Passenger-Carrier Sleeper-Berth Split Checker

Enter your two rest periods and see whether they form a valid passenger sleeper-berth split under 49 CFR 395.1(g)(3): both periods in the sleeper berth, each at least 2 hours, together totalling at least 8 hours.

Quick start:

How the passenger sleeper-berth split works

A sleeper-berth split lets you break your required rest into two pieces instead of taking it all at once, which is useful on a long charter or a relief run. Passenger-carrying drivers have their own split rule under 49 CFR 395.1(g)(3), and it is not the same as the property-carrier split most hours-of-service guides describe. This checker enforces the passenger version.

What a passenger split requires

Under 49 CFR 395.1(g)(3), a driver of a passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicle equipped with a sleeper berth may accumulate the equivalent of 8 hours off duty by taking two periods of rest in the sleeper berth, provided neither period is shorter than 2 hours. So both halves must be sleeper-berth time, each at least 2 hours, and together they must add up to at least 8 hours. Common valid pairings are 6/2, 5/3, and 4/4.

How it differs from the property split

The property-carrier split in 49 CFR 395.1(g)(1) is stricter in a different way: it requires one period of at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, the other of at least 2 hours, totalling at least 10. That is why a 4/4 is not a legal split for a freight driver but is perfectly valid for a passenger driver. If you have driven both kinds of vehicle, do not carry the 7-hour habit over. The passenger rule has no 7-hour long-half requirement; it only asks for two berth periods, each 2 hours or more, totalling 8.

Why the 2-hour floor matters

Neither period may be shorter than 2 hours. A 7/1 combination fails, even though it totals 8, because the 1-hour period is under the floor. The checker flags that directly. It also flags a pairing that falls short of 8 hours, like 5/2, and a pairing where one of the periods was off duty rather than in the sleeper berth, because off-duty time cannot serve as a half of a passenger split.

A plan, not a logbook

This checker is a planning aid, not a compliance record. It confirms the arithmetic of a split; it does not know your real logs, the driving and on-duty time around each rest period, or any exception that might apply to you. Your Electronic Logging Device is the authoritative record of your duty status. Confirm any split against your ELD before you rely on it.

Worked split examples

6/2 in the sleeper berth: valid (both >= 2 h, total 8 h) Valid passenger split: 6/2 (total 8 h in the sleeper berth).
4/4 in the sleeper berth: valid (no 7-hour long-half rule for passenger) Valid passenger split: 4/4 (total 8 h in the sleeper berth).
5/2 in the sleeper berth: invalid (only 7 h total, needs 8) The two periods must total at least 8 hours; 5 + 2 is only 7 (49 CFR 395.1(g)(3)).
7/1 in the sleeper berth: invalid (a 1-hour period is under the 2-hour minimum) Each period must be at least 2 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth; the shorter period here is 1 hours (49 CFR 395.1(g)(3)).
4h off duty + 4h sleeper: invalid (only one sleeper-berth period) A passenger split needs two separate sleeper-berth periods; a single period (or an off-duty period) does not qualify (49 CFR 395.1(g)(3)).

Frequently asked questions

How are the passenger-carrier rules different from the property rules?: Passenger-carrying drivers (bus, motorcoach, charter) run on 49 CFR 395.5, not the 49 CFR 395.3 rules that cover freight. The numbers differ: 10 hours of driving instead of 11, a 15-hour on-duty limit instead of a 14-hour window, a reset of 8 consecutive hours off duty instead of 10, no 30-minute break requirement, and no 34-hour restart. The sleeper-berth split is also different. Every tool here uses the 395.5 numbers.
Is the 15-hour limit a window like the property 14-hour rule?: No, and this trips up a lot of drivers who cross over from freight. Under 49 CFR 395.5(a)(2) you may not drive after being ON DUTY 15 hours. It is an accumulated on-duty total, not a clock that runs continuously from the moment you come on duty. Off-duty and sleeper-berth time do NOT count against it, so a mid-shift break does not burn your 15 hours the way it would burn the property 14-hour window. The shift calculator shows this directly.
Do passenger carriers get a 30-minute break?: There is no 30-minute break requirement for passenger carriers. The break in 49 CFR 395.3(a)(3)(ii) applies to property-carrying drivers only. Our shift calculator tracks no break clock for that reason. You still cannot drive past the 10-hour driving limit or the 15-hour on-duty limit.
Can I take a 34-hour restart to reset my 60 or 70 hours?: No. The 34-hour restart in 49 CFR 395.3(c) is a property-carrier provision, and 395.5 has no equivalent for passenger carriers. Your only way to get 60/70-hour on-duty hours back is the rolling recap: as each day drops out of the 7- or 8-day window at midnight, the hours you logged that day become available again. The recap calculator projects that day by day.
How does the passenger sleeper-berth split work?: Under 49 CFR 395.1(g)(3), a passenger-carrying driver may accumulate the equivalent of 8 hours off duty by taking two separate periods in the sleeper berth, provided neither period is shorter than 2 hours. So 6/2, 5/3, and 4/4 are valid. This is different arithmetic from the property split, which needs one period of at least 7 consecutive sleeper-berth hours and a total of at least 10. The split checker enforces the passenger numbers.
Do these tools keep me legal?: No. They are advisory planning aids, not compliance records. Your Electronic Logging Device and your carrier's records are the authoritative account of your hours. The tools do not know your real logs or any exception that may apply to you, and they assume the hours you enter are accurate. Always confirm against your ELD before you drive.