HOS Changes Coming? One Way It Can Impact Small Carriers’ Profitability

If you’re an owner-operator or running a small fleet, you’ve probably heard the rumblings: Washington may loosen up some HOS restrictions. The proposed pilot programs, under review, could give more flexibility in driving and rest requirements. Sounds promising — but like everything in trucking, the devil is in the details.

This isn’t about being for or against HOS reform. It’s about knowing how upcoming changes could affect your bottom line — both the wins and the risks. Let’s walk through what this means, with examples, so you can see if these changes would help you.

From what’s public so far, the Department of Transportation is exploring pilot programs that might allow:

• More flexible break/rest times
  

• Possibility of splitting driving windows or rest periods differently
  

• Adjustments so that certain portions of required rest or breaks can be done “off duty” in safer or more convenient locations
  

• Expanded windows for adverse weather or unexpected delays
  

The idea is to give drivers more control over how they use their on-duty hours, reduce “wasted” wait times, and make some routes more efficient under the constraint of HOS.

Here are scenarios where this could push you into higher profit margins — by the mile or by the load.

Current Rule: You drive your 11-hour limit, hit the clock, then mandatory rest. Sometimes you wait at a rest area or stuck in traffic before resets begin.

With Flex Option: Suppose you can shift part of your mandatory rest to off-duty in a more flexible way, or get partial rest credit when waiting in safer locations, even if they don’t meet every current spec. You lose less drive time.

• If you by today lose 1 hour/week waiting for resets or breaks, that’s ~52 hours/year. At 60 mph average, that’s 3,120 “lost” miles.
  

• If your average load pays $2.10/mile, that’s about $6,552 a year you never saw.
  

Even with fuel and wear, that could net you $4,500–$5,500/year more just by trimming wait time.

Bad weather, snow, ice, accidents, traffic delays often eat into your driving window. If the pilot allows you to push further or shift rest without losing legal compliance because of delays, you could salvage trips that would otherwise force you off the road.

Imagine:

• You’re running a lane that in good conditions takes 660 miles and 11 hours drive time + required rest. A snowstorm slows you. Under old rules you may lose 2–3 hours waiting, then rest, then finish.
  

• Under a flexible pilot, some of that “waiting” time might count differently (either off-duty or rest credit), letting you finish more miles on that route instead of getting stuck short and needing to relay loads.