What is the 10 hours off-duty rule?

The hours-of-service regulations created by the FMCSA include a 10 hours off-duty rule. The 10 hours off-duty rule maintains that commercial drivers who operate property-carrying vehicles are required to have 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time per day. 

For drivers who operate passenger-carrying vehicles, the hours-of-service regulations are slightly different, and the 10 hours off-duty rule doesn’t apply to them. Passenger-carrying drivers may drive a maximum of 10 hours per day following eight consecutive hours off duty.