FMCSA completed pre-tests for flexible sleeper-berth and split-duty-period programs and is preparing a 2027 rollout with 512 participating professional drivers.
FMCSA announced progress on August 27
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced on August 27, 2026 that it had completed pre-tests for two Hours of Service pilot programs. The agency says the studies are intended to evaluate whether additional scheduling flexibility and driver control can maintain or improve safety. FMCSA plans to use the pre-test findings to refine procedures, data collection, and participant requirements before expanded pilots begin in 2027.
The announcement does not change current HOS rules
The bulletin describes research programs for selected participants, not a nationwide amendment to the hours-of-service regulations. Drivers and carriers outside an authorized pilot must continue following the current rules applicable to their operation. A carrier should not use the announcement as permission to pause the 14-hour window differently or adopt an alternative sleeper split before receiving formal authority and program instructions.
Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program
This pilot will evaluate alternative sleeper-berth splits. FMCSA says participating drivers may divide the required time into two periods in any combination, provided the periods total at least 10 hours and one period includes at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper berth. That differs from describing one new universal split: it is a controlled pilot condition intended to generate safety and operational data.
Nine drivers completed the sleeper-berth pre-test
The flexible sleeper-berth pre-test ran from April 1 through June 11, 2026. It involved nine drivers from three motor carriers located in Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Each driver participated for six weeks and received $600. FMCSA did not publish outcome statistics in the August 27 bulletin; it said the agency is reviewing results to refine the larger study.
Split Duty Period Pilot Program
The second program will examine whether a driver can safely pause the 14-hour driving window for as long as three hours each day while in a qualifying non-driving status. FMCSA says qualifying time may include off-duty time, sleeper-berth time, or on-duty time spent at a pickup or delivery location. The concept is designed to examine flexibility around traffic, severe weather, detention, and voluntary breaks.
FMCSA says it will monitor detention risk
The agency specifically states that it will monitor shippers so the added flexibility does not lead to increased detention or driver exploitation. This is important because pausing a regulatory clock could create pressure to absorb unpaid or uncontrolled waiting if safeguards and data do not distinguish driver choice from shipper delay. The bulletin does not yet provide the complete monitoring protocol or eligibility criteria for the 2027 rollout.
Nine drivers completed the split-duty pre-test
The split-duty-period pre-test ran from May 18 through July 17, 2026. It included nine drivers from three motor carriers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Participants drove under the pre-test for six weeks and received $600. As with the sleeper-berth study, the new bulletin reports completion and next steps rather than safety findings or a regulatory recommendation.
The 2027 pilots are expected to include 512 drivers
FMCSA expects each expanded pilot to include 256 drivers, for 512 participants across both programs. Drivers are expected to participate for four months and may receive up to $1,600 for completing all study tasks. The agency has not described this as open enrollment with guaranteed acceptance. Interested professional drivers and motor carriers can send contact information to pilots@dot.gov to receive updates.
What fleets should evaluate before volunteering
A carrier considering participation should wait for the formal program documents, then review eligibility, exemptions, ELD or data requirements, privacy, dispatch procedures, compensation, shipper controls, training, and the process for leaving the study. Safety managers will need a clear way to distinguish pilot participants from other drivers so dispatch does not accidentally apply an experimental schedule to a nonparticipant.
What drivers should ask before enrolling
A driver should request the exact scheduling options, minimum-rest conditions, study tasks, data collected, equipment required, payment schedule, privacy terms, carrier responsibilities, and contact for safety concerns. Participation should not be confused with a permanent exemption or a promise that the pilot structure will become law. Preserve the official authorization and instructions in a form that can be produced during inspections.
Primary-source note
This report is based on FMCSA's information bulletin dated August 27, 2026. The agency announced completion of pre-tests and its planned 2027 expansion, but did not publish pre-test safety results or a final change to federal hours-of-service regulations. Current regulations and official participant documents continue to control unless FMCSA issues a later rule, exemption, or pilot authorization.
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Official sources
FMCSA: Hours of Service pilot-program update, August 27, 2026FMCSA summary of current Hours of Service regulationsCDL Truck Pro provides educational information. Confirm licensing, safety, tax, and regulatory requirements through current official sources and qualified professionals.