Seven rules covering the four categories of Overdrives — Off-Duty, Timed, Mileage, and Rule #1 — plus the claim logic and co-driver operations that tie them together.
Aligned with the Overdrive Rules Training Manual v1.0
Rule #1: no Number 2. Yes, it's a joke. It's also a real, named category in the Overdrive system. If solids enter the toilet system, it can clog. The driver may have to disable it or service it. Result: 1 Overdrive claimed — separate from miles, time, or rest.
A driver should receive 10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty begins the moment the driver has the hotel room key in hand. It ends at call time. Anything less than 10 hours equals one Off-Duty Overdrive. Example: Hotel key at 11:00 PM, call time at 7:00 AM. DOT: legal. Overdrive: one Off-Duty Overdrive — only 8 hours off were received. Once the off-duty clock starts, it does not pause for bus work. Sweeping the bus, popping the hood, checking an engine issue — all on-duty time. Log it.
The driver's day begins the first moment they go on duty or first start driving. The day runs on a continuous 15-hour clock. The clock does not pause for off-duty periods inside the day. Tiers: 10 hours = 1 Timed Overdrive 12 hours = 2 13 hours = 3 14 hours = 4 15 hours = 5 Hard ceilings: no driving past 10 driving hours, no on-duty activity past 15 hours.
Three tiers: 450 miles = 1 Overdrive 600 miles = 2 Overdrives 700 miles = 3 Overdrives The 700-mile tier is typically only in play out west, where speed limits allow that kind of ground to be covered safely inside a legal day. Crossing midnight does not automatically split mileage. The midnight log grid only becomes relevant when a single trip is broken into multiple driving segments — see Rule 7.
Mileage and Timed Overdrives do not automatically stack. Example: 603 miles AND 10 hours on duty. Mileage claim is 2. Timed claim is 1. The driver claims 2 — the higher claim wins. Additional Timed claims can still be earned past 10 hours, at 12 / 13 / 14 / 15. Those add on top of whichever claim is already in play. Overdrives are not penalties. They are claims — the units the system uses to track when a driver has crossed into a higher level of effort or reduced rest.
Co-drivers are typically assigned on runs of 600 miles or more. The primary purpose of a co-driver is to drive the miles the main driver cannot. Example: 800-mile trip. Main driver covers 600. Co-driver covers 200. If the main driver is near the DOT 70-hour clock, the co-driver may take most of the trip to preserve the main driver's available hours. Tour managers may prefer a 50/50 split. Operational reality often calls for a different one. If a company directs a specific split, company policy governs.
Crossing midnight does not automatically split mileage. The midnight-to-midnight log grid only becomes relevant when a single trip is split into multiple driving segments. Example: Driver starts at 2:00 AM, drives 225 miles, takes 10 hours off duty, then drives another 225. If both drives occur on the same log page, the miles accumulate together — 450 total. That's a Mileage Overdrive. This is the rule that closes the split-trip workaround. A driver can't be parked short of a threshold mid-trip and then "reset" to dodge the overdrive.