What FMCSA announced
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says it completed small pre-tests for two hours-of-service pilot programs and is refining them for a broader 2027 launch. The agency plans 256 participants in the Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program and 256 in the Split Duty Period Pilot Program, for a total of 512 drivers. Participants are expected to take part for four months and may receive up to $1,600 for completing all study tasks.
Flexible sleeper-berth study
The Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program will test alternative split-sleeper arrangements. Participating drivers would be allowed to divide qualifying rest into two periods in any combination, provided the periods total at least 10 hours and one includes at least five consecutive hours in the sleeper berth. FMCSA’s pre-test ran from April 1 through June 11, 2026, with nine drivers from three carriers in Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Split duty-period study
The Split Duty Period Pilot Program will study whether a participating driver can safely pause the 14-hour driving window for as long as three hours while in a qualifying non-driving status. FMCSA says that time may include off-duty or sleeper-berth time, or on-duty—not driving—time at a pickup or delivery location. The pre-test ran from May 18 through July 17 with nine drivers from three carriers in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio.
The current rules have not changed
These are research programs, not a nationwide revision of the hours-of-service rules. A driver cannot start using a 5/5 sleeper split or pause the 14-hour window simply because FMCSA announced the pilots. Unless formally enrolled and operating under the applicable pilot authorization, drivers and carriers must continue following the current HOS regulations and valid existing exceptions.
Practical takeaway and participation
Safety departments should brief dispatchers so the announcement is not mistaken for an immediate compliance change. Preserve normal ELD and supporting-document procedures, and reject schedules that depend on an unauthorized pause or sleeper split. Professional drivers and motor carriers interested in the expanded 2027 pilots can send contact information to pilots@dot.gov, according to FMCSA. Enrollment interest does not itself authorize alternative logging. FMCSA says it will monitor shippers during the split-duty study to evaluate whether added flexibility contributes to detention or driver exploitation.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — Hours of Service Pilot Programs
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