FMCSA tests giving truckers power to pause 14-hour clock

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving ahead with two programs that could eventually give truck drivers more flexibility in how they structure their workdays. The move comes despite concerns from highway safety advocates that one of the initiatives could effectively extend drivers’ 14-hour working limit.

FMCSA announced Thursday that it has completed pre-tests for its Flexible Sleeper Berth and Split Duty Period pilot programs and is reviewing the results ahead of a planned full launch in 2027. The programs are designed to evaluate whether giving drivers more control over when they take breaks and rest periods can maintain or improve safety.

FMCSA launched the initiatives in September 2025 as part of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s Pro Trucker Package. window. googletag = window. googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag. cmd. push(function() {googletag. defineSlot('/21776187881/FW-Responsive-Main_Content-Slot1', [[300, 100], [320, 50], [728, 90], [468, 60]], 'div-gpt-ad-1709668545404-0').

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display('div-gpt-ad-1709668545404-0'); }); The agency said the recently completed pre-tests were intended to evaluate procedures, data collection methods and driver participation requirements before expanding the programs next year. Each pilot is expected to enroll 256 drivers, for a total of 512 participants.

Drivers will participate for four months and can receive up to $1,600 for completing all study requirements. Split-duty pilot could pause 14-hour clock The Split Duty Period Pilot Program is aimed at one of the most consequential restrictions in federal hours-of-service regulations: the 14-hour driving window.

Under the pilot, participating drivers would be allowed to pause that window for up to three hours per day while in a qualifying non-driving status. Qualifying periods could include off-duty or sleeper berth time, as well as on-duty time spent at a pickup or delivery location.

FMCSA said the flexibility could give drivers more ability to wait out heavy traffic or severe weather, account for detention time at customer facilities, or take a break without having the time count against their available driving window.

The agency also said it plans to monitor shippers during the pilot to ensure that the added flexibility does not result in increased detention or exploitation of drivers. window. googletag = window. googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag. cmd. push(function() {googletag.

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push(function() {googletag. display('div-gpt-ad-1665767553440-0'); }); FMCSA tested the concept from May 18 through July 17 with nine drivers from three motor carriers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio. The drivers participated for six weeks and received $600.

When FMCSA proposed reviving the Split Duty Period pilot last year, the agency said the program could help determine whether allowing drivers to pause the 14-hour clock could reduce fatigue and provide more flexibility around real-world operating conditions.

Related: Regulators take another swing at easing trucker work rules Safety advocates push back The proposal has drawn opposition from highway safety advocates who say FMCSA should address the underlying causes of excessive detention rather than lengthening a driver’s workday.

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety criticized the Split Duty Period proposal during the public comment period in November 2025. “The agency should be examining problems with detention time instead of proposing this dangerous and misguided initiative,” the organization wrote in comments filed with FMCSA. window. googletag = window.

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collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag. enableServices(); }); googletag. cmd. push(function() {googletag. display('div-gpt-ad-1709668086344-0'); }); The group argued that FMCSA should instead study detention time and the coercion of drivers as they relate to scheduling and fatigue.

It also questioned whether the agency had produced sufficient evidence showing that allowing carriers to pause the on-duty clock would improve safety. The safety group noted that the pilot could effectively stretch a driver’s workday from 14 hours to as long as 17 hours. Some