Same two breaks, same legality, different deadline. The order question is really a deadline question.
395.1(g)(1)(iii)(A): the driving limit and 14-hour window are recalculated from the end of the first of the two periods. Whichever break you take first becomes your anchor. Once the second break also completes, neither qualifying break counts against the window at all (395.1(g)(1)(iii)(B)) — but by then the anchor has already decided your deadline.
06:00 come on duty, drive 06:00–10:00, off duty 10:00–12:00 (the 2 h). Anchor: 12:00. Drive 12:00–18:00, then berth 18:00–02:00 (the 8 h). The recalculation excludes both breaks, so your effective window runs 12:00 plus 14 hours = 02:00 next day — but on-duty time after 12:00 (6 h) comes out of it. You may drive until the window closes; the pairing is now complete and the 8 h berth does not count against it.
On duty 06:00, drive 06:00–09:00, berth 09:00–17:00 (the 8 h). Anchor: 17:00. Drive 17:00–23:00, off 23:00–01:00 (the 2 h). Window: 17:00 + 14 h = 07:00 next day, minus on-duty after 17:00. Same hours of work, same legality — but the second stint gets five more hours of window before the deadline.
| 2 first, 8 second | 8 first, 2 second | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal? | Yes — identical conditions, either order | |
| Anchor | End of the 2 h | End of the 8 h |
| Second-stint deadline | Earlier | Later |
| Best for | Morning detention: burn the 2 h at the dock | Needing a long afternoon/evening run |
Either order: driving time before and after each qualifying rest, added together, may not exceed 11 hours (395.1(g)(1)(ii)(D)). A split reworks your window, never your driving hours. If you drove 8 hours before the first break, you have 3 left for the entire rest of the calculation — plan fuel stops accordingly.
All guides · How the 14-hour window recalculates · Worked 8/2 and 7/3 examples · Chained splits: 8/2/8 · Contact
Rule basis: 49 CFR 395.1(g)(1)(ii)–(iii) via eCFR.