In an 8/2 split it is 8 hours in the berth plus at least 2 hours off-duty or sleeper. The key rule is the same: one of the two periods must be at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, the two periods must total at least 10 hours, and the qualifying periods are excluded from the 14-hour driving window.
Do both team drivers need their own ELD log?
Yes. Each driver logs into the ELD with their own credentials, and the device tracks driving, on-duty, sleeper berth, and off-duty time separately for each person. Modern ELDs support a team or co-driver mode so both drivers share one device while keeping independent records. During a roadside inspection an officer can pull up both logs, so each driver's record must be current and accurate for the present 24-hour period plus the previous 7 days.
Does sleeper berth time pause a team driver's 14-hour clock?
It can, but only when it qualifies. A single sleeper berth period of 7 or more consecutive hours, when paired with a second qualifying period of at least 2 or 3 hours to total 10 hours, is excluded from the 14-hour window. A short nap or a sleeper period under 7 hours that does not form part of a valid split does not pause the clock and keeps counting against the 14 hours.
Keep Your Team Truck Compliant
Our dispatch team monitors both drivers' HOS clocks, coordinates load assignments around sleeper berth splits, and flags compliance issues before they become violations.