Build a valid split-rest arrangement
Learn the rest requirements before calculating available hours.
Two rests can replace one continuous rest
The split-sleeper rule lets a qualifying property-carrying driver split the usual ten-hour rest into two periods. It can make use of a rest opportunity during the day without losing both periods to the fourteen-hour window.
- One period must be at least seven consecutive hours in the sleeper berth.
- The other must be at least two consecutive hours off-duty, in the sleeper, or a continuous combination.
- Together they must total at least ten hours.
- Either period can come first.
Check both duration and where the rest was taken before relying on a pair.
Check duration and where the rest was taken
| Pair | Duration requirements |
|---|---|
| 7 hours sleeper + 3 hours off-duty | Yes |
| 8 hours sleeper + 2 hours off-duty | Yes |
| 7 hours sleeper + 2 hours off-duty | No; only nine hours total |
| 8 hours off-duty outside the berth + 2 hours off-duty | No; missing the long sleeper period |
Both paired rests are excluded from the window
When used as a valid pair, neither rest counts toward the fourteen-hour window. Driving and work around the rests still count. The pair does not automatically give back eleven driving hours or restart the cycle.
The short rest’s benefit depends on completing a valid pair. Do not treat any two-hour stop as an unconditional pause.