Will Pair Sleeper Berth option Requirements

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If you intend to use the Will Pair SB (Sleeper Berth) option, be aware that you are required to comply with the regulations according to the operating zone you are in. The Will Pair Sleeper Berth allows you to indicate that you intend to split your sleeper time to utilize the split sleeper regulations in Canada and the USA. Checking this box will update your available hours calculations to use optimistic clocks and exclude qualifying off duty and sleeper berth periods from the 14 hour work shift.

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USA Split Sleeper Berth

Sleeper berth requirements allow drivers to take their required off-duty period of at least 10 hours in two separate periods, provided one off-duty period (whether in or out of the sleeper berth) is at least 2 hours long and the other involves at least 7 consecutive hours spent in the sleeper berth. It makes not difference which period is taken first, but when they are added together they must total at least 10 hours. When two qualifying periods are successfully paired, neither period will count against the 14-hour driving window.

Canada South Requirements

Single Driver: In order to count as an eligible sleeper berth period, a sleeper berth period for a single driver must meet all of the following criteria:

Sleeper berth period must be at least 2 hours

This sleeper berth period plus another sleeper berth period must total at least 10 hours

Driving time accumulated before and after the sleeper berth period cannot exceed 13 hours

No driving is allowed after 14 hours on duty has accumulated before and after the sleeper berth period

No driving is allowed after 16 hours elapsed time has accumulated before and after the sleeper berth period

If a sleeper berth period fails to meet any of these criteria, the sleeper berth period is ineligible and the driver must follow the regular off-duty requirements of the current hours of service regulations.

A driver splitting sleeper berth time is not eligible to use off-duty deferral.

Team Drivers: If a commercial motor vehicle has a sleeper berth, team drivers can split the 10 hours of daily off-duty time into sleeper berth periods. The off-duty time must meet the following requirements to qualify as eligible sleeper berth periods:

The off-duty driver must rest in the sleeper berth during off-duty times. Only time spent in the sleeper berth counts toward the sleeper berth. Any other off-duty time, such as sitting in the passenger seat does not count toward the sleeper berth period.

Each sleeper berth period must be greater than or equal to four hours to qualify:

Neither period of sleeper berth time is shorter than 4 hours.

This sleeper berth period plus another sleeper berth period must total at least 8 hours.

Driving time accumulated before and after the sleeper berth period cannot exceed 13 hours

No driving is allowed after 14 hours on duty has accumulated before and after the sleeper berth period

No driving is allowed after 16 hours elapsed time has accumulated before and after the sleeper berth period

If a driver spends more than 30 minutes but less than four hours in a sleeper berth, the time counts toward the daily off-duty requirement but does not count toward an eligible sleeper berth period. The driver must record this ineligible sleeper berth period as “off-duty time in a sleeper berth”. In addition, the driver must include this ineligible sleeper berth time as part of the elapsed time (work shift).

Team drivers splitting sleeper berth time are not eligible to use off-duty deferral.

Even though the driver has flexibility with the sleeper berth, both drivers must continue to follow the daily driving limits:

Stop driving after 13 hours of driving time in a “day.”

Stop driving after 14 hours of on-duty time in a “day.”

Switching to a Regular Work Shift

At some point, a driver or co-driver may decide to switch to a regular work shift (i.e., no sleeper berth) and regular off-duty time (i.e., no splitting of off-duty time). In these situations, the driver or co-driver must take eight consecutive hours of off-duty time to make the switch. The eight consecutive off-duty hours can be a combination of off-duty time and time spent in the sleeper berth, as long as the time is continuous.

Canada North Requirements

Splitting of Daily Off-duty Time, Single Driver May meet the mandatory 8-hour off-duty time requirement of section 39 by accumulating off duty time in no more than 2 periods if:

Neither period of off-duty time is shorter than 2 hours and the total of the 2 periods of off-duty time is at least 8 hours and spent resting in the sleeper berth.
The total of the driving time in the periods immediately before and after each of the periods of off-duty time does not exceed 15 hours;
The on-duty time in the periods immediately before and after each of the periods of off-duty time does not include any driving time after the 18th hour after the driver comes on duty, calculated in accordance with subsection (2).