Hours of service

Hours of Service (HoS) refers to commercial vehicle driving-time regulations transportation organizations are required to adhere to as specified by the Department of Transportation, specifically the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) branch. These regulations pertain to commercial vehicles including trucks and buses.

Drivers of these commercial vehicles are mandated to follow an Hours of Service schedule to help support their own health on the road, remaining awake and alert. Many drivers transport goods or passengers at all times of the day, which can lead to fatigue if operating hours are not properly managed.

The FMCSA released four provisions of HoS in 2020 – short-haul exception, adverse driving conditions exception, 30-minute break requirement, and sleeper berth provision. These provisions are meant to further clarify and promote efficiency of the original HoS mandates.

In order to comply with HoS regulations, organizations use on-board electronic logging devices to record important vehicle operation data and track driving hours and related data. This includes the number of miles and hours driven, as well as rest time between driving shifts. The main purpose of HoS regulations is to maintain safety by ensuring drivers do not exceed specific driving-time limits that can lead to fatigue and accidents while on the road, as many commercial trucks drive cross-country and thousands of miles to transport goods.

To help ensure the security and integrity of HoS data, many transportation organizations use authentication technology. This prevents inadequate, inefficient, or unauthorized use of connected devices by those who are not the driver of a specific commercial vehicle. By accompanying electronic logging devices with multifactor authentication applications, they can better support public safety, while avoiding substantial financial penalties or reputational damage resulting from HoS regulation non-compliance. Multifactor authentication provides a secure, auditable chain of trust wherever, whenever, and however users interact with data, especially as it pertains to employee or contractor data with links to health-related variables and drive time.