HOS Violations and Breaks

The following violations can be reported based on a driver's hours-of-service report, as generated using data provided by the Verizon Connect Hours of Service mobile app:

Driving Limit Violations

Within a work shift, there is a limit on the time a driver can spend driving, before a between-shifts rest break is necessary. Verizon Connect Hours of Service uses the following on-duty limits:
 

•11 hours for federal US rules
•12 hours for California, Texas, and Florida rules
•13 hours for Canada South rules

Federal Rest Break Violation

According to federal US rules, a driver cannot drive for more than 8 consecutive hours without taking a rest break of at least 30 minutes. This break can be either spent off duty, in the sleeper berth, or waiting in an oilfield (if oilfield options are used).

On Duty Limit Violations

Within a work shift, a driver can be on duty (driving or on duty) for a limited amount of time. After this time limit, a driver cannot drive before a between-shifts rest break is completed. Verizon Connect Hours of Service uses the following on-duty limits:
 

•14 hours (including rest breaks) for federal US rules
•14 hours (not including rest breaks) for Canada South rules
•15 hours (not including rest breaks) for Texas rules
•16 hours (including rest breaks) for California and Florida rules
•16 hours (including rest breaks) for Canada South rules

This violation rule is about driving. As long as a driver does not start driving after the time limit stated above, this violation is not recorded. For example (if using federal US rules), after 14 hours spent on duty or driving, or both, the driver can perform non-driving tasks without violating this rule. If, however, after that, the driver starts driving again before taking another 10 hour break, a violation is recorded against this rule.

Exceptions that Verizon Connect Hours of Service applies to the on-duty limit rule are:
 

•The 16-hour on-duty limit rule, which allows a single violation of the on duty limit rule (up to 16 hours on duty) within a weekly on-duty period. This exception is applicable to federal US rules only.
•The 100 air-mile exemption rule, which allows for different limits if drivers stay within a 100 air-mile radius of a specific location and return to that location within 12 consecutive hours. This exception is applicable to federal US rules only.
•The non-CDL short-haul exemption rule, which allows for different limits if you drive a vehicle that does not require a commercial drivers license, stay within a 150 air-mile radius of a specific location and return to that location every day. This exception is applicable to federal US rules only.

Federal 16-Hour On-Duty Limit Violation

Once within a weekly on duty period (between two long rest breaks), drivers can be on duty (driving or on duty) for up to 16 hours if they meet the following requirements:
 

•Use federal US rules.
•Start from and return to the same location as for the previous 5 work shifts. It doesn’t matter if there are any long rest breaks between these 5 work shifts.
•Take a continuous between-shifts rest break, and not a split between-shifts rest break, before and after the shift.
•Use the exemption only once within a weekly on duty period (between two long rest breaks).

If a driver violates the 16-hour on-duty limit rule there is no direct violation displayed to the driver. Instead, the 16-hour exception is canceled and normal on duty limits apply. Drivers then see violations for normal on duty limits.

Weekly On-Duty Limit Violations

The weekly on-duty period and the required long rest breaks between the periods depend on the rule set that the drivers use:

Federal US rules

According to federal US rules, drivers may not drive if they have spent either 60 hours within 7 consecutive days or 70 hours within 8 consecutive days on duty. To be allowed to drive again a long rest break of 34 or more consecutive hours is required. Otherwise, there will be a violation.

A driver can use either the 60 hour-7 day rule or the 70 hour-8 day rule, but not both. The rule to use depends on how many days per week your organization operates.

 

California rules

According to California rules, drivers may not drive if they have spent 80 hours within 8 consecutive days on duty. To be allowed to drive again a long rest break of 34 or more consecutive hours is required. Otherwise, there will be a violation.

Texas rules

According to Texas rules, drivers may not drive if they have spent 70 hours within 7 consecutive days on duty. To be allowed to drive again a long rest break of 34 or more consecutive hours is required. Otherwise, there will be a violation.

Florida rules

According to Florida rules, drivers may not drive if they have spent either 70 hours within 7 consecutive days or 80 hours within 8 consecutive days on duty. To be allowed to drive again a long rest break of 34 or more consecutive hours is required. Otherwise, there will be a violation.

A driver can use either the 70 hour-7 day rule or the 80 hour-8 day rule, but not both. The rule to use depends on how many days per week your organization operates.

Canada South rules

According to Canada South rules, which apply to the area south of 60 degrees latitude, drivers may not drive if they have spent either 70 hours within 7 consecutive days or 120 hours within 14 consecutive days on duty. If using the 7 day period, drivers may not drive again after they have taken a long rest break of 36 or more consecutive hours. If using the 14 day period, drivers may drive if they have a rest period of 24 or more consecutive hours after the first 70 hours of on-duty time and a long rest period of 72 or more consecutive hours after the remaining 50 hours of on duty time. Otherwise, there will be a violation.

