How Many Hours a Week Can a Truck Driver Drive? The Answer for Interstate, California-Only, and Bus Drivers

For most interstate truck drivers, the short answer is that they may not drive after reaching 60 hours on duty in 7 days, or 70 hours in 8 days, and a 34-hour break resets the count. That is not the whole answer. Drivers who stay entirely within California follow separate state rules with an 80-hour limit, bus and other passenger drivers have their own daily limits, and several exceptions can change the numbers.

This guide sets out the limits for each type of driver, walks through how a week can play out, and explains why the numbers matter after a crash.

Under 49 C.F.R. section 395.3, an interstate property-carrying truck driver may not drive after 60 hours on duty in 7 consecutive days, or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days if the carrier operates every day, and a 34-hour off-duty period can restart the count. Each day, the driver may drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty and may not drive after the 14th hour on duty. A driver operating only within California is limited to 80 hours on duty in 8 consecutive days under California Code of Regulations, title 13, section 1212.5.

Key Takeaways

• Interstate truck drivers: 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days, with a 34-hour restart.
• California-only truck drivers: 80 hours in 8 days, up to 12 hours of driving a day, and no driving after the 16th hour on duty.
• Weekly limits count all on-duty time, including loading, fueling, inspections, and waiting, not only driving.
• The count is rolling, not a calendar week.
• Adverse driving conditions, short-haul operations, and sleeper berth splits can change the numbers.
• Carriers must keep duty status records for at least six months, so they should be requested early after a crash.

How Many Hours a Week Can a Truck Driver Drive, by Type of Driver

The weekly limits measure on-duty time, not just driving time. Loading and unloading, inspections, fueling, waiting at a dock, and paperwork all count. Once a driver reaches the weekly limit, they may not drive again until the rolling total falls below it or they complete a qualifying restart. The limits apply regardless of how many carriers use the driver’s services.

How the 70-Hour Rule Works in Practice

Take an interstate driver whose carrier operates every day of the week:

1. Over any 8 consecutive days, the driver may be on duty for up to 70 hours.
2. Five 14-hour days reach that limit.
3. The driver may not drive again until enough hours roll out of the 8-day window or the driver takes 34 or more consecutive hours off duty.
4. Within each day, the driver may drive no more than 11 hours, and under 49 C.F.R. section 395.3(a)(3)(ii), driving is not permitted after 8 hours of driving without at least a 30-minute interruption.

Because loading, fueling, and waiting also count, actual driving time is usually well below 70 hours. The count is rolling: on any given day, the question is how many on-duty hours the driver logged in the last 7 or 8 days, including that day.

How Many Hours a Week Can a Truck Driver Drive in California Without Leaving the State?

Drivers who operate only within California follow California Highway Patrol rules in title 13 of the California Code of Regulations. Under section 1212.5, an intrastate truck driver may not drive more than 12 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, may not drive after the 16th hour on duty, and may not drive after 80 hours on duty in any 8 consecutive days. An 8-day period may end with an off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours.

Some operations have their own rules under section 1212. Drivers hauling farm products from the field to the first processing or packing point may not drive after 112 hours on duty in 8 consecutive days, and qualifying tow trucks have separate limits.

Whether a trip is interstate or intrastate can itself be disputed. Freight that moves only within California may still be part of interstate commerce if it began or will end outside the state, which can change which set of rules applies.

Exceptions That Change the Numbers

• Adverse driving conditions. Under 49 C.F.R. section 395.1(b)(1), a driver who meets unexpected adverse conditions and cannot safely finish the run within the limits may drive up to 2 additional hours to complete the run or reach a safe place. California’s rule, 13 C.C.R. section 1212(b)(1), allows a similar 2-hour extension for truck drivers, but not beyond 14 total hours of driving or after the 16th hour on duty.
• Short-haul drivers. Under 49 C.F.R. section 395.1(e)(1), a driver who stays within a 150 air-mile radius of the normal work reporting location and is released within 14 consecutive hours is exempt from keeping regular duty status records, but the carrier must keep accurate time records for 6 months. A separate short-haul rule applies to drivers of trucks that do not require a commercial driver’s license (section 395.1(e)(2)).
• Sleeper berth splits. Under 49 C.F.R. section 395.1(g)(1)(ii), a property-carrying driver may split the required 10 hours off duty into two periods, as long as one is at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, neither is shorter than 2 consecutive hours, and together they total at least 10 hours.

Why the Weekly Hours Matter After a Crash

Fatigue slows reaction time and impairs judgment, and hours-of-service limits exist to prevent it. After a crash, the hours provide a measurable standard: the driver either stayed within the limits or did not. A violation does not by itself prove that fatigue caused the crash, but it is evidence to weigh, and it can also reveal a carrier that scheduled loads that could not be delivered legally.

Hours are usually shown through electronic logging device data and duty status records, checked against fuel receipts, toll records, delivery times, and GPS data. Under 49 C.F.R. section 395.8(k)(1), carriers must keep duty status records and supporting documents for at least 6 months, so a written preservation request should go out early. For how a lawyer uses these and other trucking records, see what a truck accident lawyer does.

If You Were Hurt by a Truck Driver Who May Have Been Over the Limit

A California injury lawsuit generally must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1). If a public entity may share responsibility, a written claim generally must be presented within six months (Government Code section 911.2). Hours records may be gone well before either deadline. For the injuries truck crashes cause and how they are documented, see truck accident injury claims. When a crash was fatal, see truck accident wrongful death.

Vaksman Khalfin, PC can review whether a driver’s hours are worth investigating and send a preservation request. The first conversation is free. Injury matters are handled on contingency under a written agreement that states the fee percentage and explains case costs separately. Call (650) 250-0705, visit our San Mateo office page, or see our California truck accident page.

This page provides general information about California law and is not legal advice. Reading it or contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Reviewed by Alan D. Khalfin, Partner and Managing Attorney, Vaksman Khalfin, PC (admitted in California). Last reviewed: 10/20/2026