Dive Brief:
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is preparing for a 2027 full launch of two hours-of-service pilot programs that would give truck drivers more control over how they schedule their days, according to an Aug. 27 press release.
- The agency is using the pilots to test whether that added autonomy can hold or improve safety performance while making the job less rigid for drivers.
- Nine drivers from three motor carriers completed a six-week pre-test of each program, called Flexible Sleeper Berth and Split Duty Period. FCMSA is reviewing those results and will use them to refine the pilots before the full launch.
Dive Insight:
FMCSA announced the pilots in September 2025 as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Supporting America’s Truck Drivers package, a series of new initiatives, pilot programs and regulatory updates announced earlier that year.
The Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot lets participating drivers break up their 10-hour off-duty period — a six-and-four split, for example — as long as one segment runs at least five consecutive hours. Drivers in Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin ran that pre-test from April 1 to June 11 and were paid $600.
The Split Duty Period pilot tests whether drivers can safely pause their 14-hour driving window for up to three hours each day when they spend qualifying time in a non-driving status, including off-duty time, sleeper berth time or on-duty time spent at a pickup or delivery location. That pause could help drivers to work around conditions they can’t control, such as waiting out severe weather. Drivers from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio completed that pretest from May 18 to July 17, also for $600.
FMCSA said it will monitor shippers to ensure the added flexibility does not translate into longer detention or other exploitation of drivers.
Each full pilot calls for 256 drivers, who will participate for four months and will receive $1,600 for completing all study tasks. Drivers and motor carriers interested in the pilots can send their contact information to [email protected].
