US rules

Why is my driver out of hours as soon as they cross into the US?

In the US a driver can drive 11 hours after 10 hours off in a row. Hours already driven in Canada count toward the 11. A driver past 11 hours cannot drive in the US until they take 10 hours off.

What drivers say

“I can drive 13 in Canada, so I still have hours when I cross.”

What the rules say

True in Canada, not in the States. The hours cross the border with the driver. Only the rules change. At the line, the US limit of 11 applies to every hour driven since the last 10 hours off, on both sides.

Run a free checkTry this example

How it works

The 11 hours count driving only. Other work, like loading or fueling, does not use them up. It does use up the 14 hours from coming on duty.

Short breaks do not give hours back. Only 10 hours off in a row, off duty or in the sleeper, start a fresh 11.

Going south, this is the limit that catches drivers most. A driver can legally drive up to 13 hours in a shift in Canada and reach the border with no US driving time left.

The rule

Rule values checked against the regulations and verified by CVORReady Inc.

A worked example

A southbound run where the hours driven in Canada leave no US driving time at the border.

Direction
Canada to US
Hours read at
14:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5
Came on duty at
01:30, after 10 h off
This shift so far
12 h driving, 12 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
50 h in the last 7 days, 50 h in the last 8 days
24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days
Yes
The run
Leaves at 14:00, drives 30 m to the border, then 1 h after it

This is the answer the free check gives for these hours.

NO-GO

Not legal as planned. The run breaks the US 11-hour driving limit.

Why

Binding limit: US 11-hour driving limit (49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(i)). Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.

What makes this a GO

10 h off duty from 14:00, then depart at 00:00 EDT on Tue Oct 6 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.

At the border, under US rules

Driving left0 m
14-hour window left1 h
70-hour cycle left19 h 30 m
Driving before the 30-minute break3 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
  1. Hours read at 14:00 on Mon Oct 5: 12 h driving and 12 h on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
  2. Departs 14:00, drives 30 m in Canada, crosses at 14:30, then 1 h in the US.
  3. At the border under US rules: 0 m of driving left, 1 h of the 14-hour window left, 19 h 30 m of the 70-hour cycle left.
  4. First limit broken: the US 11-hour driving limit at 14:30, in the US.
  5. Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 14:00: 00:00 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.

Open this example in the free check and change the hours

What fixes it

  • Take 10 hours off in a row before crossing. An 8-hour rest starts a new shift in Canada, but it does nothing for the US limit.
  • Or plan the run so the driver reaches the border with enough US driving time for the US leg.

Related

The rules in full