A work shift is the period of time that a driver is “on the job.” The work shift begins when a driver performs any activity for a motor carrier and ends when the driver stops for an extended period of rest referred to as a “core rest period” or “core off-duty time".
Every work shift is anchored on either end with a core rest period (i.e., one immediately before and one immediately after the work shift).
The start of the day is not necessarily the same as the start of the work shift.
The motor carrier sets the hour at which the day begins (i.e., midnight). The work shift starts when the driver performs any activity for the motor carrier (i.e., 2:00) after having 8 consecutive hours off-duty.
The end of the day is not the same as the end of the work shift.
The end of the day is 24 hours after the start of the day. A work shift ends when the driver begins to take at least 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time (i.e., 16:00).
The work shift includes both on duty and off duty activities. During the work shift, the driver performs on-duty activities such as driving and loading the vehicle, as well as off-duty activities such as meal and rest breaks.
Can a work shift span more than one “day”?
A work shift can span more than one “day” however, all daily limits still apply each day where relevant in the applied rule set.
Ref: Alberta Motor Transport Association, Alberta Reference Guide for Hours of Service Training Development, June 23, 2008.