Status checked October 22, 2026: These are pilot programs for authorized participants. A planned 2027 expansion does not make 6/4 or 5/5 sleeper splits, or a driving-window pause, available to all drivers.
Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations play an important role in the U.S. trucking industry. These federal rules determine how long commercial truck drivers can drive, when they must take breaks, and how much off-duty time they need between work periods. The goal is to reduce driver fatigue and help keep America's roads safe.
However, trucking schedules are not always predictable. Traffic congestion, severe weather, long loading queues, delivery delays, and limited parking can make it difficult for drivers to manage their available driving time. Even when drivers are ready to continue their journeys, delays can affect their schedules and reduce their flexibility.
To examine these challenges, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is developing two Hours-of-Service pilot programs: the Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program and the Split Duty Period Pilot Program.
According to FMCSA’s August 27, 2026 update, the agency completed initial pre-tests and is preparing for a broader pilot rollout in 2027. The programs will examine whether greater scheduling flexibility can improve drivers' working conditions while maintaining or improving highway safety.
Understanding these initiatives can help truck drivers, owner-operators, fleet managers, and motor carriers prepare for potential developments in federal trucking regulations.
What Are FMCSA Hours-of-Service Pilot Programs?
FMCSA Hours-of-Service pilot programs are research initiatives designed to evaluate alternatives to certain existing driving and rest requirements. Rather than immediately changing the rules for every commercial driver, the agency tests proposed options with selected participants and collects information about safety and driver performance.
The two programs focus on different challenges:
- Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program: Examines alternative ways for participating drivers to divide their required 10-hour off-duty period.
- Split Duty Period Pilot Program: Examines whether participating drivers can pause their 14-hour driving window during qualifying non-driving periods.
Both initiatives are intended to provide additional flexibility without compromising driver alertness or public safety.
FMCSA is working with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to conduct research and assess the effects of these alternatives. The results will help the agency evaluate whether the proposed arrangements provide safety outcomes equivalent to or better than those achieved under current requirements.
1. Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program
What Is the Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot?
The Flexible Sleeper Berth (FSB) Pilot Program will evaluate whether commercial truck drivers can safely divide their required 10 hours of off-duty time into more flexible combinations.
Under the current property-carrying Hours-of-Service rules, eligible drivers generally must take 10 consecutive hours off duty or use a qualifying split sleeper-berth arrangement. The existing split arrangement generally requires at least seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth and another qualifying period of at least two consecutive hours, with both periods totaling at least 10 hours.
These requirements allow qualifying 7/3 and 8/2 arrangements, among other combinations within the permitted framework.
The proposed pilot will examine two additional options: 6/4 and 5/5 splits.
How Would the New Sleeper Berth Options Work?
Under the proposed pilot, participating drivers would be allowed to divide their 10-hour rest period into two qualifying periods, provided that the periods total at least 10 hours and one period includes at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.
For example:
- 6/4 split: A driver takes six hours in one qualifying rest period and four hours in another.
- 5/5 split: A driver takes five hours in one qualifying rest period and five hours in another.
These examples illustrate the proposed pilot arrangements; they do not authorize all drivers to use these options under the existing rules.
Why Is This Program Important?
Truck drivers do not always have complete control over when they can rest. Delivery appointments, traffic patterns, parking availability, and changing weather conditions can influence their schedules.
More flexible sleeper-berth arrangements could help drivers organize their rest around these circumstances. A driver might benefit from dividing sleep into two periods that better match the route and the opportunity to obtain adequate rest.
The pilot will examine whether these alternatives support driver alertness, improve working conditions, and maintain or improve safety performance.
However, a split rest schedule is not automatically better for every driver. Sleep quality, individual needs, and the timing of rest periods remain important considerations.
2. Split Duty Period Pilot Program
What Is the Split Duty Period Pilot?
The Split Duty Period (SDP) Pilot Program focuses on the 14-hour driving window that applies to property-carrying commercial motor vehicle drivers under the standard HOS framework.
