Short Haul HOS Compliance & The ELD Mandate

If you’re running a short haul fleet you may be confused about how the Hours of Service rules and ELD Mandate affect you; let us try to clear things up.

Exemption from ELDs
If your drivers meet the short haul definition set by the FMCSA then you are not required to maintain RODS and therefore not required to log hours with an ELD.

Short Haul Driver Definition by the FMCSA
Short-haul drivers who are not subject to the 30-minute rest break provision of the new hours-of-service rules must:

  • Not exceed 11 hours of driving
  • Start/finish at the same location within 12 hours
  • Have minimum time off between shifts of 10 hours
  • Operate within, and not exceed, 100 mile radius of starting/ending location

Worried You Do Not Qualify For Exemption?
Your drivers are required to maintain a Record of Duty Status (RODS) if they are travelling outside of the 100 mile radius of their “home base” or exceeding the allotted 11 hours of driving time. Meaning that when the ELD mandate goes into effect – your drivers WILL be required to log their hours on an electronic logging device.

The ELD rule compliance deadline is December 18th, 2017.
Still unsure whether or not you’re required to use ELDs? Speak with one of our fleet consultants.

Sources:
NATSO: FMCSA Clarifies Definition of Short Haul Driver
FMCSA: Hours of Service: Electronic Logging Devices