The questions drivers post at 2 AM from a truck stop, answered the way a safety manager would if safety managers posted on forums.
Because one break is half a split. Nothing is excluded until the second qualifying period completes; only then does the ELD pair them and recalculate. Plan both breaks before you start the first.
Yes — the short break may be off duty, in the berth, or a combination, wherever you are. The strict part is the other side: the long break needs 7+ consecutive hours logged as sleeper berth. Motel off-duty time does not satisfy that, no matter how long the mattress.
Then it isn't a 7-consecutive-hour berth period anymore, the pairing fails, and both breaks count back into your 14-hour window at inspection. If you must do paperwork mid-rest, do it after the berth period ends, or make the stretch 7.5 so a hiccup still clears 7.0.
Yes. Splits don't waive 395.3(a)(3)(ii). Practical answer: your split breaks each exceed 30 minutes of non-driving, so the first one occurring after 8 cumulative driving hours since your last interruption satisfies it. Confirm how your ELD books the interaction.
Either he's in the FMCSA pilot testing 6/4 and 5/5, or he's writing his own violation. Outside the pilot: one period, 7 consecutive berth hours, no exceptions.
Not for legality. Completely for your deadline: the recalculated window anchors to the end of the first break taken. Short-break-first and long-break-first days land on different deadlines from the same inputs.
Working as designed. A split recovers window, never driving hours. If you've used all 11, the next move is a full 10-hour reset — and the split you just ran doesn't count toward it unless the two breaks together still total 10 consecutively-eligible hours with a fresh pairing.