Today, we’re going to talk about Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) driver logs. If you drive a commercial motor vehicle between states, federal law requires you to keep a daily log of your duty status. In order to comply with the requirements of the law, you need to know how to prepare a daily log correctly.

Session Objectives

The main objective of this session is to provide you with the information you need to complete the daily driver’s log fully and correctly. By the time the session is over, you should be able to:

• Identify record of duty status requirements;
• Complete the daily log correctly;
• Log changes of duty status accurately on the grid; and
• Retain and submit logs in a timely manner.

Prequiz: Show What You Know

Before we start talking about driver log requirements, let’s see how much you already know about this topic. Decide if each of the statements on the screen is true or false. Here are the answers.

• Driver logs may be filled out at the end of each week.
• Logs must be turned in to the carrier at the end of each shift.
• Pre- and post-trip inspections should be logged as “ND,” not driving.
• Each daily log covers a 12-hour period—6 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. How did you do? Did you get them all right? During this session, we’ll talk about these issues and lots more.

Hours of Service Rule

One of the key factors in many commercial motor vehicle accidents is fatigue. Tired drivers are not safe drivers. So, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, developed a set of regulations called the Hours-of-Service Rule to limit the number of hours CMV drivers can spend behind the wheel without a rest period.

• The Hours-of-Service Rule, or HOS, applies to all drivers of either property-carrying or passenger-carrying CMVs involved in interstate travel. If you drive exclusively within one state, the federal rules don’t apply to you. But most states have hours of service rules that are similar or identical to the federal rule. So basically, all CMV drivers are covered by some hours-of-service rule.

Record of Duty Status

The particular part of the Hours-of-Service Rule we’re going to be looking at today is Section 395.8, the Record of Duty Status provision. With two exceptions that we’ll talk about later, all CMV drivers involved in interstate travel must keep a record of duty status. You probably know this as the daily log.

• The purpose of the daily log requirement is to make sure you are complying with the regulations and that you aren’t driving more than you are allowed to drive each day.
• To provide evidence of compliance, FMCSA requires you to keep a record of your duty status for each 24-hour period, including days off.
• You, personally, must fill out this log every day; and
• Keep it in your vehicle, available for inspection before finally turning it in to your carrier.

Duty Status

Duty status must be recorded on the daily log as:

• “OFF,” which means you are off duty;
• “SB,” which means you’re in a sleeper berth;
• “D,” which means you’re driving; or
• “ON,” which means you’re on duty but not driving—for example, while supervising loading of your vehicle or conducting a vehicle safety inspection.

Other Required Information

7 Here’s some other information that you must include in your daily log:

• The date and start time of your shift;
• Total miles driven that day;
• Total hours worked;
• The ID number of the CMV you’re driving;
• Numbers on shipping documents or the name of the shipper or type of cargo;
• The name of the carrier you’re driving for and its main office address; and
• Your signature, certifying that the information in the log is correct.

If you have a co-driver, the co-driver’s name and signature must also be included on the log. Think about all the information that you must include in your daily log.

The Grid

• The real core of the daily log is the grid. The grid is divided into15- minute increments, with midnight, noon, and each hour labeled.
• You must note each change of duty status on the grid. We’ll review an example of how to do that in the next slide.
• You must also note the name of the town and state for each change of duty status. If you’re not actually in a town, you can note the highway number and name of the nearest town, service plaza, mile post, or intersecting roads.
• Pre- and post-trip inspections must also be noted on the grid as on duty, not driving.
• Finally, the total hours for all four duty status categories must add up to 24.

Completing the grid accurately is essential. Make sure you know how to log changes of duty status properly on the grid.

Grid Example

Now let’s look at an example of a grid that has been filled out.

• In this example, the driver begins his shift at Point A at 7 a.m. Between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. the driver conducts a pre-trip inspection and helps load the vehicle.
• At 7:30 a.m. he begins driving.
• At 8:30 a.m. he is stopped for an inspection.
• He continues driving at 9 a.m., crosses the state line at 9:30 a.m., and arrives at his first destination, Point B, at 10 a.m.
• He helps unload the cargo, completes paperwork, and by 11a.m. is on his way to his next destination, Point C.
• The driver stops for lunch at 11:30 a.m. He starts driving again at noon and arrives at point C at 1:15 p.m.
• He helps unload the cargo, completes paperwork, and begins his trip back to Point A by 1:45 p.m.
• He arrives back at Point A at 5 p.m., conducts a post-trip inspection, completes his daily log.
• He goes off duty at 6 p.m.

Four Essentials of Proper Logs

The FMCSA regulations require you to make sure when filling out your daily log that it is “ACES.” That is: • Accurate;

• Complete;
• Easy to read; and
• Strictly current.

This means that every piece of information you put in the log must be accurate—no guesses, no mistakes. The log must be completely filled out with all the required information, dates, names, and signatures. Your log must be neat and clearly written so that the person processing it can read all of it. Lines on the grid should be neatly drawn and labeled. And finally, you must keep the grid strictly current, logging each change of duty status as it occurs. Don’t wait until the end of the shift to fill out your grid.

Remember, if you are stopped for an inspection, the inspector will make sure your odometer matches your logbook, so it’s important to be correct.

Submitting Logs

• You must keep your daily logs in your vehicle for the previous 7 consecutive days. Any time your vehicle is inspected, the inspector will ask to see your logs.
• Be sure to look your logs over carefully before sending them in to make sure they are complete, signed, and dated.
• After the 7-day period is over, you must send or deliver your logs to your carrier. The latest logs must be mailed within 13 days of completion.

