The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has finished pre-testing two hours-of-service pilot programs and plans a full launch in 2027, the agency said in an announcement reported Aug. 27. Both trials are designed to measure whether giving drivers more control over how they schedule work maintains or improves safety outcomes.
The Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program lets drivers split off-duty time into two periods in any combination up to a 5/5 split. The two periods must total at least 10 hours, and one of them must include at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper berth. The Split Duty Period Pilot Program lets drivers pause the 14-hour driving window for up to three hours a day while in a qualifying non-driving status. Qualifying time can include off-duty time, sleeper berth time, or on-duty time spent at a pickup or delivery location.
The split-sleeper pre-test ran from April 1 through June 11, 2026, and included nine drivers from three motor carriers in Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. The split-duty pre-test ran from May 18 through July 17, 2026, with nine drivers from three carriers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio. Participants in both groups ran for six weeks and received $600.
FMCSA used the pre-tests to evaluate program procedures, data collection methods and participation requirements. Each full pilot is expected to enroll 256 drivers, for a combined total of 512 participants running four months and earning up to $1,600. The agency said it will monitor shippers during the split-duty pilot to confirm the added flexibility does not translate into longer detention times for drivers.
Source: Overdrive - https://www.overdriveonline.com/hours-of-service/article/15833555/hosflexibility-trial-fmcsa-wraps-pretests-plans-for-full-pilots