UPDATE: FMCSA Hours of Service Pilot Programs

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is moving forward with two pilot programs that could eventually give commercial truck drivers more flexibility in how they schedule rest and manage the 14-hour driving window.

On August 27, 2026, FMCSA announced that it had completed pre-tests for the Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program and the Split Duty Period Pilot Program. The small studies included 18 drivers from six motor carriers and allowed the agency to test its procedures, participation requirements, and data collection methods before expanding the programs in 2027.

To be clear: FMCSA has not announced a general change to the Hours of Service rules. The pilots are still in research stage, and drivers and carriers should continue following the regulations that currently apply unless they have been approved to participate in an authorized pilot or qualify for another exception.

Key Takeaways for Motor Carriers

• FMCSA has completed early pre-tests for two Hours of Service pilot programs and plans to expand both studies in 2027.
• The Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program will examine additional ways for drivers to divide required sleeper-berth and off-duty time.
• The Split Duty Period Pilot Program will study whether certain non-driving periods can safely pause the 14-hour driving window for up to three hours.
• FMCSA expects 256 drivers to take part in each expanded pilot, bringing total participation to 512 drivers.
• The pilot programs do not currently change HOS requirements for the trucking industry as a whole.
• Carriers can prepare by reinforcing current HOS procedures, reviewing ELD practices, and keeping driver qualification and compliance records organized.

Current HOS Rules vs. FMCSA Pilot Concepts

Why FMCSA Is Testing More Scheduling Flexibility

Hours of Service regulations are designed to reduce fatigue by limiting driving and on-duty time while also requiring drivers to take regular periods of rest. Under the current framework, property-carrying drivers generally may drive for up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. They also operate within a 14-hour driving window and must follow other applicable break and weekly limits.

In practice, however, a driver's day can change quickly. Congestion, severe weather, mechanical problems, limited parking, long loading times, and changing customer appointments can all affect how efficiently a driver uses the available workday.

To compensate for these unexpected occurrences, FMCSA has previously adjusted parts of the HOS framework, including changes adopted in 2020 that gave drivers more flexibility in several areas. Now, through the two new pilots, the agency is gathering additional real-world data to determine whether drivers can be given more scheduling options without creating additional safety risks.

How the Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Would Work

The first study, the Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program, focuses on how drivers divide their required rest periods.

Under the current sleeper-berth provision, an eligible property-carrying driver can divide the required 10 hours off duty into two qualifying periods. One period must include at least seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, while the other must include at least two hours either inside or outside the sleeper berth. Together, the periods must add up to at least 10 hours.

FMCSA's pilot will study additional combinations, including 6/4 and 5/5 splits. Under the pilot framework described by the agency, participating drivers may divide their required rest into two periods as long as those periods total at least 10 hours, and one includes at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.

For a driver dealing with a changing schedule, that flexibility could provide more choice about when to rest. For example, a driver could potentially use an extended period of congestion, severe weather, or another delay as part of a planned rest schedule rather than continuing to use the available workday while waiting for conditions to improve.

How the Split Duty Period Pilot Would Work

The second study focuses on the 14-hour driving window and, more specifically, what happens when a driver spends part of that window waiting rather than driving.

FMCSA plans to study whether participating drivers can safely pause the 14-hour window for up to three hours while they are in certain non-driving statuses. 

The Split Duty Period Pilot would study whether certain non-driving periods can pause the 14-hour window. 


Qualifying periods may include:

• Off-duty time
• Sleeper-berth time
• Certain on-duty, non-driving time at a pickup or delivery location

Under the pilot, a driver who spends a significant amount of time waiting at a customer location could potentially prevent some of that period from counting against the 14-hour window, which could give drivers another way to manage detention, traffic, weather, or other delays.  

What to Expect From the HOS Pilots in 2027?

FMCSA is reviewing the 2026 pre-tests and preparing both programs for broader participation.

The agency expects each expanded pilot to include 256 drivers, which would bring the combined number of participants to 512. Instead of taking part for six weeks, as drivers did during the pre-tests, participants in the expanded studies are expected to remain in the program for four months. Drivers may receive up to $1,600 for completing all required study activities.

Professional drivers and motor carriers that want information about participating can contact FMCSA at pilots@dot.gov.

What Motor Carriers Can Do Now

Carriers do not need to wait for the expanded studies to begin before reviewing their current procedures.

1. A useful first step is to make sure drivers, dispatchers, and safety managers have a consistent understanding of today's HOS requirements. As information about the pilots circulates through the industry, someone may hear about a 5/5 sleeper split or a three-hour pause without realizing that these options are being studied rather than broadly adopted.
2. Carriers should also review their ELD procedures, particularly how they handle duty-status changes, edits, unidentified driving time, supporting records, and driver coaching. Although the pilots may change how some authorized participants manage their time, accurate electronic records will remain central to documenting compliance.
3. It is also a good time to look at driver qualification files and make sure all required records are complete and easy to retrieve. When regulations or internal policies change, organized documentation can make the transition easier for both safety teams and drivers.
4. Finally, employers may want to ask drivers where they experience the most scheduling pressure. Detention, limited parking, traffic, weather, and customer appointment times can affect routes in very different ways. Those conversations can help carriers understand where greater flexibility may be useful while also identifying situations where fatigue or scheduling pressure could become a concern.

How DISA Can Help

While FMCSA continues studying possible changes to driver scheduling, transportation employers still need to manage the requirements that apply today. Those responsibilities extend beyond HOS records and include driver qualification, medical certification, screening, testing, and ongoing compliance documentation.

For employers with safety-sensitive positions, DISA's DOT drug testing services can support required programs such as pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion or reasonable cause, post-accident, return-to-duty, and follow-up testing. Carriers can also use our DOT driver physical examination services to help manage medical qualification requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers.

Contact us to see how we can help you manage the records, screening, testing, and qualification processes that support a safer fleet. 

Frequently Asked Questions About FMCSA HOS Pilot Programs