Property vs Passenger Carrier: Hours of Service Compared

The federal hours-of-service rules come in two flavors, and which one binds you depends on what you carry. Property-carrying drivers (freight) follow 49 CFR 395.3. Passenger-carrying drivers (bus, motorcoach, charter) follow 49 CFR 395.5. The two rule sets share a shape but differ in nearly every number. If you have ever driven both kinds of vehicle, the differences below are the ones that trip people up.

Side by side

Rule	Property (49 CFR 395.3)	Passenger (49 CFR 395.5)
Driving limit	11 hours (395.3(a)(3)(i))	10 hours (395.5(a)(1))
On-duty limit	14-hour window, continuous (395.3(a)(2))	15-hour on-duty total, off-duty excluded (395.5(a)(2))
30-minute break	Required after 8h driving (395.3(a)(3)(ii))	None
Reset	10 consecutive hours off (395.3(a)(1))	8 consecutive hours off (395.5(a))
Weekly limit	60/7 or 70/8 (395.3(b))	60/7 or 70/8 (395.5(b))
34-hour restart	Yes (395.3(c))	No equivalent
Sleeper split	7h berth + 2h, total 10 (395.1(g)(1))	Two berth periods, each 2h+, total 8 (395.1(g)(3))

The three differences that matter most

First, the on-duty limit is a different kind of clock. The property 14-hour rule is a window that runs continuously once you come on duty, so time off in the middle of your day still burns it. The passenger 15-hour rule counts only on-duty time, so a break does not shorten your driving day. Second, passenger carriers have no 34-hour restart. A freight driver can wipe the weekly slate clean with 34 hours off; a coach driver cannot, and recovers hours only through the rolling recap. Third, the sleeper-berth splits use different math: a 4/4 is legal for a passenger driver and illegal for a property driver, and a passenger split needs only 8 total hours rather than 10.

Use the right tool for the vehicle

This site covers the passenger rules. Try the 10/15-hour shift calculator, the 60/70-hour recap, and the sleeper-berth split checker, all built on 49 CFR 395.5 and 395.1(g)(3). If you are hauling freight, the property-carrier tools live at bigrigmath.com. Whichever rule set applies, remember these are advisory planning aids, not compliance records: your Electronic Logging Device is the authoritative account of your hours, so confirm every plan against it before you drive.