Starting in spring 2026, FMCSA launched two landmark pilot programs that give commercial drivers the scheduling flexibility they have demanded for years — and right now, the agency is actively recruiting participants. The Flexible Sleeper Berth (FSB) and Split Duty Period (SDP) pilots, launched as part of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy’s “Pro-Trucker Package,” represent the most significant proposed revision to hours-of-service flexibility since the 2020 rule update. If you operate under Part 395 or dispatch drivers who do, here is everything you need to know about how these programs work and what they could mean for your operation.
Why FMCSA Is Running These Pilot Programs Now
The HOS framework finalized in 2020 was a meaningful step forward, but drivers and carriers have consistently argued that the rigid 14-hour driving window and limited sleeper-berth split options do not reflect the realities of long-haul operations. Shippers and receivers cause unpredictable delays, weather creates mandatory holds, and the 14-hour clock ticks regardless of whether a driver is productively working or waiting at a dock. In response to Executive Order 14286, Transportation Secretary Duffy directed FMCSA to investigate HOS changes that improve driver quality of life without compromising road safety. These two pilot programs are the primary output of that directive.
The Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot: What Changes
The Flexible Sleeper Berth (FSB) pilot builds on the existing split sleeper-berth provision in 49 CFR 395.1(g). Currently, drivers can split their required 10 hours off-duty into an “8/2” or “7/3” combination. The FSB pilot expands available options to include “6/4” and “5/5” splits, giving team drivers and solo operators with non-standard run cycles additional flexibility for rest scheduling. For a driver running a regional lane where natural break points do not align neatly with an 8-hour rest block, the 5/5 split could meaningfully reduce forced detention at truck stops.
Participation is structured as a four-month program: a one-month Baseline Phase in which drivers operate under today’s standard rules while data is collected, followed by a three-month Exemption Phase in which drivers use the expanded split options with ELD-logged exemption status. FMCSA will accept approximately 256 CDL holders into the full FSB cohort, and participants receive monetary compensation for their time and data contribution.
“These pilot programs are part of our commitment to give American truck drivers the flexibility they need while maintaining the safety standards our roads demand.”
— U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, U.S. DOT, 2026
The Split Duty Period Pilot: Pausing the 14-Hour Clock
The Split Duty Period (SDP) pilot addresses a different but equally common problem: drivers who reach the end of their 14-hour window before exhausting all 11 driving hours, largely because hours were absorbed by unpaid dock time. Under the SDP pilot, participants may exclude up to 3 hours per day from their 14-hour window — provided that excluded time is spent off-duty, in the sleeper berth, or on-duty (not driving) at a pickup or delivery location. This effectively pauses the clock during qualifying breaks. It does not increase total driving time — the 11-hour daily limit remains unchanged.
According to DQM Connect’s pilot analysis, the SDP is particularly valuable for local-to-regional drivers whose schedules include predictable loading and unloading periods that currently eat into their driving window without adding productive miles. FMCSA is currently seeking 18 drivers for a six-week preliminary test phase running through summer 2026, with full cohort enrollment expected to follow on a rolling basis.
What This Means for Your Dispatch Planning
Whether or not your drivers participate, these pilots signal that HOS flexibility is likely to change in 2027. FMCSA’s decision to run formal pilot research before publishing a proposed rule suggests that any permanent revision will be evidence-backed and more likely to survive legal challenge. For independent dispatchers, the load-scheduling frameworks built around the current 14-hour window may need significant revision within 12 to 18 months. Now is the time to model how a 3-hour clock pause or expanded sleeper split would change your most time-sensitive and dock-heavy lanes.
Action Checklist for Carriers and Dispatchers
- Visit FMCSA’s HOS pilot page at fmcsa.dot.gov for current application windows and CDL holder recruitment links for both programs.
- Contact your ELD provider and ask whether their system supports pilot exemption logging modes and what the onboarding process looks like for participants.
- Model the dispatch impact of the SDP rule on your dock-heavy lanes — calculate how a 3-hour window pause would change run planning on the routes with the most unpredictable receiver delays.
- Notify interested owner-operators in your network — FMCSA offers monetary compensation for participation, and early participants have an outsized influence on how the final rule is written.
- Monitor CCJ Digital and FreightWaves for data releases as FMCSA publishes findings from the six-week methodology test phase throughout summer 2026.
