What Are Hours of Service Rules for Truck Drivers in Florida?
Bill Allen | April 1, 2025 | Truck Accidents
Large commercial trucks are essential to commerce in Florida and throughout the United States. However, these machines can cause a tremendous amount of damage in a crash with a smaller passenger car. For this reason, commercial truck drivers must meet additional requirements to legally operate their rigs.
These requirements include limits on how long a trucker can drive before they must rest. However, these rules can be complicated and vary depending on certain circumstances. How many hours can a truck driver drive, and did the trucker abide by these rules? These are the critical questions asked after an injury or fatal crash when a trucker is at fault.
Basic Hours of Service Rules for Florida Truckers
Florida hours of service rules dictate how long a commercial driver can operate their vehicles. So how long can truck drivers drive before needing to rest?
If the trucker is not transporting passengers, they may drive up to 11 hours after spending 10 hours off duty. If the commercial driver is transporting passengers, they may drive for 10 hours after being off duty for eight hours.
Commercial drivers must maintain a logbook or other record that verifies their compliance with hours of service rules. These records can be checked at any time, including following a truck accident.
Breaks Required
In addition to these cumulative driving restrictions, truckers must take a 30-minute break from driving after having driven for a cumulative total of eight hours. While drivers do not have to go off-duty to satisfy this requirement, they must cease driving activities for this entire period. All commercial drivers must abide by this requirement regardless of what they are transporting.
On Duty Limitations
On-duty truck driver hours are also limited, even if they are not driving the entire time. Truckers who are not transporting passengers may not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after they come on duty following a 10-hour off-duty period. For passenger-transporting drivers, they may not continue to drive after the 15th consecutive hour on-duty after an eight-hour off-duty period.
Beyond this, commercial drivers are not permitted to remain on duty for more than 60 or 70 hours, depending on the circumstances. In the case of a driver transporting passengers, the driver may not be on duty for more than 60 or 70 hours in a seven- or eight-day period.
There are similar limitations for truckers who are carrying cargo as opposed to passengers. However, before restarting a new seven- or eight-day period, these drivers must remain off-duty for at least 34 hours.
Exceptions Apply
The above regulations are general rules that apply to truckers in Florida and throughout the country. However, there are exceptions to these restrictions. For example, truckers who are driving within a 150-mile radius of their starting location are subject only to their 14-hour on-duty limitation.
Similarly, in Florida, the hours a trucker spends sitting in adverse conditions may not all count toward their driving or on-duty limitations. In the case of conditions that cause traffic to slow down significantly or stop, a trucker can extend their driving and on-duty hour limitations by up to two additional hours.
Why Hours of Service Rules Matter in Florida
Hours of service rules are lawful requirements that all Florida commercial drivers must follow that help ensure truckers are well-rested and able to handle the demands of operating a heavy vehicle.
A skilled truck accident lawyer will review a truck driver’s logbook to verify their compliance with these rules. Truckers who are not in compliance could face civil and criminal consequences, especially if they cause an accident.
Contact Our Gainesville Truck Accident Law Firm at Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers in North Central Florida
If you need legal assistance, contact the Gainesville truck accident lawyers at Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation today, we’re open 24 hours daily.
We have three convenient locations in Marion County and Alachua County, North Central Florida:
Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers – Gainesville Office
2550 SW 76th St #150
Gainesville, FL 32608
(877) 255-3652
Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers – Downtown Gainesville
621 W University Ave
Gainesville, FL 32601
(866) 928-6292
Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers – Ocala Office
112 S Pine Ave
Ocala, FL 34471
(352) 351-3258
