Do your hours reset at the border?
No. A driver's hours do not reset at the border. Every hour driven and worked comes across with the driver. Only the hours of service rules change: from the moment of crossing, the same hours are counted against the other country's limits.
What carries across, and what changes at the line
| Rule | Carries across | Changes at the line |
|---|---|---|
| Driving | Every hour driven since the last full rest, in either countryFMCSA guidance on 49 CFR 395.3, Question 5 | The limit: 11 hours in the US, 13 in a Canadian shift and 13 in a Canadian day49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(i), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 12(1) |
| Time on duty | The time since coming on duty, including breaks and border waitsFMCSA guidance on 49 CFR 395.3, Question 5 | No driving after 14 hours in the US, or 16 in Canada49 CFR 395.3(a)(2), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(3) |
| Cycle | Every on-duty hour in the days the cycle countsFMCSA guidance on 49 CFR 395.3, Question 5 | Which cycle: 60 or 70 in the US, Cycle 1 or Cycle 2 in Canada49 CFR 395.3(b)(1), 49 CFR 395.3(b)(2), SOR/2005-313 s. 26, SOR/2005-313 s. 27(a) |
| Rest | Off-duty time, wherever it was takenFMCSA guidance on 49 CFR 395.3, Question 5 | What a rest resets: 10 hours off starts a US shift, 8 starts a Canadian one49 CFR 395.3(a)(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), (2) |
On a cross-border run this means
To plan a run, count every hour since the last full rest, then check it against the limits of the country each part of the run is driven in.
A northbound run where the hours driven in the States carry into Canada's limit.
- Direction
- US to Canada
- Hours read at
- 13:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5
- Came on duty at
- 02:00, after 10 h off
- This shift so far
- 10 h 30 m driving, 11 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
- 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 13:00, drives 15 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 13-hour driving limit.
Why
Binding limit: Canadian 13-hour driving limit (SOR/2005-313 s. 12(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1)). The daily limit and the work-shift limit run out at the same time. Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.
What makes this a GO
10 h off duty from 13:00, then depart at 23:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.
At the border, under Canadian rules
| Driving left | 2 h 15 m |
|---|---|
| On-duty time left | 2 h 45 m |
| 16-hour window left | 4 h 45 m |
| Cycle 1 left | 29 h 45 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 13:00 on Mon Oct 5: 10 h 30 m driving and 11 h on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
- Departs 13:00, drives 15 m in the US, crosses at 13:15, then 3 h in Canada.
- At the border under Canadian rules: 2 h 15 m of driving left, 2 h 45 m of on-duty time left, 4 h 45 m of the 16-hour window left, 29 h 45 m of Cycle 1 left.
- First limit broken: the Canadian 13-hour driving limit at 15:30, in Canada.
- Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 13:00: 23:00 on Mon Oct 5.
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.
Questions
Do my hours reset when I cross into Canada?
No. Driving, on-duty and cycle hours all come across. In Canada they are counted against Canadian limits, including 13 hours of driving in a day.
Does the ELD reset the hours when it switches at the border?
No. The ELD switches which limits it checks. It keeps every hour already logged.
Does waiting at the border count?
Yes. Time in line at the border is on-duty time, and creeping forward in the line is driving. Both count on the side the truck is on, and both carry across with the driver.
When the check says NO-GO
- Do my driver's hours reset when they cross the border?
Hours carry across the border
- My ELD switched at the border and flagged my driver. Why?
Legal on one side, over on the other
- 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
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.
- 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.
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), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(2), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(3), 49 CFR 395.3(b)(1), 49 CFR 395.3(b)(2), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), (2), SOR/2005-313 s. 26, SOR/2005-313 s. 27(a), FMCSA guidance on 49 CFR 395.3, Question 5.