Any driver of a commercial vehicle involved in interstate commerce must follow the hours of service limitations, Part 395, and log book requirements, Part 395.8, set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA). The FMSCA, a branch of the Department of Transportation (DOT), developed these regulations to protect everyone on the road by ensuring that drivers of commercial vehicles stay awake and alert while driving. Recent changes to the regulations in April 2010 will permit, and in some cases mandate, the use of Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBR's) for use when completing the driver's daily log.
On-Board Recorders
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Until recently, logbooks were only to be completed by hand or with an Automatic On-Board Recording Device (AOBRD). On April 5, 2010, new regulations were passed for Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBR), which differ from AOBRD'S by using global positioning to record information. The new EOBR regulations, which go into affect in 2012, include new performance standards for the EOBR's, as well as allow the FMCSA to mandate the devices for those companies found non-compliant hours-of-service reporting.
Completing the Logbook
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Whether electronic, automatic, or by hand, commercial drivers must keep a log book for written documentation of hours of service, according to Part 395.8 of FMCSA regulations. The log must account for every hour of every day whether on or off-duty. The driver must keep the log current to the last change of duty and keep logs from the last eight days available for inspection at any time. The log must contain certain information including: time spent driving, off-duty, on-duty, and in the sleeper; the motor carrier's name; the driver's name; and the date. Detailed examples of how to fill out the log book can be found at the FMSCA website and it's publications. By law, the driver must give the motor carrier copies of completed logs within 13 days, however, the company may require them sooner.
Hours of Service
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The purpose of the logbook is to provide a written record of the driver's hours of service. The FMCSA limits the time drivers spend driving as well as their overall works hours. Drivers may not be on-duty more than 14 consecutive hours and may not drive more than 11 consecutive hours in any 24-hour period, after which 10 hours of off-duty time must be taken. Daily driving time may be extended, if at least eight hours is spent in the sleeper berth, or during unforeseen driving circumstances. Additional weekly limits apply. If a company operates trucks every day, a driver may not drive more than 70 hours in seven days, otherwise, no more than 60 hours in seven days. After this 60 or 70 hours, a mandatory 34-hour "restart" must be taken.
Exceptions
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Not all drivers must follow the hours of service limits and the logbook requirements all of the time. Drivers who drive within short distances, report to their hub daily, or do not drive commercial vehicles may not need to keep a logbook and may be exempt from the hours of service regulations.
References
- Photo Credit truck on highway image by pmphoto from Fotolia.com
