Split sleeper berth, Canada vs US
Canada's hours of service rules let a single driver split the daily rest into two sleeper berth periods, each at least 2 hours and at least 10 together. The US allows at least 7 hours in the berth plus at least 2 off duty or in the berth, at least 10 together. Neither counts against the 14 hours.
The split sleeper berth, side by side
| Rule | US rules | Canadian rules |
|---|---|---|
| The long period | At least 7 hours in a row in the sleeper berth49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)(B) | At least 2 hours in the sleeper berth. Canada sets the same minimum for both periods.SOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(c) |
| The short period | At least 2 hours in a row, off duty or in the sleeper berth49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)(A) | At least 2 hours in the sleeper berthSOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(c) |
| Both periods together | At least 10 hours49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)(C) | At least 10 hoursSOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(b) |
| Off-duty time outside the berth | Can make up the short period. The long period must be in the berth.49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)(A), 49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii) | Does not count. Both periods must be in the sleeper berth.SOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(b), CCMTA Application Guide, Question 74 |
| Limits around each period | Neither period counts against the 14 hours. Driving before and after each period, added together, may not pass 11 hours.49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)(D), (iii)(B) | Counting the time before and after each period: no more than 13 hours of driving, and no driving after the 14th hour on duty or the 16th hour after coming on duty.SOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(d), (e), (g) |
On a cross-border run this means
Each country's split rule applies to the time spent in that country. A split that works in the US can fail in Canada: if the short period was off duty outside the berth, it does not count toward a Canadian split. The free check does not model a split, so its answer is the safe one.
A southbound run that runs out of US 14 hours. The free check does not model a split, so the fix it gives is the full 10 hours off.
- 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.
Questions
Can I count off-duty time toward a Canadian split?
No. In Canada both periods must be spent in the sleeper berth. The CCMTA guide to the rules says berth time and other off-duty time cannot be combined to meet the split. In the US, the short period can be off duty outside the berth.
Does a split stop the US 14-hour clock?
Yes, if the split qualifies. Neither period counts against the 14 hours, and the 11 and 14-hour limits are worked out again from the end of the first period.
Does the free check handle a split?
No. The free check does not model a split. It counts the shift from the time entered after 10 or more hours off, so its answer is the safe one. If the driver took a split, check the hours on the ELD before the run.
Can the rest be split into more than two periods?
No. Both countries allow no more than two periods. In Canada both must be in the sleeper berth; in the US one must be at least 7 hours in a row in the berth.
When the check says NO-GO
- Why does my driver run out of time in the States with driving hours still left?
US 14-hour limit
- My driver took 8 hours off, so why can't they drive in the States?
US 10 hours off
- Why is my driver out of hours as soon as they cross into the US?
US 11-hour driving limit
- How late can my driver drive after crossing into Canada?
Canadian 16-hour limit
- I took my 10, so why am I still over for the day in Canada?
Canadian 10 hours off in a day
- I thought my driver could drive 13 in Canada. Why the NO-GO?
Canadian 13-hour driving limit
More rules
- Deferral of off-duty time
Canada lets a driver defer up to 2 hours of daily off-duty time to the next day, with 20 hours off over the two days. The US has no deferral.
- 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.
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. 18(1)(a), SOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(b), 49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)(B), 49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)(A), 49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)(C), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(2), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(1), 49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(i), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(2), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(3), SOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(c), 49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii), CCMTA Application Guide, Question 74, 49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)(D), (iii)(B), SOR/2005-313 s. 18(1)(d), (e), (g).