FMCSA Recruiting Drivers to Test New Hours-of-Service Flexibility Pilots
FMCSA is looking for 18 drivers to help pre-test two new hours-of-service options — a Flexible Sleeper Berth split and a Split Duty Period — that could eventually give drivers more control over when they rest.
FMCSA announced on March 2, 2026 that it is recruiting 18 drivers for limited, six-week test runs supporting two upcoming hours-of-service pilot programs: the Flexible Sleeper Berth (FSB) program and the Split Duty Period (SDP) program. The pilots are part of the Department of Transportation's "Pro-Trucker Package," a response to Executive Order 14286 aimed at giving drivers more say over how they structure their on-duty and rest time.
For the split sleeper berth portion of the test, FMCSA is specifically seeking nine drivers who already use the existing "8/2" or "7/3" split sleeper berth options and are willing to try the newer "6/4" and "5/5" splits for six weeks. FMCSA is partnering with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to design the studies and collect the data, and participating drivers will be compensated for their time.
These are pre-tests of the study design itself, not the full pilot programs — but they're the step that determines whether FSB and SDP move forward to a larger trial, and eventually, to a possible permanent change in how hours-of-service rules let drivers split their rest. Fleets that run tight sleeper-berth schedules today are worth watching this space, since either pilot succeeding could reshape what "compliant" scheduling looks like.