34-Hour Restart
An optional HOS provision allowing CDL drivers to reset their weekly on-duty total by taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty.
The 34-hour restart resets the 60-hour/7-day or 70-hour/8-day calculation. It is not required — drivers can continue working without using it by staying within their remaining weekly hours. Under current rules, the restart does not require two 1–5 a.m. periods (that requirement was suspended). Verify current restart rules with FMCSA, as HOS rules have been revised multiple times.
How the 34-hour restart works
The restart allows a driver to reset their 60/70-hour weekly accumulator by taking 34 or more consecutive off-duty (or sleeper berth) hours. After the restart period ends, the weekly on-duty counter resets to zero. The restart is completely optional — drivers with remaining weekly hours can continue working without using it. There is no required schedule for the restart, and it can be used as often as needed provided the consecutive off-duty requirement is met.
When using the restart makes operational sense
The restart is most useful for drivers who have nearly exhausted their weekly on-duty hours but want to start the next week fresh. A driver with 5 hours remaining in their 70-hour bank on a Friday, for example, might use the weekend reset to begin the next week with a full 70 hours. Planning restart timing around scheduled maintenance, weekends, or multi-day customer shutdowns minimizes productivity loss. The restart does not affect or reset the 14-hour daily window or the 11-hour driving limit — those limits reset after 10 consecutive off-duty hours as always.
Last updated: May 28, 2026
When this definition matters
This term usually matters when a driver, owner-operator, or small carrier is deciding whether a federal rule applies, preparing a compliance file, or checking a state CDL step. Use this definition as a starting point, then confirm the controlling requirement in the official source listed below before making a licensing, hiring, dispatch, or recordkeeping decision.
The related terms above are included because they often appear in the same compliance workflow. Reviewing them together can prevent common mix-ups, such as treating a state licensing step as a federal carrier obligation or confusing a driver record with a separate employer record.