Do you know and follow the procedure for submitting driver logs in a timely manner? You should.

Driver Status Notations: Make a Match

Before we continue, let’s take a couple of minutes to complete this matching quiz about driver status notations. As we said, changes of duty status must be accurately noted on the daily log. In the column on the left side of the screen, you see the notations required by the Hours-of-Service Rule. In the column on the right are items that match those notations. Try to match the notations in the left column with the actions in the right column.

How did you do? Did you get all the matches right?

Daily Logs Review

Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand the information about CMV driver logs presented so far. For example, do you understand what we’ve said about:

• The federal Hours of Service Rule?
• Record of duty status requirements?
• How to record duty status?
• The information you’re required to include in your daily log?
• How to fill out the change of duty status grid?
• When to submit daily logs to your carrier?

You need to know all this information in order to comply with the Hours-of-Service Rule and complete your daily logs properly. Let’s continue now to the next slide and talk about logging options.

Logging Options

The Hours-of-Service Rule allows CMV drivers and carriers to choose from among three logging options. • You can use individual forms for each 24-hour period;

• You can use a multi-day log for a whole week’s work; or
• You can use an automatic onboard recording device.

Automatic Onboard Recording Device

• Automatic onboard recording device is defined by the Hours-of-Service Rule as an electric, electronic, electromagnetic, or mechanical device capable of recording your duty status information accurately and automatically. The device must be synchronized with the operation of your vehicle and record engine use, road speed, miles driven, date, and time of day.
• The device must be able to produce, on demand, your hours-of-service chart, electronic display, or printout showing the time and sequence of duty status changes, including your starting time and quitting time.
• As we said earlier, you must have in your possession records of duty status for previous 7 consecutive days available for inspection while on duty. These records must consist of the information stored in and retrievable from the onboard recording device, printouts, or a combination of the two.
• Hard copies of logs must be signed.

If you use an automatic onboard recording device, think about the procedures you must follow to log changes of duty status and submit logs.

Onboard Device System Failures

In the event of a failure of an onboard device, FMCSA requires you to follow this procedure.

• You have to make a written note of the failure of the automatic onboard recording device, giving the date and time of the failure.
• Then you have to reconstruct your record of duty status for the current day, as well as any of the past 7 days for which no record now exists.
• And finally, you must prepare handwritten records of all subsequent duty status until the device is operational again.

Think about the steps you must take in the event of an onboard device system failure.

Multiple CMVs/Carriers and Leased Vehicles

• If you drive more than one CMV during a 24-hour period, you have to include the ID number assigned by the carrier or the license number and licensing state for each CMV you operate on your daily log.
• If you work for more than one carrier during a 24-hour period, the beginning and finishing time, showing a.m. or p.m., worked for each motor carrier must be shown after each motor carrier’s name on the log.
• If you’re driving a leased CMV you have to show the name of the motor carrier you’re working for as well as ID information for the leased vehicle.

Short-Haul Exemptions

• If you’re a property-carrying or passenger-carrying CMV driver who operates within a 100-air-mile radius of your normal reporting location, you do not have to keep a record of duty status log under the federal Hours of Service Rule.
• If you’re a non-CMV property-carrying driver who operates within a 150-air-mile radius of your normal reporting location and you return to that location at the end of each shift, you don’t have to keep a daily log under the federal rule either.

By the way, 100 air miles is equal to 115 driving miles and 150 air miles is equal to about 172 driving miles.

One further note. Even though you aren’t required to keep a record of duty status, your employer is required to record:

– The time you report for duty each day;

– Your total hours on duty each day;

– The time you’re released from duty each day; and

– The total time on duty for the preceding 7 days if you’re driving for the carrier for the first time or only drive for it intermittently.

Daily Logs: Multiple Choice

Let’s take a couple of minutes now for this multiple-choice quiz about some of the information we’ve just discussed. Decide which is the best choice to complete each statement on the screen. Here are the answers. How did you do? Did you get them all right? Just to review quickly:

• You must identify all vehicles you drive on the job during a 24-hour period on the daily log.
• Leased vehicles must be identified just as carrier-owned vehicles are.
• And the short-haul exemption for CMV drivers is a 100-air-mile radius. If you drive within that, you don’t have to complete a daily log. By the way, 100 air miles is 115 driving miles.

Daily Logs Review

Let’s quickly review by checking to make sure you understand the information presented in the previous slides. Do you understand:

• Logging options?
• Automatic onboard recording device requirements?
• How to handle onboard device system failures?
• How to log if you drive more than one vehicle or work for more than one carrier in a day?
• Short-haul exemptions?

It’s important to understand all this information so that you can comply with the Hours-of-Service Rule requirements for the daily driver’s log. Now let’s continue to the final slide and some key points to remember.

Key Points to Remember

Here are the main points to remember from this session on CMV driver logs:

• The federal Hours of Service Rule require interstate CMV drivers to keep a record of duty status for each 24-hour period.
• Daily logs must be neat, complete, accurate, and current.
• Logs for the previous 7 consecutive days must be kept in your vehicle for inspection.
• Short-haul drivers may be exempt from HOS logging requirements.

This concludes the CMV driver logs training session. If you still have questions, be sure to ask your supervisor or trainer.