Generally, drivers may drive up to 11 hours within a 14-hour window after coming on duty, provided they meet the applicable break and rest requirements. The 14-hour window continues to run even when a driver is not driving, subject to specific regulatory exceptions.
This can create challenges when drivers lose substantial time waiting at a shipping facility, dealing with congestion, or responding to other delays.
The proposed Split Duty Period Pilot will examine whether participating drivers can pause their 14-hour window for a qualifying period of at least 30 minutes and up to three hours.
How Would the Driving Window Pause Work?
Under the pilot, eligible participants could use one qualifying non-driving period to pause the 14-hour window. Depending on the circumstances, qualifying time may include:
- Off-duty time.
- Time spent in the sleeper berth.
- On-duty, not-driving time at a cargo pickup or delivery location.
For example, imagine a driver begins a shift at 6:00 a.m. and encounters a lengthy delay at a delivery facility. Under the proposed pilot arrangement, a qualifying two-hour pause could allow the driver to resume the remaining portion of the driving window later than would otherwise be permitted under the standard calculation.
The pilot could therefore extend the effective window by up to three hours, potentially allowing it to reach 17 hours in a qualifying situation.
This does not mean drivers would automatically receive three additional hours of driving time. The pilot concerns the 14-hour window, not an automatic increase in the standard 11-hour driving limit. Applicable driving limits, rest requirements, and other HOS provisions remain important.
Why Is This Program Important?
Unplanned delays are a common operational challenge in trucking. Drivers can spend hours waiting for a loading dock, navigating heavy traffic, or dealing with weather-related disruptions.
Without the proposed flexibility, this lost time can reduce the amount of the 14-hour window available for driving, even if the driver has not used all the permitted driving hours.
The pilot will examine whether an eligible pause helps drivers manage their schedules more effectively and avoid driving during particularly difficult conditions.
FMCSA has also stated that it will monitor whether the added flexibility leads to increased detention or the exploitation of drivers by shippers. The intention is to evaluate whether the change benefits drivers rather than simply allowing others to use more of their time.
What Is the Difference Between the Two HOS Pilot Programs?
Although both programs focus on flexibility, they address different parts of a truck driver's schedule.
| Feature | Flexible Sleeper Berth | Split Duty Period |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Dividing required rest time | Pausing the 14-hour driving window |
| Proposed flexibility | 6/4 and 5/5 rest splits | Qualifying pause of 30 minutes to 3 hours |
| Primary challenge | Scheduling adequate rest | Traffic, detention and other delays |
| Research goal | Assess fatigue, rest and safety | Assess driving performance and safety |
| Expected broader rollout | 2027 | 2027 |
Both programs are research initiatives. Neither should be treated as a permanent nationwide change to HOS requirements.
What Is the Current Status of the HOS Pilot Programs?
FMCSA announced progress on the two programs on August 27, 2026.
The agency reported that it had completed initial pre-tests designed to evaluate study procedures, data collection methods, and participant requirements.
The pre-test for the Flexible Sleeper Berth program ran from April 1 through June 11, 2026. It included nine drivers from three motor carriers in Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The Split Duty Period pre-test ran from May 18 through July 17, 2026. It also included nine drivers from three motor carriers, operating in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
FMCSA stated that it was reviewing the findings to refine the programs before the expected broader rollout in 2027.
The agency anticipates that each pilot will include approximately 256 drivers, for a combined total of 512 participants. Participants are expected to take part for four months and may receive up to $1,600 for completing all study tasks.
These figures describe the planned research programs, not a guarantee that every applicant will be accepted or receive the maximum payment.
Drivers and motor carriers interested in future participation can contact pilots@dot.gov to request updates from FMCSA.
How Could These Pilot Programs Affect Truck Drivers?
If the research supports the proposed alternatives, the programs could provide useful insights into how HOS rules might better accommodate real-world trucking schedules.
1. Greater Scheduling Flexibility
Drivers could potentially have more options for arranging rest and managing delays. This may be particularly relevant to long-haul drivers and operations with unpredictable delivery schedules.
