ELD & Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance for the CDL Exam

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

• !Confusing the 11-hour driving limit (consecutive driving cap) with the 14-hour on-duty limit (window after coming on duty)
• !Forgetting the 30-minute break required after 8 cumulative driving hours
• !Not using the sleeper-berth split correctly (8/2 or 7/3 split)
• !Failing to switch ELD duty status from on-duty to off-duty when stopping for personal time

Study tips

• 1Memorize the four core HOS limits: 11-hour driving, 14-hour on-duty window, 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, 60/70-hour cycle limits.
• 2Practice the sleeper-berth split exception — 7/3 or 8/2 — until you can apply it without consulting a chart.
• 3Know the short-haul exemption (150 air-mile radius, 14-hour on-duty cap) — if you qualify, you may not need an ELD.
• 4Drill ELD duty-status codes: D (driving), ON (on-duty not driving), OFF (off-duty), SB (sleeper berth), and PC (personal conveyance).

Sample CDL ELD & Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real CDL questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1. 1

   A property-carrying driver has been driving for 8 hours straight. What is required before continuing?

   • AStop for 10 hours off-duty
   • BTake a 30-minute breakCorrect
   • CSwitch to sleeper berth for 2 hours
   • DNothing — they may continue to 11 hours
   Why this answer?

   HOS rules require a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving. The break may be off-duty, sleeper-berth, or on-duty (not driving). Driving time may continue up to 11 hours after the break.