FMCSA Opens Comment on 14-Hour Window Pause Study
FMCSA published a notice October 6, 2026, announcing plans to submit a new Information Collection Request to the Office of Management and Budget for a pilot program studying whether drivers should be allowed to pause their 14-hour driving window. The notice, required under the Paperwork Reduction Act, invites public comment before FMCSA finalizes the data collection.
The study would let drivers take up to three hours of off-duty, sleeper berth, or on-duty-not-driving time at a pickup or delivery location without that time counting against the 14-hour window. FMCSA said about 256 CMV drivers would participate for 16 weeks, using surveys, vigilance tests, wrist actigraphy, records of duty status and telematics data to measure fatigue and driving performance against current hours-of-service rules.
FMCSA noted it considered a similar pause in a 2019 rulemaking but dropped it from the 2020 final rule after commenters warned drivers could face pressure from carriers, shippers or receivers to misuse the break. This notice covers only the data collection for the research pilot. It does not change current hours-of-service regulations under 49 CFR 395.3(a)(2).
What's next
- 2026-12-07: Deadline to submit comments on the information collection, Docket No. FMCSA-2026-2081.
- Comments can be filed at regulations.gov under the docket number.
- Watch for FMCSA's next step: OMB review and approval of the ICR before the pilot can begin recruiting drivers.
All sources
- FMCSA Opens Comment on 14-Hour Window Pause Study: FMCSA (Federal Register)
