Hours-of-Service Compliance
The federal regulation governing how long commercial drivers can work and drive before rest. The current rules set a 14-hour on-duty window, an 11-hour driving limit within that window, a 30-minute break requirement after 8 cumulative driving hours, and 60/70-hour weekly limits with restart provisions. Logged via Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) on most for-hire operations.
Why it matters
Driver fatigue is a leading contributor to commercial vehicle crashes. The HOS BASIC measures how often a carrier's drivers are caught at roadside violating those rules. High HOS percentile draws federal enforcement attention, raises insurance underwriting risk scoring, and signals dispatcher and management practices that don't sustainably accommodate the rules.
Where it appears in a Hoffman Report
The Hoffman Report's Safety record table shows the carrier's three-year weighted Hours-of-Service score, the peer cohort average, and the carrier's position against cohort. The Inspection and violation record shows total HOS violations in the three-year window.
Related terms
HOS regulations have evolved over time and include exceptions for short-haul, agricultural, and emergency operations. Operational compliance should be evaluated against the current rules in effect, not the framing on this page.