The 30-minute break, US vs Canada
The US requires a 30-minute break once a driver has driven 8 hours without one. Canada's hours of service rules have no break rule. On a run south, the driving done in Canada counts toward the US 8 hours, so the break can fall due right at the border.
The break and the driving limit
| Rule | US rules | Canadian rules |
|---|---|---|
| Break | 30 minutes in a row after 8 hours of driving49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii) | No break rule |
| 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) |
On a cross-border run this means
On a southbound run, check how long the driver has driven since the last 30 minutes in a row without driving. If it is close to 8 hours at the line, plan the break before crossing.
A southbound run where the break falls due right at the border.
- Direction
- Canada to US
- Hours read at
- 13:30 EDT on Mon Oct 5
- Came on duty at
- 06:00, after 10 h off
- This shift so far
- 7 h 30 m driving, 7 h 30 m on duty, 7 h 30 m driving since the last break
- Canadian cycle
- Cycle 1 (70 hours in 7 days)
- US cycle
- 70 hours in 8 days
- On-duty hours
- 30 h in the last 7 days, 30 h in the last 8 days
- 24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days
- Yes
- The run
- Leaves at 13:30, drives 30 m to the border, then 2 h after it
This is the answer the free check gives for these hours.
Legal with one condition: take a 30-minute break before crossing.
At the border, under US rules
| Driving left | 3 h |
|---|---|
| 14-hour window left | 6 h |
| 70-hour cycle left | 39 h 30 m |
| Driving before the 30-minute break | 0 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 13:30 on Mon Oct 5: 7 h 30 m driving and 7 h 30 m on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
- Departs 13:30, drives 30 m in Canada, crosses at 14:00, then 2 h in the US.
- At the border under US rules: 3 h of driving left, 6 h of the 14-hour window left, 39 h 30 m of the 70-hour cycle left.
- The US 30-minute break falls due at 14:00. With the break the run is legal.
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
Is the 30-minute break required in Canada?
No. Canada has no break rule. The break is a US rule and applies to driving in the US.
Does driving in Canada count toward the US break?
Yes. The US looks back at all the driving since the last break of 30 minutes in a row, including the miles before the border.
What counts as the break?
30 minutes in a row of off-duty time, sleeper berth, or work that is not driving, in any mix. Two short stops do not add up to one break.
Does waiting at the border count as the break?
Only if the truck does not move for 30 minutes in a row. Creeping forward in the line is driving, and the count starts again.
When the check says NO-GO
- There's no half-hour break in Canada, so why does my driver need one in the States?
US 30-minute break
- What does GO WITH CONDITIONS mean?
What GO WITH CONDITIONS means
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 vs US hours of service, every difference
Every difference between Canadian federal and US FMCSA hours of service, side by side, cited to the regulation. Verified and dated.
- 13 hours vs 11 hours
Canada allows 13 hours of driving a day, the US 11 after 10 off, and the hours carry across. What is left at the border, with a worked run.
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: 49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(i), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 12(1).