13 hours vs 11 hours
Canada's hours of service rules allow 13 hours of driving in a work shift and 13 in a day. The US allows 11 after 10 hours off in a row. The hours carry across, so a driver with time left in Canada can have none left the moment they cross south.
The driving limits
| Rule | US rules | Canadian rules |
|---|---|---|
| Driving | 11 hours after 10 hours off in a row49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(i), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(1) | 13 hours in a work shift and 13 in a daySOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 12(1) |
| Rest that starts a new shift | 10 hours off in a row49 CFR 395.3(a)(1) | 8 hours off in a rowSOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), (2) |
| Time from the start of the shift | No driving after 14 hours from coming on duty49 CFR 395.3(a)(2) | No driving after 16 hours from the end of the last restSOR/2005-313 s. 13(3) |
On a cross-border run this means
Going south, take the driving done since the last 10 hours off away from 11. Going north, take the driving done in the shift, and in the day, away from 13. The smallest number left is what the driver has.
A southbound run where the hours driven in Canada leave no US driving time at the border.
- Direction
- Canada to US
- Hours read at
- 14:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5
- Came on duty at
- 01:30, after 10 h off
- This shift so far
- 12 h driving, 12 h on duty, 4 h driving since the last break
- Canadian cycle
- Cycle 1 (70 hours in 7 days)
- US cycle
- 70 hours in 8 days
- On-duty hours
- 50 h in the last 7 days, 50 h in the last 8 days
- 24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days
- Yes
- The run
- Leaves at 14:00, drives 30 m to the border, then 1 h after it
This is the answer the free check gives for these hours.
Not legal as planned. The run breaks the US 11-hour driving limit.
Why
Binding limit: US 11-hour driving limit (49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(i)). Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.
What makes this a GO
10 h off duty from 14:00, then depart at 00:00 EDT on Tue Oct 6 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.
At the border, under US rules
| Driving left | 0 m |
|---|---|
| 14-hour window left | 1 h |
| 70-hour cycle left | 19 h 30 m |
| Driving before the 30-minute break | 3 h 30 m |
Where the hours came from
Hours entered by hand.
BorderHOS is a planning aid. It does not replace your ELD, the driver's judgment, or the regulations. Results depend on the hours used.
How this was worked out
- Hours read at 14:00 on Mon Oct 5: 12 h driving and 12 h on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
- Departs 14:00, drives 30 m in Canada, crosses at 14:30, then 1 h in the US.
- At the border under US rules: 0 m of driving left, 1 h of the 14-hour window left, 19 h 30 m of the 70-hour cycle left.
- First limit broken: the US 11-hour driving limit at 14:30, in the US.
- Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 14:00: 00:00 on Tue Oct 6.
What this check does not cover
- Sleeper-berth splits are not modeled.
- Canadian deferral of daily off-duty time is not modeled.
- Adverse driving conditions are not modeled.
- Team drivers, north of 60, oil-well permits and short-haul exemptions are not modeled.
- Border wait is not added. Time waiting in line counts as on duty.
- The date of the driver's last 24 hours off was not given. It is assumed to fall within the last 14 days for the whole run.
Engine 1.0.1. Rule values 1.1.0, verified by CVORReady Inc.
Check it
Open the example in the free check with the hours filled in, then change them to match your driver.
Questions
Can I drive 13 hours in the US if I am a Canadian driver?
No. In the US every driver is on the US limit of 11 hours of driving, and the driving done in Canada that shift counts toward it.
Can a US driver drive 13 hours in Canada?
Yes, in Canada, counting the driving done in the States. Canada also caps the day at 13, so a rest in the middle of the day does not give a fresh 13.
When does the Canadian day start?
At the hour the carrier sets, usually midnight. The free check asks for it under More options.
When the check says NO-GO
- Why is my driver out of hours as soon as they cross into the US?
US 11-hour driving limit
- I thought my driver could drive 13 in Canada. Why the NO-GO?
Canadian 13-hour driving limit
- I took my 10, so why am I still over for the day in Canada?
Canadian 10 hours off in a day
- My driver took 8 hours off, so why can't they drive in the States?
US 10 hours off
More rules
- US rules for Canadian drivers
What changes the moment a Canadian driver enters the US: 11 hours, the 30-minute break, the 34-hour restart, and what does not reset.
- Canadian rules for US drivers
What a US driver must follow in Canada: 13 hours driving, 10 hours off, Cycle 1 and 2, and why your 34-hour restart does not count.
- Do your hours reset at the border?
No. Your hours keep accumulating. Here is what changes, what carries over, and how to plan a run that clears both countries.
Sources
- Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations, SOR/2005-313 (Justice Canada)
- 49 CFR 395.3, Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles (eCFR)
- FMCSA, Hours of service requirements for cross-border drivers
Values verified by CVORReady Inc. Last verified 25 Oct 2026. Sources: SOR/2005-313 s. 12(1), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(i), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), (2), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(2), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(3).