Hotshot ELD and hours of service rules

Hours of service rules apply to hotshot drivers the same way they apply to semi drivers, and they surprise new owners more than almost anything else. A pickup with a trailer feels like a personal vehicle, but in for-hire work over 10,001 lb, it's a commercial motor vehicle with a clock.

Who the rules cover

Federal hours of service apply to drivers of commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. For hotshots, a vehicle or combination with a GVWR or GCWR of 10,001 lb or more is a commercial motor vehicle. That covers almost every hotshot rig, CDL or non-CDL.

SOURCE: Rules: FMCSA summary of hours of service regulations, 49 CFR 395 and 49 CFR 390.5 (checked Oct 2026).

The limits

The 14-hour window is the one that catches hotshots most. A morning spent waiting at a shipper uses up the window even though you haven't driven.

ELD requirement and exemptions

Drivers who must keep records of duty status generally must use an FMCSA-registered ELD. Common exemptions:

• Short-haul: within 150 air miles, back within 14 hours; time records instead of logs.
• Non-CDL short-haul option: for drivers of vehicles that don't need a CDL, within 150 air miles, with longer duty days allowed on two days a week.
• 8 days in 30: drivers who need logs on no more than 8 days in any 30-day period can use paper logs.
• Pre-2000 engines: trucks with engines older than model year 2000.

Choosing a device is covered in best ELD for hotshot.

When the ELD malfunctions

If your ELD stops working, note the malfunction, tell your carrier (yourself, if you're the carrier) within 24 hours, and reconstruct the current day and the previous 7 days on paper logs unless the records can be retrieved. Keep logging on paper until the device is fixed, which normally must happen within 8 days. Keep the malfunction instruction sheet and enough blank logs in the cab for exactly this situation.

Splitting your off-duty time

With a sleeper berth that meets federal specs, you can split the required 10 hours off into two periods, one of at least 7 hours in the berth and another of at least 2 hours off duty or in the berth, adding to 10. Neither period counts against your 14-hour window. For hotshots who face long waits at shippers or late delivery appointments, the split can save a day. Without a qualifying berth, the 10 hours must be taken together. More in hotshot truck with sleeper.

Printable hours checklist

1. Did I have 10 consecutive hours off before starting?
2. When does my 14-hour window end today?
3. How many driving hours do I have left of 11?
4. When is my 30-minute break due?
5. How many hours do I have left in my 7 or 8 days?
6. Does this load's pickup and delivery fit those numbers, with room for delays?
7. Is my ELD working, with the instruction card, malfunction sheet and blank logs in the cab?

Exceptions and edge cases

• The CDL line doesn't change hours of service; it changes the license, testing and some short-haul options.
• Intrastate drivers follow state rules, which are often similar but can differ.
• Hazmat loads bring extra rules, including attendance and parking requirements.
• Personal conveyance lets you move the truck off duty for personal reasons, within limits; it can't be used to advance a load.
• Yard moves are on-duty, not driving, when done properly in a yard.

Common mistakes

• Thinking a non-CDL pickup and trailer doesn't need logs
• Starting the day with a long wait at the shipper and running out of window
• Skipping the 30-minute break
• Using personal conveyance to get closer to the next pickup
• Not carrying the ELD documents and blank paper logs
• Editing logs to make a delivery fit

Other common violations are covered in hotshot truck safety violations, and the full rule set in DOT regulations for hot shot trucks.

A day on the clock (EXAMPLE)

HOURS DAY, EXAMPLENO. 0111

EXAMPLE

On duty, pre-trip

6:00 AM

Loading at shipper (on duty)

6:30 to 8:30

Driving

8:30 to 4:30 (8 h)

30-minute break

4:30 to 5:00

Driving

5:00 to 7:00 (2 h)

14-hour window ends

8:00 PM

Driving used10 of 11 h

This EXAMPLE driver has an hour of driving left but only an hour of window, and must stop by 8:00 PM. A longer wait at the shipper would have cut the driving day short. That's why the pickup time on a rate confirmation matters as much as the miles.

Records you must keep

Keep your records of duty status and supporting documents, such as bills of lading, fuel receipts and dispatch records, for six months. Carriers must also monitor their drivers' compliance, which for a one-truck owner means checking your own logs regularly. These records are among the first things reviewed in the new entrant safety audit.

Planning a trip around the clock

Before you accept a load, map the drive time, add the break and fuel stops, and check the delivery appointment against your window. A 600-mile run at highway speeds can fit in 11 hours of driving on paper, but not if loading takes three hours. Your pre-trip routine, including the ELD check, is in the hotshot pre-trip and load securement checklist, and your rig setup in hotshot setup.

Dispatch that respects your hours

With hotshot dispatch, your available hours are part of every load decision. We plan pickups, deliveries and reloads so the clock is used well and never broken. You approve every load, and the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you. Price runs with the hotshot rate calculator.