Driver Qualification, Hours of Service, and Safety Rules
Qualification
A CDL requires the right class, endorsements, a valid medical examiner's certificate, and a clean driving record. Carry your license and medical card.
Hours of service
Property-carrying drivers: 11 hours driving, 14 consecutive on-duty hours, 30-minute break after 8 cumulative driving hours, 60/7 or 70/8 limits, and a 34-hour restart. Use an ELD.
Safety rules
Seat belt, no texting, no handheld phone, pre-trip inspection, and post-trip report. New Jersey can suspend a CDL for serious traffic or alcohol violations.
Worked example
A driver has been on duty 13 hours and driving 8.5 hours without a 30-minute break. Reasoning: the 14-hour window is not yet exceeded, but the 8-hour driving limit without a break is. The driver must take 30 minutes off duty before driving again.
Traps
Treating on-duty-not-driving as a break; forgetting the 14-hour window; assuming a restart erases violations; skipping the post-trip report.