Hours-of-service (HOS) rules can be complicated! As new rules are constantly being added and old rules are changed, keeping up-to-date on which rules apply to you can be a full-time job! We recently hosted a webinar to help you better understand the rules and how they impact your impact the day-to-day operations.
Webinar Recap – Watch Now!
Click the image below to access a recording of our How Much Do You Know About Hours-of-Service (HOS)? webinar that was held on November 8, 2016:
Questions & Answers
Q. Does BigRoad support the 14-hour rule for Texas? How does that work?
A. The BigRoad Mobile App supports a number of exceptions to HOS regulations including the Texas intrastate exemption. To make an exception available to your fleet, log-in to the BigRoad Web App, click the Fleet tab, then click Edit. From here, check off the exception you’d like to use and you’re all set!
Q. How in-depth do my log notes need to be?
A. There are no set rules around how in-depth your notes need to be. Note details are another gray area. It’s really up to the discretion of the inspecting officer – what might be good enough for one officer may not be enough for another. Try to be clear, concise, and as detailed as possible without writing a novel. Writing too much can be just as bad as not writing enough!
Q. Can I print/email multiple logs using the BigRoad Mobile App?
A. You can definitely print and email your logs when using BigRoad’s solutions. You can do this a few different ways:
- From the BigRoad Mobile App daily logs page
On the BigRoad Mobile App home screen click the Daily Logs button, click Edit Logs at the bottom of the page, navigate to the log you’d like, then click the Email/Print link. - From the BigRoad Mobile App inspect logs page
On the BigRoad Mobile App home screen, click the Daily Logs button, click Inspect Logs at the bottom of the page, then select how many days you’d like to email/print. Note: You can choose 7 days plus today (US requirements for an inspection) or 14 days plus today (Canadian requirement for an inspection). - From the BigRoad Web App
Visit the BigRoad Web App and log in using your username and password. Navigate to a Driver’s Daily Log and click the Print Logs button. Here you can enter the date range that you’d like to email/print.
Q. How do you handle a driver that is mostly local (under 100-miles) but also does longer (100+ mile trips)?
A. This type of driver would follow the short-haul exemption for the local (under 100-miles) trips as long as they: start and return to the same location within 12-hours of duty time, drive no more than 11-hours, have 10-consecutive hours off between shifts, maintain their time clock, and don’t exceed the 100-mile radius. They do not need to keep a logbook.
When the driver exceeds their 12-hours of duty time or travels beyond the 100-mile radius of home base, they’re required to keep a logbook. In this situation, we recommend having this driver keep logs for all of their trips (short and long). This provides the driver with a paper trail to show their driving and prove that they ran in compliance with the short-haul exemption.
Q. Do you have more information on two-driver motorcoach situations and how it relates to hours-of-service?
A. Hours-of-service regulations for passenger-carriers are different than those for property-carriers. To maintain compliance as a passenger-carrier you need to follow three limits: the 15-hour on-duty limit, the 10-hour driving limit, and the 60/70-hour duty limit. If your motorcoach has a sleeper berth, you are able to accumulate 8-consecutive hours off-duty by taking two periods of rest in the sleeper berth provided you meet the requirements of CFR 395.1 (g)(3).
When team driving, you need to keep track of your on-duty time which includes any time you have worked or are required to work for the carrier. This includes all other time in the motorcoach unless you’re resting. Here is a document from the FMCSA that goes into detail about hours-of-service regulations for motorcoach drivers.
Q. What about hours-of-service when crossing from Canada into the United States?
A. The biggest thing to stress here is that you need to pre-plan your border crossing to ensure you are running in compliance. Canada and the U.S. have very different regulations for hours-of-service. You are required to comply with U.S. hours-of-service regulations the moment you cross from Canada into the U.S. For example, if you’ve driven 12-hours in Canada and cross over into the U.S., you’ve immediately exceeded the American 11-hour maximum drive time which puts you in violation.
Q. Can I get more information on the new electronic onboard recording device?
A. Absolutely! This would be our DashLink ELD which is an electronic logging device. For more information, visit our DashLink ELD page.
Q. Is Alaska exempt from the 30-minute break rule?
A. When driving in Alaska (interstate) you are eligible to use the Alaska interstate exemption which is CFR 395.1 (h).
Q. Is it still legal to run on the eighth/ninth day if you have hours to pick up at Midnight? Has this rolling eight days been changed?
A. Depending on your carrier, you need to follow either the 60-hour 7-day or 70-hour 8-day “rolling” rule period. The oldest day’s hours drop off at the end of each day when you calculate the total on-duty time for the past 7 or 8 days. For example, if you’re running the 60-hour 7-day rule, your time on day 1 at the end of the 7th day would drop off. As long as you’re under your total on-duty time (60-hours) you’re fine.
Q. What is your take on the “leasing” issue for ELD? Do you have a mobile device in the works?
A. This might be one our favorite things about the DashLink ELD – it’s plug-and-play! The device is completely portable and can be moved between multiple drivers and vehicles. Nothing is hardwired into the truck. The hardware plugs into the ECU and information is sent to your mobile device (cell phone or tablet) that runs the BigRoad Mobile App. It’s a great solution for the leasing issue.
Q. Do you know when BigRoad will be registering with the DOT as an ELD?
A. To clarify, no electronic logging devices (ELDs) are being registered or endorsed by the Department of Transportation (although a number of companies are claiming that they are). The FMCSA has a self-certification list where companies can say that they are compliant with the guidelines. If you take a look at this list, you’ll notice the majority of big players are not on it and there are a number of reasons for this. The biggest reason being that the FMCSA has not released the programs required for vendors to test to ensure their products are able to communicate with the FMCSA. We’ve covered this topic in detail on our Why Aren’t More ELDs Registered blog.
Q. What is the rules for the 30-minute break? Is it 30-minutes off no matter what? Or is it no driving until the 30-minutes are taken?
A. Drivers are required to take a 30-minute (consecutive) break after driving for 8-hours. However, you don’t need to take a break after 8-hours if you’re not driving and the rule does not restrict you from doing other (non-driving) activities. If you want to start driving again, after doing some non-driving tasks, you would need to take your 30-minute break or you’ll be in violation.
Q. Are you required to continue daily logs when off-duty for a month or two at a time?
A. If you’re taking time off from driving your CMV, you do not need to keep daily logs. You only need to keep daily logs if you’re driving your CMV and driving enough to warrant having to keep them (not using the short-haul exemption).
How BigRoad Can Help
Get your fleet on the path to compliance with our DashLink ELD – the easiest and most affordable ELD compliance solution available! Request a demo to see DashLink in action today!
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