FMCSA Moves HOS Pilots Toward 2027
FMCSA has completed pre-tests for flexible sleeper berth and split-duty pilot programs that could change how drivers manage rest, traffic and detention. The full pilots are expected to enroll 512 drivers in 2027.
Two Pilots Move Past Pre-Testing
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has completed pre-tests for two hours-of-service pilot programs and is reviewing results before a planned full launch in 2027.
The programs would test whether more flexible rest and break rules can maintain or improve safety without changing the basic 11-hour driving limit. FMCSA launched the pilots in September 2025, then used small pre-tests this spring and summer to check procedures, data collection and driver participation requirements.
What FMCSA Will Test
The Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program would let participating drivers split required off-duty time into two periods in any combination, as long as the periods total at least 10 hours and one includes at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper berth. The pre-test ran from April 1 through June 11 with nine drivers from three carriers in Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The Split Duty Period Pilot Program would let participating drivers pause the 14-hour driving window for up to three hours a day while in a qualifying non-driving status. That could include off-duty time, sleeper berth time or on-duty time at a pickup or delivery location. Its pre-test ran from May 18 through July 17 with nine drivers from three carriers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio.
Safety Debate Is Still Open
Each full pilot is expected to include 256 drivers, or 512 across both programs. Drivers would participate for four months and could receive up to $1,600 for completing study requirements.
Safety advocates warn the split-duty test could stretch a driver's workday to as long as 17 hours and shift attention away from detention problems. Some carriers argue the opposite: that flexibility could let drivers wait out traffic, weather or facility delays without burning the clock. For fleet teams, the practical job is to watch the pilot data, not rewrite policy early. Dispatch planning, shipper detention visibility and ELD workflows may all need another look if the pilots turn into rulemaking.
