Driver rulesets determine how Samsara applies Hours of Service (HOS) regulations to your drivers. Because HOS rules can vary by region, state, or province, you can configure rulesets at the organization, state, or individual driver level to match where your drivers operate.
By default, US-based organizations are configured to use the USA Property (8/70) ruleset with a 34-hour restart. You can update this configuration to match the federal or intrastate rules that are applicable to your organization within the Compliance settings for your organization (Settings () > Compliance and scroll down to Driver Ruleset). See Best Practices for US Driver Rulesets for examples of different ruleset configurations.
For fleets with more complex operations, you can use State Override Driver Rulesets or assign rulesets at the individual driver level using Per-Driver Rulesets. If you are unsure which rules apply to your fleet, contact your local DOT office for guidance.
When you create or edit a US driver ruleset, you must specify the following fields:
|
Field |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Name |
A descriptive name for the ruleset. |
|
Cycle |
The HOS cycle your drivers must follow (for example, 7/60 or 8/70). |
|
Restart |
The cycle restart time period: 34, 24, or none. |
|
30-min Rest Break Required |
Whether drivers must take a 30‑minute rest break and which rule applies. By default, this is determined by the Cycle, but can be manually edited. For example, fleets using California intrastate rulesets will default to California Mealbreak (off-duty/sleeper), unless otherwise specified. The following rest break options are available:
When a rest break is required, the Samsara Driver App counts down to the required break, records violations if they occur, and resets the clock once the break is completed. |
If your fleet operates across state lines, you are considered an interstate carrier. In this case, your drivers must comply with federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. Some examples of interstate (federal) rulesets you can apply to your fleet include:
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USA Property (8/70): 8-day cycle, 70-hour on-duty limit, 11-hour driving time, 14-hour on-duty window, 10-hour rest
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USA Property (7/60): 7-day cycle, 60-hour on-duty limit (for fleets that do not operate daily)
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USA Passenger (8/70 or 7/60): For fleets transporting passengers
Note
If your drivers primarily operate within a state but occasionally travel out of state, you can use State Override Driver Rulesets instead.
If your fleet operates exclusively within a single US state, you are considered an intrastate carrier. In this case, federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules do not apply, but your drivers must comply with state-specific regulations. Some examples of intrastate rulesets you can apply to your fleet include:
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Texas Ruleset: 70-hour/7-day, 15-hour on-duty, 12-hour driving, 8-hour rest
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California Property Ruleset: 80-hour/8-day, 16-hour on-duty, 12-hour driving, 10-hour rest
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Alaska Property Ruleset: 80-hour/8-day, 20-hour on-duty, 15-hour driving, 10-hour rest
Note
If your drivers primarily operate within a state but occasionally travel out of state, you can use State Override Driver Rulesets instead.
Fleets that operate primarily within one state but occasionally cross state lines may choose to configure a State Override Driver Ruleset. This feature allows you to automatically switch drivers between intrastate and federal (interstate) rules based on vehicle GPS location. Drivers can only have one state override.
When the State Override Driver Ruleset is enabled for a driver:
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The state override applies only when the driver selects a vehicle that is physically located in the configured state.
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When the vehicle leaves the state, the driver switches to the default org ruleset (typically a federal ruleset).
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When the driver re-enters the state, the state ruleset is not immediately get re-applied. The driver remains on the org default ruleset for 7 or 8 days, depending on the cycle.
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If the driver completes a 34-hour reset while in the state, the state ruleset applies at the start of the new cycle.
When you create a State Override Driver Ruleset, you must specify the same fields as a federal or intrastate driver ruleset (Name, Cycle, Restart, and 30-min Rest Break Required). Additionally, you must specify in which US State the override applies.
Note
This feature is only available to fleets operating in the United States.
Some organizations have drivers operating under mixed HOS requirements, such as a combination of intrastate and interstate drivers, or drivers who are based in different states.
Per-driver rulesets override both the organizational default and any state override, giving you fine-grained control when compliance needs vary across your fleet. You can configure per-driver rulesets directly in a driver's profile or apply them in bulk by adding or editing drivers in bulk.
If your fleet is located in or travels through Canada, you can configure Canadian HOS rules for drivers. Canadian rulesets will only apply when a driver selects a vehicle that is in Canada.
By default, Canada-based organizations are configured to use the Canada South Cycle 1 ruleset. You can update this configuration to match the federal or provincial rules that are applicable to your organization within the Compliance settings for your organization (Settings () > Compliance and scroll down to Driver Ruleset).
Rulesets are divided into regions:
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Canada South (below latitude 60°N): British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, majority of Quebec, New Brunswick, parts of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
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Canada North (above latitude 60°N): Yukon, NW Territories, Nunavut, parts of Quebec, and parts of Newfoundland).
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Alberta: Fleets operating in Alberta can align with specific provincial requirements by using the Alberta Hours of Service ruleset. When this ruleset is enabled for a driver, it replaces federal cycle tracking and applies unique daily and shift limits defined by Alberta regulations.
You can adjust the settings for each region independently depending on the ruleset under which your organization operates.
For the Canada South and North rulesets, you can configure the following information:
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