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Calculating The 70-Hour Limit
Here is how a driver would calculate the 70-hour limit with an explanation below. Keep in mind that the on-duty time for this calculation is actually a combination of both on-duty time and driving time. So if you drive for 6 hours and do 1 hour of on-duty work, your total on-duty time for the day will be 7 hours for this calculation.
- Day
- Hours Avail Today
- On-Duty Today
- Hours Avail Now
- 1
- 70
- 10
- 60
- 2
- 60
- 9
- 51
- 3
- 51
- 12
- 39
- 4
- 39
- 9
- 30
- 5
- 30
- 11
- 19
- 6
- 19
- 10
- 9
- 7
- 9
- 9
- 0
- 8
- 0
- 5
- -5
- 9
- 5
- 5
- 0
On the first day, the driver had a fresh 8-day / 70-hour limit. As the driver spent time on duty and/or driving each day, the remaining time on the 70-hour limit dwindled. By day 7, the driver had used up the entire 70-hour limit. But...notice on day 8, the driver went on duty for 5 hours even though no time remained on the 70-hour limit. That is perfectly legal as long as no driving took place. The 70-hour limit simply states a driver may not DRIVE a CMV if the driver has been on duty for 70 hours within an 8-day period.
You will also notice on day 9, the driver had 5 hours of the 70-hour limit returned. That's because day 1 no longer counts against the 70-hour limit (you are only required to count the current day and the previous 7 days for 8 days total.) Since the driver had -5 hours available and 10 hours fell off the calculation, the driver had 5 hours available on the 70-hour limit. That means on day 9 the driver could drive a CMV for up to 5 hours.
It's a bit confusing at first, but it quickly becomes second nature out on the road.
THE 34-HOUR RESTART
The regulations allow you to restart your 60 or 70-hour clock calculations after having at least 34 consecutive hours off duty. In other words, after you have taken at least 34 consecutive hours off duty, you have the full 60 or 70 hours available again.
A driver may take a 34-hour reset at any time, as often as they like. You don’t have to be at home to take a 34-hour break. You can take it on the road. One nice thing about taking a 34-hour break on the road is that it gives you a chance to see something in the area that might interest you. When taking a 34-hour break, you may log it all as off duty, or you can mix in some sleeper berth time if you want. The main thing is that you don’t interrupt your break with any on-duty or drive time.
The 34-hour reset is not a mandatory requirement. It is an option that gives a driver more flexibility in their schedule.
If you choose not to take a 34-hour reset and you're near the limit of your 70 hours, you may find the time you have available each day equals the hours that became available after the 8th day drops off the calculation. They commonly refer to this as “running on re-caps.”
Multiple-Choice Questions:
Which of the following is true about the 34-hour reset?
- You can take it anytime, anywhere
- You can log it as off-duty, sleeper berth, or a combination of both
- It allows you to reset your 60 or 70-hour clock
- All these are true
A driver may take a 34-hour reset at any time, as often as they like. You don’t have to be at home to take a 34-hour break. You can take it on the road. One nice thing about taking a 34-hour break on the road is that it gives you a chance to see something in the area that might interest you. When taking a 34-hour break, you may log it all as off duty, or you can mix in some sleeper berth time if you want. The main thing is that you don’t interrupt your break with any on-duty or drive time.
The 34-hour reset is not a mandatory requirement. It is an option that gives a driver more flexibility in their schedule.
What is the 34-hour reset rule?
- It allows you to restart your 60 or 70-hour clock calculations after having at least 34 consecutive hours off duty
- You do not need to take a 30 minute break after 8 hours of driving if you took a 34-hour reset the previous day
- You can exceed your 14-hour clock only after taking 34 consecutive hours off duty
- You can drive up to 11 hours for one day only after taking 34 consecutive hours off duty
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