2. Better Management of Unplanned Delays
The Split Duty Period concept could help participating drivers manage qualifying periods spent waiting at pickup and delivery facilities or dealing with traffic disruptions.
3. More Options for Rest Planning
The Flexible Sleeper Berth study will assess whether alternative rest combinations can give drivers more control over when they sleep, while preserving adequate rest and safety.
4. Potential Improvements in Working Conditions
More practical scheduling options could reduce some of the pressure associated with rigid schedules. However, actual benefits will depend on research findings and how any future rules are designed and implemented.
5. Continued Focus on Safety
Additional flexibility must not become pressure to drive while tired. The programs are intended to measure fatigue and driving performance, rather than assume that more scheduling freedom automatically improves safety.
What Should Motor Carriers and Fleet Managers Do Now?
Motor carriers should prepare for potential regulatory developments without making premature changes to existing procedures.
Review current HOS requirements. Ensure drivers and dispatch teams understand the applicable rules under 49 CFR Part 395, including driving limits, required rest, break requirements, and recordkeeping.
Monitor official FMCSA announcements. Follow updates about pilot eligibility, enrollment, research requirements, and any later regulatory decisions.
Train dispatchers and safety personnel. Make sure dispatchers understand that delays should be managed without pressuring drivers to violate HOS requirements or compromise rest.
Maintain accurate records. Electronic logging devices (ELDs) and records of duty status remain important tools for monitoring compliance. Drivers should continue recording their duty status accurately under applicable requirements.
Avoid assuming the pilot rules apply to everyone. A proposed or research-based exemption is not a general authorization for the entire industry. Carriers should confirm eligibility and the precise conditions of any applicable exemption before relying on it.
Will the HOS Pilot Programs Change Trucking Regulations in 2027?
The broader pilot rollout is expected in 2027, but that does not mean the proposed arrangements will automatically become permanent federal regulations in that year.
The purpose of a pilot program is to gather evidence. FMCSA must assess whether the alternatives deliver acceptable safety outcomes and whether they provide meaningful benefits to drivers and motor carriers.
The findings may inform future agency decisions, but the eventual outcome and timing of any permanent regulatory changes remain uncertain.
Until FMCSA issues applicable authorization or final regulatory changes, drivers and carriers should continue following the HOS requirements that apply to their operations.
Final Thoughts
The FMCSA Hours-of-Service pilot programs represent an important effort to examine how federal trucking rules could better reflect the realities of life on the road.
The Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program will evaluate alternative ways to divide required rest time, while the Split Duty Period Pilot Program will examine whether qualifying breaks can pause the 14-hour driving window. Both initiatives aim to determine whether additional flexibility can improve working conditions without reducing highway safety.
With the broader pilot rollout expected in 2027, truck drivers, owner-operators, fleet managers, and safety professionals should follow official FMCSA updates and maintain compliance with existing regulations.
For the trucking industry, the key takeaway is straightforward: greater flexibility may be possible, but safety and regulatory compliance remain essential.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are FMCSA HOS pilot programs?
Programs testing more flexible truck driver rest and scheduling rules.
2. What are the two HOS pilot programs?
Flexible Sleeper Berth and Split Duty Period.
3. When will the pilot programs roll out?
FMCSA expects a broader rollout in 2027.
4. Will drivers get three extra driving hours?
No. The proposed pause affects the 14-hour window, not the 11-hour driving limit.
5. Can all truck drivers use these rules?
No. Participation and flexibility depend on applicable pilot authorization.
October 2026 Update
FMCSA’s October 7, 2026 notice seeks comments on the Flexible Sleeper Berth study’s information collection, with comments due December 7, 2026. This is a research and paperwork notice, not a final rule authorizing new sleeper splits for every driver.
Build a practical compliance routine with DOT compliance training for small fleets or New Entrant DOT Compliance Training. For unexpected road conditions, read our adverse driving conditions exception guide.