For the first time in over a decade, FMCSA is testing real flexibility in how truck drivers can split their required 10 hours off-duty — and if you currently run 8/2 or 7/3 sleeper-berth splits, the 2026 pilot programs could change your week. Two pilots launched under the "Pro-Trucker Package" are now actively recruiting drivers: the Flexible Sleeper Berth pilot, which adds 6/4 and 5/5 split options, and the Split Duty Period pilot, which lets you pause your 14-hour driving window. This guide walks owner-operators and dispatchers through eligibility, the new split math, log-compliance considerations, and what participation actually looks like over the 4-month study window. Either way you go, your daily inspection and maintenance records still need to be airtight — Start your free HVI trial to digitize DVIRs, work orders, and the full compliance chain across your fleet, or book a demo to see how HVI keeps your records audit-ready while you test new HOS schedules.
The split-sleeper math — current rules vs the 2026 pilot
The current sleeper-berth rule requires one continuous block of at least 7 hours in the bunk. The 2026 FSB pilot keeps the 10-hour total but lets you split it across two smaller blocks, opening up two brand-new combinations.
Driver eligibility — who can apply
FMCSA is selective about who can participate. The criteria below are drawn directly from the pilot program notices published in the Federal Register on September 17, 2025.
Must possess a current Commercial Driver's License with no current suspensions, disqualifications, or out-of-service orders in effect.
For the FSB pilot, drivers must already operate under 8/2 or 7/3 splits regularly. The pilot is not designed for over-the-road drivers who don't currently use the bunk.
Drivers of property-carrying commercial motor vehicles are eligible. Passenger-carrying CMVs are not covered under either pilot in 2026.
Drivers cannot have a recent serious safety violation or DOT-recordable crash on file. Specific lookback period varies — FMCSA reserves the right to deny applications based on driver safety history.
Vehicle must be equipped with a registered, compliant ELD with current firmware capable of logging the new split combinations. Pre-2026 firmware will flag pilot splits as violations.
An owner-operator's carrier must consent to participation and meet the carrier eligibility criteria separately. Drivers cannot enroll independently of the motor carrier.
The 4-month study window — what to expect
Participating drivers follow a fixed 4-month protocol. The first month is baseline (current rules), and the next three months are the exemption phase with the new flexibility. Here's the timeline.
Operate under current HOS rules. Wear a fatigue-tracking smartwatch. Complete daily PVT reaction tests and Karolinska sleepiness scale surveys.
Start running 6/4 or 5/5 splits (FSB) or use the 14-hour pause (SDP). Continue all fatigue monitoring and surveys daily.
Run normal dispatch under the new flexibility. FMCSA collects ELD RODS, roadside inspection data, and any crash records continuously.
Complete final fatigue measurements and post-study survey. Return monitoring devices. Resume standard HOS rules at study close.
What FMCSA actually tracks during the pilot
Participation is more than just running new splits. FMCSA partners with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to collect a detailed dataset across six categories. Drivers receive a smartphone and smartwatch for the study duration.
Every duty-status change logged automatically — driving, on-duty not driving, sleeper berth, off-duty — across the full 4 months.
Smartwatch monitors actual sleep duration and quality during sleeper-berth periods — measuring rest, not just hours logged.
Short daily reaction-time tests on the provided smartphone — measure alertness across the baseline and exemption phases.
FMCSA pulls all roadside inspection results and any DOT-recordable crash records for participating drivers throughout the study.
Daily 1–9 self-reported sleepiness ratings at multiple points during the duty period — captures subjective fatigue.
Long-form questionnaires on schedule quality of life, work–life balance, and operational impact — captured at study start and close.
If your fleet runs mixed equipment under daily HOS rules, the parallel work of keeping inspection and maintenance records audit-clean does not stop while you participate in a pilot. Sign up for HVI free and your daily DVIRs, work orders, and PM history stay digital and searchable — exactly the kind of clean record FMCSA wants to see alongside your pilot data.
5 log-compliance pitfalls that disqualify pilot participation
Participating in the pilot doesn't free you from log compliance — in fact, your logs are more important than ever because FMCSA is using them as study data. Here are the five mistakes that get participants pulled from the program.
Using 6/4 or 5/5 splits before official enrollment is a violation of current rules — not a "test." Wait for written FMCSA approval before changing your duty pattern.
Older firmware doesn't recognize 6/4 or 5/5 as valid splits and will record them as violations. Update or replace the ELD before your first pilot split.
Drivers can enroll in one pilot, not both. Trying to stack the Flexible Sleeper Berth with the Split Duty Period 14-hour pause invalidates compliance and pulls you out of the study.
The Split Duty break must be logged as off-duty, sleeper, or on-duty-not-driving at a pickup/delivery location — using the wrong status invalidates the pause.
FMCSA issues every approved participant a document confirming pilot enrollment. Drivers must carry it during the data-collection phase — without it, a roadside officer will treat any non-standard split as a violation.
Current rules vs. pilot exemption — quick reference
| HOS element | Current rule | FSB pilot exemption |
|---|---|---|
| Allowed splits | 8/2 and 7/3 only | Adds 6/4 and 5/5 |
| Min sleeper block | 7 consecutive hours | 5 consecutive hours |
| Off-duty pairing | 2 or 3 hours | Up to 5 hours flexibility |
| Pause 14-hr window | Not permitted (FSB) | Not permitted (FSB) |
| SDP pause (separate pilot) | Not permitted | 30 min – 3 hr pause allowed |
| Driving hour limit | 11 hours after 10 off | Unchanged — 11 hours |
| 14-hr driving window | 14 hours | Unchanged under FSB |
| Cycle limit | 60/7 or 70/8 | Unchanged |
| ELD required | Yes | Yes — with 2026 firmware |
| Pilot document on driver | N/A | Required at all times |
Where HVI fits — keeping your records clean during the pilot
Pilot or no pilot, your inspection, maintenance, and compliance records still have to satisfy 49 CFR Part 396 every day. The HVI inspection and maintenance platform was built to keep those records airtight while you focus on the operational side of testing new HOS patterns. Here's where HVI does the heavy lifting.
Drivers complete guided pre-trip and post-trip inspections on the HVI app — photo-verified, GPS-tagged, instantly archived. Every duty period is paired with a compliant eDVIR.
Any reported defect creates a maintenance work order instantly and links back to the original inspection — the audit chain FMCSA wants to see during pilot data collection.
HVI tracks actual engine hours and odometer per vehicle, firing PM reminders at every interval. No missed services that could otherwise interrupt the pilot study window.
Every inspection, work order, and PM record indexed by VIN, date, and driver — retrievable in seconds when a roadside officer or pilot administrator asks.
If you're considering enrolling in either pilot, get your maintenance and inspection records onto a clean, digital system first. Schedule an HVI demo and our team will walk through how the platform handles single-truck owner-operators and multi-truck small fleets — both pilot-eligible profiles.
Frequently asked questions
The HOS rules are flexing — but inspection and maintenance compliance never will. HVI keeps that side airtight.
Whether you're applying for the 2026 split-sleeper pilot or staying on the standard 8/2 and 7/3 splits, your daily DVIRs, work orders, and maintenance records still have to satisfy 49 CFR Part 396 every shift. HVI runs the entire inspection-to-maintenance workflow on the smartphone every driver already carries.
No credit card required · Owner-operators and small fleets welcome · Pilot-friendly digital records from day one
