US rules for Canadian drivers
A Canadian driver who crosses into the US is on US hours of service rules from the moment of crossing. Every hour driven and worked in Canada counts. The US allows 11 hours of driving, no driving after 14 hours from coming on duty, a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, and its own cycle.
What changes at the line, going south
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| Break | 30 minutes in a row after 8 hours of driving49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii) | No break rule |
| Cycle | 60 hours in 7 days, or 70 in 8 if the carrier runs every day49 CFR 395.3(b)(1), 49 CFR 395.3(b)(2) | Cycle 1: 70 hours in 7 days. Cycle 2: 120 in 14, and no more than 70 without 24 hours off.SOR/2005-313 s. 26, SOR/2005-313 s. 27(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 27(b) |
| 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) |
On a cross-border run this means
Going south, the question at the line is how much of the US 11 and 14 hours is left after the miles driven in Canada. A driver who is legal under Canadian rules can reach the border with little or no US time left.
A southbound run that crosses with driving hours left but little time before the US 14 hours run out.
- Direction
- Canada to US
- Hours read at
- 15:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5
- Came on duty at
- 02:00, after 10 h off
- This shift so far
- 8 h driving, 9 h on duty, 3 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
- 40 h in the last 7 days, 40 h in the last 8 days
- 24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days
- Yes
- The run
- Leaves at 15:00, drives 30 m to the border, then 2 h after it
This is the answer the free check gives for these hours.
Not legal as planned. The run breaks the US 14-hour window.
Why
Binding limit: US 14-hour window (49 CFR 395.3(a)(2)). Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.
What makes this a GO
10 h off duty from 15:00, then depart at 01:00 EDT on Tue Oct 6 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.
At the border, under US rules
| Driving left | 2 h 30 m |
|---|---|
| 14-hour window left | 30 m |
| 70-hour cycle left | 29 h 30 m |
| Driving before the 30-minute break | 4 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 15:00 on Mon Oct 5: 8 h driving and 9 h on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
- Departs 15:00, drives 30 m in Canada, crosses at 15:30, then 2 h in the US.
- At the border under US rules: 2 h 30 m of driving left, 30 m of the 14-hour window left, 29 h 30 m of the 70-hour cycle left.
- First limit broken: the US 14-hour window at 16:00, in the US.
- Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 15:00: 01:00 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.
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
Can a Canadian driver drive 13 hours in the US?
No. In the US the limit is 11 hours of driving after 10 hours off in a row, and the hours driven in Canada that shift count toward it.
Does an 8-hour rest count in the US?
No. Canada starts a new shift after 8 hours off in a row. The US needs 10. A driver who rests 8 hours and then crosses south is still on the old US shift.
Which US cycle applies?
The carrier's. A carrier that does not run every day of the week is on 60 hours in 7 days; one that does can be on 70 in 8. Hours worked in Canada count toward it.
Does off-duty time in Canada count toward the US restart?
Yes. Off-duty time counts wherever it is taken. A rest of 34 hours or more off in a row restarts the US cycle, so a Canadian 36-hour reset restarts it too.
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
- Why does my driver run out of time in the States with driving hours still left?
US 14-hour limit
- There's no half-hour break in Canada, so why does my driver need one in the States?
US 30-minute break
- My driver is under 70 in Canada, so why can't they cross?
US 60 hours in 7 days
- Why does my driver run out of US cycle hours partway through the run?
US 70 hours in 8 days
- When does my driver need a 34-hour restart?
US 34-hour restart
- My driver took 8 hours off, so why can't they drive in the States?
US 10 hours off
- My ELD switched at the border and flagged my driver. Why?
Legal on one side, over on the other
More rules
- 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.
- The 30-minute break, US vs Canada
The US requires a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving. Canada does not. What that means on a cross-border 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)(i), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii), 49 CFR 395.3(c), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(2), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), (2), 49 CFR 395.3(b)(1), 49 CFR 395.3(b)(2), SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 12(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(3), SOR/2005-313 s. 26, SOR/2005-313 s. 27(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 27(b), SOR/2005-313 s. 25, SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(b).