The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued four significant Hours of Service (HOS) rule changes for interstate drivers – effective September 29, 2020.  

The four new rule changes will improve safety, increase productivity, and increase flexibility for truck drivers:

• 30-minute breaks (§395.3(a)(3)) - Drivers can remain "on duty" for their breaks and not have to take a break until completing eight hours of driving time, rather than consecutive time.
• 100 air-mile exception (§395.1(e)(1)) - Drivers must be done working within 14 consecutive hours. Drivers must remain within a 150 air-mile radius.
• Split-sleeper provision (§395.1(g)(1)) - Drivers must spend at least 7 hours in a sleeper berth, plus another break to reach 10 hours total. Neither rest period counts against the 14-hour limit.
• Adverse conditions (§395.1(b)(1)) - Drivers may extend both their driving and on-duty limits by 2 hours.

The new Hours of Service Training program provides drivers with a thorough explanation of the Hours of Service Regulations, including how the rules help improve their safety and productivity.

• Regs Covered: 49 CFR Part 395
• Ready-to-use training program includes several components
• English & Spanish available all in one program
• Closed-captioned for the hearing impaired

What's Included

• (1) Full Video Program on USB - Combines engaging video and editing technology with expertise from industry professionals at all levels. Available in English & Spanish all in one program. Divided into six training modules:
  1. Basics (20-minute video)
     • Who is Regulated?
     • Purpose of the Hours-of-Service Regulations
     • Working Time
     • Your Impact on Hours-of-Service CSA BASIC Score
  2. Limits (20-minute video)
     • Ill or Fatigued Operator
     • 10-Hour Clock (Off-Duty)
     • 14-Hour (On-Duty) Limit
     • 11-Hour (Driving) Limit
     • 60- and 70-Hour (On-Duty) Limit
     • Interruption of Driving
     • 34-Hour Restart
  3. Recording Your Hours (22-minute video)
     • Trip Planning
     • Coercion of Drivers Prohibited
     • Supporting Documents
     • Recording Duty Status
     • Roadside Inspections Expectations
  4. Exceptions (16-minute video)
     • Air-Mile Radius Short-Haul
     • 16-Hour (“Big Day” Exception)
     • Split-Sleeper Berth
     • Adverse Driving Conditions
     • Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
     • Oil Field
     • Agricultural Operations
     • Utility Service Vehicles
     • Personal Conveyance
     • Other Exceptions
  5. ELD Basics (16-minute video)
     • ELD Use
     • Driver ELD Expectations
     • Harassment Prevention
  6. How to Complete a Manual Log (12-minute video)
     • Driver’s Manual Log
     • Record of Duty Status
• (1) Trainer Guide - Provides basic information and guidelines trainers need to present Hours of Service training. Trainer Guides are provided in the following languages and formats:
  • English
    • 1 printed copy (not sold separately)
    • 1 PDF (on the USB)
  • Spanish
    • 1 PDF (on the USB)
• (11) Driver Handbooks - 10 English (Product Code: 61361) and 1 Spanish (Product Code: 61362) - Provide a full-color, portable, easy-to-understand reference to be used during and after training. Review key points and includes quizzes to check employees’ understanding of the material.
• (2) Awareness Posters - 1 English printed copy and 1 Spanish printed copy - A full-color, photo-based reminder to help driver be compliant with the Hours of Service rules
• Trainer Tools on USB:
  • Video Program*
  • PowerPoint^® presentations*
  • Trainer Guides*
  • Learning Activities with Answer Keys*
  • Quizzes with Answer Keys*
  • Photos
  • Training Log
  • Certificate of Completion*
  • Awareness Poster*

*Available in both English and Spanish.

What's Covered

After completing Module 1: Basics, drivers will be able to:

• Identify who the hours-of-service regulations apply to
• Recognize the purpose of the hours-of-service regulations
• Differentiate between on-duty and off-duty activities
• Explain how hours-of-service violations affect driver and carrier CSA scores

After completing Module 2: Limits, drivers will be able to:

• Recognize how fatigue requires drivers to stop driving even if they have hours left to legally operate
• Identify off-duty activities that qualify as a 10-hour break
• Describe how the 14-hour limit is calculated
• Identify which duty status the 11-hour limit tracks
• Determine when to use the 60- or 70-hour limit
• Identify an exception which resets the 60- or 70-hour limit
• Explain how to satisfy the 30-minute break required under the interruption of driving provision
• Differentiate between cumulative and consecutive limits

After completing Module 3: Recording Your Hours, drivers will be able to:

• Describe how to use trip planning to achieve successful time management
• Identify two important components of coercion
• Explain how supporting documents are used to validate recorded hours
• Explain when to keep track of your hours using an ELD, manual log, or time record
• Recognize how roadside inspection expectations differ between ELDs, manual logs, and time records

After completing Module 4: Exceptions, drivers will be able to:

• Identify which drivers can use an hours-of-service exception
• Describe what an exception relieves a driver from

After completing Module 5: ELD Basics, drivers will be able to:

• Discuss when drivers are required to use an ELD
• Identify the five items required to be in the cab when recording hours with an ELD
• Describe how drivers can reduce unassigned drive time
• Explain the process to follow when their ELD malfunctions
• Differentiate between coercion and harassment

After completing Module 6: How to Fill Out Manual Logs, drivers will be able to:

• Identify required fields on a manual log
• Prepare a record of duty status using a manual log
• Describe how to complete a recap to determine the number of hours a driver has available before hitting the 60- or 70-hour limit

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