Hours of Service (HOS)
Hours of Service (HOS) regulations govern how long commercial drivers can operate vehicles and when they must rest. Access real-time duty status, available hours, and compliance data through Catena’s unified API.
What is Hours of Service?
Hours of Service rules are federal regulations that limit driving time and mandate rest periods for commercial motor vehicle drivers. These rules prevent driver fatigue, reduce accidents, and ensure compliance across the freight industry.
HOS compliance is legally required for interstate commercial drivers in the U.S. (FMCSA) and Canada (Transport Canada). Non-compliance results in fines, out-of-service violations, and increased liability.
Key HOS Benefits
HOS Duty Status Types
Driving
Driver is actively operating a commercial motor vehicle. This status is automatically recorded when the vehicle is in motion and counts against daily driving limits.
U.S. Limit: 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty
On Duty (Not Driving)
Driver is working but not driving the vehicle. Includes activities like:
- Loading/unloading cargo
- Vehicle inspections
- Fueling
- Paperwork and administrative tasks
U.S. Limit: 14-hour on-duty window after 10 consecutive hours off duty
Off Duty
Driver is relieved from all work and duty responsibilities. This time does not count toward duty limits and helps reset daily driving hours.
Required: Minimum 10 consecutive hours before starting a new duty period
Sleeper Berth
Driver is resting in the vehicle’s designated sleeper berth compartment. Can be used for split sleeper berth provisions to extend available driving time.
Split Provision: Drivers can split the required 10-hour off-duty period into two periods (8/2 or 7/3 splits)
How HOS Data Flows
ELD Captures Events
Electronic Logging Devices automatically record engine status, vehicle motion, and duty status changes directly from the vehicle’s engine control module (ECM).
ELDs are federally mandated for most commercial carriers and eliminate manual paper logs.
Driver Updates Status
Drivers manually update their duty status when transitioning between activities (e.g., switching from driving to on-duty not driving for a vehicle inspection).
U.S. HOS Regulations Summary
HOS rules vary by operation type (property vs. passenger), region (U.S. vs. Canada), and special exemptions. Always verify specific regulatory requirements for your use case.
Common HOS Use Cases
Access HOS Data with Catena
Catena unifies HOS data from the telematics providers into a single, standardized API. Retrieve driver duty status, available hours, and historical logs without managing provider-specific formats.
Catena currently supports 288 ELD providers. See the list.
See the API Reference for complete endpoint documentation and request/response examples.
Use Catena’s webhook notifications to receive real-time alerts when drivers change duty status or approach HOS limits.