The 36-hour reset in Canada
A driver only needs a reset when they are out of Canadian cycle hours, or will be before the run ends. Under Canada's hours of service rules, Cycle 1 starts over after 36 hours off in a row and Cycle 2 after 72. A US 34-hour restart clears the US cycle only. It is not a Canadian reset.
Resets and restarts, Canada and US
| Rule | US rules | Canadian rules |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle starts over after | 34 hours off in a row49 CFR 395.3(c) | 36 hours off in a row on Cycle 1, 72 on Cycle 2SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(b) |
| Counts in the other country | A Canadian reset of 36 hours or more also restarts the US cycle, since it is longer than the 34 hours off in a row the US asks for49 CFR 395.3(c), SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(a) | A US 34-hour restart does not reset a Canadian cycle. Cycle 1 needs 36 hours off in a row and Cycle 2 needs 72.SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(b) |
| What interrupts it | Any on-duty time. The 34 hours must be off duty in a row.49 CFR 395.3(c) | Any on-duty time. The 36 or 72 hours must be off duty in a row.SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(b) |
| A day off | No rule | 24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days, or no drivingSOR/2005-313 s. 25 |
On a cross-border run this means
On a northbound run, the 34-hour restart the driver just took does not help in Canada: if the Canadian cycle is out, the driver needs the full Canadian reset before crossing. On a southbound run, a Canadian reset already covers the US restart, because 36 hours off in a row is more than the 34 the US asks for.
A northbound run that needs a Canadian reset. The fix on the result is the reset.
- Direction
- US to Canada
- Hours read at
- 08:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5
- Came on duty at
- 06:00, after 10 h off
- This shift so far
- 2 h driving, 2 h on duty, 2 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
- 68 h in the last 7 days, 68 h in the last 8 days
- 24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days
- Yes
- The run
- Leaves at 08:00, drives 30 m to the border, then 3 h after it
This is the answer the free check gives for these hours.
Not legal as planned. The run breaks the Canadian Cycle 1 limit of 70 hours in 7 days.
Why
Binding limit: Canadian Cycle 1 limit of 70 hours in 7 days (SOR/2005-313 s. 26). Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.
What makes this a GO
36 h off duty from 08:00, then depart at 20:00 EDT on Tue Oct 6 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.
At the border, under Canadian rules
| Driving left | 10 h 30 m |
|---|---|
| On-duty time left | 11 h 30 m |
| 16-hour window left | 13 h 30 m |
| Cycle 1 left | 1 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 08:00 on Mon Oct 5: 2 h driving and 2 h on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
- Departs 08:00, drives 30 m in the US, crosses at 08:30, then 3 h in Canada.
- At the border under Canadian rules: 10 h 30 m of driving left, 11 h 30 m of on-duty time left, 13 h 30 m of the 16-hour window left, 1 h 30 m of Cycle 1 left.
- First limit broken: the Canadian Cycle 1, 70 hours in 7 days at 10:00, in Canada.
- Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 08:00: 20:00 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.
- Canada requires records of duty status for the current day and the preceding 14 days on board. Confirm before crossing.
- Cycle hours are entered as totals, so hours that drop off day by day are not counted. With the driver's daily log the earliest time may be sooner.
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.
Pick the time the driver went off duty and see when the US 34-hour restart and the Canadian 36 and 72-hour resets end.
Questions
Does a US 34-hour restart count as a reset in Canada?
No. A US restart clears the US cycle only. In Canada, Cycle 1 starts over after 36 hours off in a row and Cycle 2 after 72. A driver who took 34 hours off and needs a Canadian reset is still short.
Do I need a 36-hour reset to go into Canada?
Only if the driver is out of Canadian cycle hours, or will be before the run ends. A driver with cycle hours left needs no reset. If the run breaks the Canadian cycle, the free check names the cycle limit, and the fix is the reset.
Does a Canadian 36-hour reset restart my US cycle?
Yes. The US restarts its cycle after 34 or more hours off in a row, and off-duty time counts wherever it is taken. A 36-hour reset is longer than that, so it restarts both.
Can the reset be split, or taken in the sleeper?
It cannot be split. The 36 or 72 hours must be off duty or in the sleeper berth, in a row. Any work in the middle starts the count again from zero.
When the check says NO-GO
- Does my driver need a 36 to go into Canada?
Canadian 36-hour reset
- My driver took a 34. Why are they out of cycle hours in Canada?
Canadian Cycle 1, 70 hours in 7 days
- My driver is on Cycle 2. How many cycle hours do they have in Canada?
Canadian Cycle 2, 120 hours in 14 days
- When does my driver need a 34-hour restart?
US 34-hour restart
- My driver hasn't had a day off in two weeks. Can they drive in Canada?
Canadian 24 hours off in 14 days
More rules
- Cycle 1 vs Cycle 2
70 hours in 7 days or 120 in 14. What each Canadian cycle allows, the second Cycle 2 limit, and the 36 and 72-hour resets.
- 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.
- 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.
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. 28(1)(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(b), 49 CFR 395.3(c), SOR/2005-313 s. 25.