A driver can use either the 70 hour-7 day rule or the 120 hour-14 day rule, but not both.

100 Air-Mile Exemption Rule Violations

Some drivers using federal US rules might be able to use the 100 air-mile exemption. This rule exempts drivers from complying with the federal rest break rule, which requires drivers to take a rest break of 30 minutes or more if driving for more than 8 hours. To be eligible for the 100 air-mile exemption drivers must:
 

•Return to the same location where they started their shift, within 12 hours of the start of their shift.
•Not drive for more than 11 hours without having a rest break of 10 consecutive hours.
•Not go further than 100 air-miles (185200 meters) away from where they started their shift.

If a driver violates the 100 air-mile exemption rule, the exemption is canceled and normal on duty limits and break requirements apply.

The 100 air-mile exemption can be turned on or off from within the Verizon Connect HOS app.

Non-CDL Short-Haul Exemption Rule Violations

Some drivers using federal US rules might be able to use the non-CDL short-haul exemption. This rule exempts drivers from complying with the federal rest break rule, which requires drivers to take a rest break of 30 minutes or more if driving for more than 8 hours.

Drivers are eligible for the non-CDL short-haul exemption if they meet the following conditions:

•Use federal US rules.
•Drive a vehicle that does not require a commercial drivers license (CDL).
•Drive a vehicle that falls between the qualifying weight classes.
•Start and end each qualifying shift at their normal work reporting location.
•Stay within 150 air-miles of their normal work reporting location.

The following rules apply when using the non-CDL short-haul exemption:

•10 hour off duty rule
•11 hour driving rule
•60/70-hour cycle limit
•34 hours cycle reset rule
•Instead of the 14 hour on duty rule, drivers must not drive after the 14th hour after coming on duty on 5 days of any period of 7 consecutive days, or after the 16th hour after coming on duty on 2 days of any period of 7 consecutive days.

If a driver uses the non-CDL short-haul exemption, they are not eligible to use:

•The 100 air-mile radius exemption
•The 16-hour exemption
•The split sleeper-berth provision

If a driver violates the non-CDL short-haul exemption rule, the exemption is canceled and normal on duty limits and break requirements apply.

Breaks

The following types of breaks are defined for the purposes of hours-of-service reporting:

30-minute rest break

According to federal US rules, a driver may not drive for more than 8 consecutive hours without taking a rest break of at least 30 minutes. This break can be either spent off duty, in the sleeper berth, or waiting in an oilfield (if oilfield options are used).

Between-shifts rest break

Between work shifts drivers must take rest breaks of 8 (for Texas rules) or 10 (for other rule sets) consecutive hours. These breaks are required to restart a driver’s driving allowance for the next work shift. Between-shifts rest breaks can be spent:
 

•Entirely in the sleeper berth.
•Entirely off duty.
•Entirely in the "Waiting" state (when using oilfield options).
•As a combination of off duty time, waiting and sleeper berth time with no interruptions.

Split between-shifts rest breaks

Between work shifts drivers can also take split rest breaks instead of continuous rest breaks. Split rest breaks allow drivers to restart their driving allowance if the following requirements are met:
 

•One rest break must consist of at least 8 consecutive hours spent in the sleeper berth.
•The second rest break must consist of at least 2 consecutive hours spent off duty, waiting, in a sleeper berth or as a continuous combination of two of these states.
•If using oilfield options, the split rest break is a combination of 2 different rest periods of at least 2 hours that when summed equals at least 10 hours. Requirements for the periods:
 
oAt least 1 of the rest periods must be at the oilfield.
oA rest period at the oilfield can be off duty, waiting, or sleeper berth time, or a continuous combination of these.
oA rest period outside the oilfield can only be sleeper berth time.

The two split rest breaks can be separated by driving time. The driving time between the two split rest breaks counts towards the work shift after the rest break.

Long rest breaks between weekly on duty periods

Between weekly on duty periods drivers must take long rest breaks to restart their driving allowance for the next weekly on duty period.

The required length of the long rest break between weekly on duty periods depends on the rule set the driver uses:
 

•If drivers use any US rule sets, a long rest break of 34 consecutive hours is required.
•If drivers use the Canada South 70 hour-7 day rule, a break of 36 consecutive hours is required.
•If drivers use the Canada South 120 hour-14 day rule, a break of 24 consecutive hours is required after the first 70 hours of on duty time and a break of 72 consecutive hours is required after the remaining 50 hours.

Long rest breaks must be spent off duty.