According to 49 CFR 395.1(e), local (short-haul) driving must meet the following conditions:
Driving may take place within a 150 air-mile radius from the home terminal, which equals 172.6 road miles.
The driver must return to the home terminal every day.
The driver must be released from all work duties within 14 hours after coming on duty following the required off-duty break. In other words, the total workday may not exceed 14 hours.
10 consecutive hours off duty are required as a daily rest period.
70 hours in 8 days or 60 hours in 7 days is the maximum on-duty time during which driving is allowed. Once this limit is reached, the driver may not drive but may perform other non-driving work duties.
A 34-hour reset is required once the driver reaches the 70/8 or 60/7 limit in order to resume driving.
A local (short-haul) driver is exempt from keeping a logbook, and the company is exempt from storing additional documents confirming the driver’s location or activities, such as:
fuel receipts,
bills of lading (BOL),
toll receipts,
scale tickets, etc.
And here comes a BIG BUT!
If a local driver:
does not return to the home terminal within 14 hours, or
operates outside the allowed short-haul radius,
then all of the above exemptions no longer apply. In that case, the driver must comply with all requirements applicable to OTR drivers, including full hours-of-service documentation.
Dear local drivers:
Keep your receipts,
carry a logbook with you, and
remember that if you switch to logbook operation, you must be able to document the previous 7 consecutive days of on-duty status.
In general, a local driver is not required to carry logbooks, time cards, or timesheets. However, best practice is to have a timesheet or another form that shows the driver’s reported working hours.
Reporting working time for local drivers is required by law, so it is a good idea to carry a document that records your hours and can be presented during a roadside inspection if requested.
Local drivers may also report their working hours electronically.
All time spent at work by a local driver — whether driving or performing other duties — counts as ON DUTY time.
11 hours – maximum driving time
14 hours – maximum driving window
After this time expires, you may not drive, but you may still perform other on-duty, not driving tasks.
10 hours – required daily off-duty rest
30-minute break – required break from driving
Must be taken no later than after 8 hours of driving time (only Driving time counts).
70 hours / 8 days or 60 hours / 7 days – maximum on-duty time allowed for driving
Once this limit is reached, you may not drive but may perform other work-related duties.
34-hour reset – required break to restart the 70/8 or 60/7 clock once the limit is reached.
Minimum 2 hours SB or OFF DUTY + minimum 7 hours SB = total of 10 hours
At least 7 consecutive hours must be spent in the Sleeper Berth
The combined total of both breaks must be at least 10 hours
Example:
7 hours 40 minutes SB + 2 hours 20 minutes OFF DUTY
Important:
Each of these breaks STOPS the 14-hour clock, but does NOT reset it.
Pause, not reset!
In the example shown, the driver would have had a violation at 9:11 PM if the split sleeper had not been used. That is when the original 14-hour driving window would have expired.
(Time is counted as ON DUTY)
Yard Move allows you to preserve your available driving time when operating a vehicle on private property not open to public traffic.
This may include a terminal yard, port, or company parking lot.
Can you use Yard Move at a truck stop?
See the FAQ — in most cases no, because truck stops are generally considered public access areas.
(Time is counted as OFF DUTY)
Regulations allow the use of Personal Conveyance only in specific situations:
Personal use of the truck (shopping, hotel, meals, etc.)
You may NOT use PC if you are driving toward:
a shipper or receiver
your company’s terminal
There is no restriction on whether you are bobtail, pulling a trailer, or carrying a load.
Movement at the request of a law enforcement officer while on a break
Leaving a shipper or receiver to reach the nearest safe parking location in order to take a required break
Travel between home and the terminal, and back
ADC allows an extension of:
Driving time by up to 2 additional hours (from 11 to 13 hours), and
The 14-hour driving window up to 16 hours
This exception may be used only when unexpected conditions occur, such as:
severe weather (hail, ice, snowstorm, fog, etc.)
unexpected road conditions (road closure due to an accident, emergency detours, etc.)
These conditions must be:
unforeseen, and
the cause of a delay in reaching your destination
Documentation is critical
The situation must be clearly described in the logbook and supported when possible (photos, news articles, official reports, etc.).
* Your company may impose stricter limits on these exceptions, for example:
allowing Personal Conveyance (PC) for personal use only without a trailer, or
prohibiting the use of PC entirely.
Paperwork:
For vehicles model year 2000 and newer, electronic logbooks (ELDs) are required.
Paper logbooks may be used for a maximum of 8 days within any 30-day period.
For every logbook entry, you must have supporting documents (which the company is required to keep for 6 months). These documents support the Remarks section and include:
fuel receipts
toll receipts
scale tickets
Bills of Lading (BOLs), manifests, etc.
Each logbook entry should include:
the BOL number, manifest number, or other shipping document number; or
if no document number is available, the shipper’s name and the type of cargo (commodity).
Keeping accurate logs and matching supporting documents is critical during audits and roadside inspections.
The ON DUTY status can be activated:
Automatically — when you stop after driving (DRIVING status), or
Manually — when you turn it on yourself.
ON DUTY represents any activity performed in connection with your job, especially:
Loading/Unloading – check-in/check-out, positioning the trailer, counting cargo, assisting with loading/unloading, securing the load, reporting and completing paperwork, taking photos of the cargo, handling BOLs, opening/closing doors, and waiting time when you cannot take care of personal matters or rest.
Refueling – time spent at the fuel island, including fueling, cleaning windows, checking lights, tires, etc.
Pre-Trip/On-Trip Inspection (PTI) – all tasks related to checking the vehicle and cargo condition, including mandatory stops in the mountains to inspect brakes. Activate ON DUTY while performing these tasks.
Repairs you perform yourself – changing bulbs or fuses, tightening loose parts, inflating tires, etc.
Cleaning – sweeping, washing the truck or trailer.
Roadside inspections – always switch to ON DUTY if you are stopped for a traffic or DOT inspection.
Time spent resting or taking a break from work, including:
At home – days off from work.
Resting outside the vehicle – e.g., at a hotel, home, etc.
Waiting time when you know the duration – and can use this time to rest or handle personal matters: relaxing, eating, walking, etc.
Work breaks – time spent at a rest area, truck stop, or similar location where you can take a break.
Time spent resting in the vehicle’s sleeper berth, including:
Nap – use this status when you go to the sleeper to take a short nap, e.g., during a travel break.
Sleep – when you are on the road and not using a hotel, always activate this status for your daily rest period.
Split Sleeper Berth – remember that the longer of the two rest periods (at least 7 hours) must be spent in the sleeper.
Team driving (two drivers) – the driver not operating the vehicle must spend at least 7 hours in the sleeper and no more than 3 hours sitting in the passenger seat with OFF DUTY status.
DRIVING represents all time spent operating the vehicle.
