🚛 FMCSA Proposes “Split Duty Period” Pilot Program – What It Could Mean for Drivers

Have you ever been stuck waiting at a dock, watching the clock tick away, knowing your 14-hour window is shrinking fast? That frustration is exactly what FMCSA is trying to address with a new Split Duty Period Pilot Program.

Here’s the idea: under this proposal, truck drivers would be able to pause their 14-hour clock for anywhere between 30 minutes and three hours during each duty cycle. That pause could be taken as:

• Off-duty time

• Sleeper berth time

• Or even on-duty/not driving time (like waiting at a shipper/receiver during detention)

👉 The big win? Drivers could extend their 14-hour on-duty period without being penalized for situations beyond their control — like detention delays or heavy traffic.

FMCSA says the goal is to give drivers more flexibility to:

• Take extra rest when they need it

• Avoid driving during peak traffic hours

• Offset the stress of unreasonable detention times

There are some details worth noting:

• If you use on-duty/not driving time (like detention) to extend your 14-hour clock, it still counts against your 60/70-hour weekly limit.

• But if you use off-duty or sleeper berth time for the pause, it will not count against your 60/70-hour cap.

This could be a game-changer for drivers who constantly feel the squeeze between detention, traffic, and tight delivery windows.

💭 What do you think? Would having the ability to “pause the clock” help you manage your day better, or do you see potential headaches in how fleets might apply it?