Oilfield hours of service exemption.

Two rules under one heading

People searching for the oilfield exemption usually mean one of two paragraphs in 49 CFR 395.1(d), headed "Oilfield operations." They apply to different drivers and do different things. Paragraph (d)(1) concerns the 8-day cycle. Paragraph (d)(2) concerns waiting time. Neither is a blanket exemption from hours of service.

(d)(1): the 8-day period

The text: "In the instance of drivers of commercial motor vehicles used exclusively in the transportation of oilfield equipment, including the stringing and picking up of pipe used in pipelines, and servicing of the field operations of the natural gas and oil industry, any period of 8 consecutive days may end with the beginning of any off-duty period of 24 or more successive hours."

Compare that with the general weekly limit in 395.3(b): no driving after 60 hours on duty in any period of 7 consecutive days if the carrier does not operate every day of the week, or 70 hours in any period of 8 consecutive days if it does. Under 395.3(c) a 7 or 8 day period may end with the beginning of an off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours. Under (d)(1) the 8-consecutive-day period for these oilfield drivers can be ended by a shorter off-duty period of 24 hours. The word "exclusively" is part of the condition: a vehicle that does other hauling is outside it. The checker takes the length of the following off-duty period and tells you whether it is 24 successive hours or more.

(d)(2): waiting time at a well site

The text: "In the case of specially trained drivers of commercial motor vehicles that are specially constructed to service oil wells, on-duty time shall not include waiting time at a natural gas or oil well site. Such waiting time shall be recorded as 'off duty' for purposes of § 395.8, with remarks or annotations to indicate the specific off-duty periods that are waiting time, or on a separate 'waiting time' line on the record of duty status to show that off-duty time is also waiting time. Waiting time shall not be included in calculating the 14-hour period in § 395.3(a)(2). Specially trained drivers of such commercial motor vehicles are not eligible to use the provisions of paragraph (e)(1) of this section."

Three consequences follow from that wording. The waiting hours come out of on-duty time. They are logged as off duty, but marked so an inspector can see they are waiting time. And they do not run the 14-hour clock. The final sentence matters too: this group cannot use the 150 air-mile short-haul exemption in (e)(1).

Worked example

A specially trained driver of a well-servicing truck is on duty 13 hours as the day would otherwise be logged, 3 of them waiting at a well site. Under (d)(2), 3 hours are logged as off duty with a remark that they are waiting time, 10 hours remain as on-duty time, and the 3 hours do not count in the 14-hour window. A driver of an ordinary flatbed hauling pipe is not in this group, so the same 3 hours at a site count as on duty under the rule as written. Separately, a driver in the (d)(1) group who finishes a cycle and takes 24 hours off can begin a new 8-day period at the start of that rest, where the general restart in 395.3(c) needs 34.

Limits of this page

Whether a vehicle is "specially constructed to service oil wells," whether a driver is "specially trained," and whether a vehicle is used "exclusively" for oilfield equipment are facts the rule does not define in 395.1(d). The checker takes your answers as given. It does not apply the 11-hour driving limit or state rules, and it does not decide how a roadside inspector will classify your truck. This is the rule text as read on November 2, 2026.

Sources

• eCFR: 49 CFR 395.1, paragraph (d), oilfield operations (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 395.3, maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 395.8, driver's record of duty status (current through October 29, 2026) (read November 2, 2026)