Cycle 1 vs Cycle 2
Canadian hours of service rules have two cycles. Cycle 1 allows 70 hours on duty in 7 days and starts over after 36 hours off in a row. Cycle 2 allows 120 hours in 14 days, but no more than 70 without 24 hours off, and starts over after 72.
The two Canadian cycles
| Rule | Cycle 1 | Cycle 2 |
|---|---|---|
| On-duty limit | 70 hours in 7 daysSOR/2005-313 s. 26 | 120 hours in 14 daysSOR/2005-313 s. 27(a) |
| Second limit | None | 70 hours without 24 hours off in a rowSOR/2005-313 s. 27(b) |
| Starts over after | 36 hours off in a rowSOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(a) | 72 hours off in a rowSOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(b) |
| In the US | Not used. The US cycle applies after crossing.49 CFR 395.3(b)(1), 49 CFR 395.3(b)(2) | Not used. The US cycle applies after crossing.49 CFR 395.3(b)(1), 49 CFR 395.3(b)(2) |
On a cross-border run this means
On a run into Canada, the cycle totals you enter decide how many hours are left. On Cycle 2, the hours since the last 24 hours off can run out before the two-week total does.
A northbound run for a Cycle 2 driver with hours left on the two-week total but no day off for a while.
- 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 2 (120 hours in 14 days)
- US cycle
- 70 hours in 8 days
- On-duty hours
- 50 h in the last 8 days, 90 h in the last 14 days, 68 h since the last 24 hours off
- 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 2 limit of 70 hours without 24 hours off.
Why
Binding limit: Canadian Cycle 2 limit of 70 hours without 24 hours off (SOR/2005-313 s. 27(b)). Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.
What makes this a GO
24 h off duty from 08:00, then depart at 08:00 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 2 left | 29 h 30 m |
| Left before 24 hours off is needed | 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, 29 h 30 m of Cycle 2 left.
- First limit broken: the Canadian Cycle 2, 70 hours without 24 off at 10:00, in Canada.
- Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 08:00: 08:00 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.
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
What is the difference between Cycle 1 and Cycle 2?
Cycle 1 counts 7 days and allows 70 hours on duty. Cycle 2 counts 14 days and allows 120, with a cap of 70 hours between days off of 24 hours.
Do the Canadian cycles apply in the US?
No. Once the driver crosses south, the US cycle applies to the same on-duty hours: 60 in 7 days or 70 in 8.
Does a 34-hour restart start a new Canadian cycle?
No. Cycle 1 needs 36 hours off in a row and Cycle 2 needs 72.
What does the free check ask for on Cycle 2?
On-duty hours in the last 14 days, and on-duty hours since the last 24 hours off in a row. Both limits are checked.
When the check says NO-GO
- 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
- My driver is under 120 on Cycle 2. Why are they out of hours?
Canadian Cycle 2, 70 hours without 24 off
- Does my driver need a 36 to go into Canada?
Canadian 36-hour reset
More rules
- 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.
- The 36-hour reset in Canada
A 36-hour reset restarts Canada's Cycle 1 and a 72-hour reset restarts Cycle 2. A US 34-hour restart does neither. When one is needed, and what counts.
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. 26, SOR/2005-313 s. 27(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 28(1)(b), SOR/2005-313 s. 27(b), SOR/2005-313 s. 25, 49 CFR 395.3(b)(1), 49 CFR 395.3(b)(2), 49 CFR 395.3(c).