The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revised the hours of service requirements in September 2020, introducing the short-haul exemption. The exemption can save qualifying short-hauling truckers time, energy, and work. You can also refer to the short-haul exemption as:
The FMCSA exemption The DOT short-haul exemption The ELD short-haul exemption
Keep reading to learn what the short haul exemption is and determine whether you qualify.
What Is the Short Haul Exemption?
The short-haul exemption is a restricted, legislative exemption from completing driver tracking using an electronic logging device or an ELD. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) runs the FMCSA, which organized the exemption according to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This administration determined that qualifying short-haulers are not required to monitor and keep time records of their duty status in paper logs or electronically using an ELD. Qualifying drivers are also not required to adhere to the DOT’s thirty-minute rest break requirement.
What Does the Short Haul Exemption Exempt You From?
- Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
- Records of Duty Status (Driver Logs)
- 30-minute Rest Breaks
Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
Electronic logging devices (ELDs) are used as a technological replacement for paper logs and monitor a driver’s duty status each day on the road. The FMCSA’s short haul exemption allows truckers to avoid purchasing an ELD or logging their duty status.
The FMCSA’s ELD mandate requires all commercial motor vehicles completing a long-haul to have ELDs installed. However, drivers that qualify with the short-haul exemption are exempt from following the mandate.
Short-haul drivers who qualify for the exemption at least eight times in 30 days can avoid using an ELD. However, if a driver has violated the qualifications for the short-haul exemption for nine days in 30 days, they must use an ELD to track their duty time. If a driver that no longer qualifies for the short-haul exemption neglects to use an ELD, they will be violating the ELD rule.
If a driver is driving a vehicle with a model year from 1999 or earlier, they may be exempt from the ELD mandate if the car does not have an ELD port connection.
Records of Duty Status (Driver Logs)
Records of duty status, also known as driver logs, are detailed reports of drivers' hours on duty, off duty, driving, and in the sleeper berth each day. A driver logbook is typically completed either with a paper log or using an ELD solution.
Drivers that qualify with the short-haul exception are not required to keep records of duty time, which can save them a good amount of excess work. However, short-haul drivers must keep records of their daily start and end times and the number of hours they have clocked in on a written or electronic timecard.
30-minute Rest Breaks
The FMCSA and the DOT mandate that commercial drivers take a 30-minute rest break every eight consecutive hours of driving time. Drivers that qualify with the DOT short-haul exemption are not required to take a 30-minute break for every eight accumulative hours.
Requirements To Qualify for the Short Haul Exemption?
- Mileage Limits
- Hours of Service
- Starting and Ending Points
- Recording and Record Retention
Mileage Limits
Drivers may qualify for the short-haul exemption if they meet specific mileage limits. The DOT refers to mileage limits as air miles, which are determined by creating a straight line between the trip's starting location and ending location, regardless of if it is the particular route a driver will take.
Interstate carriers with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) have an air mileage limit of 100 miles. For drivers without a CDL must not exceed a 150-air mile radius to qualify for the short-haul exemption. Non-CDL drivers are also not permitted to cross state lines into areas that require drivers to have a CDL.
Hours of Service
The FMCSA rules include Hours of Service regulations (HOS), which set an hour limit on the maximum amount of time commercial motor vehicle (CMV) truck drivers can spend on the road. The Hours of Service rules (or HOS rules, for short) allow short-haul drivers to drive for a 14-hour driving window during regular work hours, followed by a return to their reporting location. An off-duty period of ten consecutive hours must follow the duty period for property-carrying drivers or eight straight hours off-duty for passenger-carrying drivers.
Starting and Ending Points
The DOT short-haul exemption final rule requires truck drivers to have the same starting and ending location. If a driver leaves their reporting location and ends at another, regardless of the distance driven, they will not qualify for the short-haul exemption unless they return to where they started before the day ends.
Recording and Record Retention
Drivers that qualify for the short-haul exemption are not required to follow the ELD mandate. However, they are required to keep detailed records that include:
- The total number of hours that they are on-duty
- The total number of hours that they are off-duty
- The time of day that drivers clock in for duty
- The time of day that drivers clock out of duty
- The whole driving time for the past seven consecutive days
What To Do if You Don’t Qualify for the Short Haul Exemption Yet?
If you do not yet qualify for the short-haul exemption, purchasing and installing an ELD must comply with all ELD and HOS requirements set by the FMCSA. You may want to adjust your routes to comply with the required air-mile radius to qualify.
Bottom Line
Learning how to qualify for the short-haul exemption can benefit your business and promote the efficiency and productivity of your shipping process. The next step is finding a freight transportation provider to help ensure your business qualifies for the short-haul exemption.
RPM is a freight transportation provider in a network of more than 30,000 carriers. We provide reliable, transparent, and skilled fleet management for a customer base in various industries.
Are you interested in learning more about the short-haul exemption? Visit our website today to learn more about how RPM can fulfill your shipping needs.
Sources:
Short-Haul Exemption: What It Is And Who Qualifies | Truckstop
DOT Short-Haul Exemption Explained | Trucksafe
Hours of Service | FMCSA
