The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will begin enforcing the totality of the motorcoach hours-of-service regulations for commercial passenger carriers on Monday, July 1. Any motorcoach company that operates across state lines will be bound by the current existing motorcoach HOS rules.
The new regulations for passenger-carrying commercial vehicle drivers are summarized below:
- 10-Hour Driving Limit
Drivers may drive a maximum of 10 hours after 8 consecutive hours off duty. - 15-Hour On-Duty Limit
Drivers may not drive after having been on duty for 15 hours, following 8 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time is not included in the 15-hour period. - 60/70-Hour On-Duty Limit
Drivers may not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. - Penalties
Driving (or allowing a driver to drive) more than 3 hours beyond the driving-time limit may be considered an “egregious” violation and subject to the maximum civil penalties.
To see a full breakdown of the new hours-of-service regulations, as well as reference materials and news releases, visit the Department of Transportation’s Hours-of-Service page at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/hos/index.htm