Every motor carrier must require every driver to record his/her duty status for each 24-hour period using specific methods outlined by regulation. Logs/Records of Duty Status (RODs) must be kept current by showing each change in duty status. The time zone used on a driver's daily log should be the time standard of that driver's home terminal. For each change in duty status, the name of the city/town/village with the State abbreviations must be recorded. In addition to the status of the driver, specific information must be included as outlined in 395.8. During a Safety Audit, motor carriers may be asked to submit documents supporting the driver's record of duty. Such documents can include any of the following: toll receipts/records, fuel receipts/records, bills of lading, trip reports or another type of document for verification.

Beginning December 18, 2017, motor carriers subject to the ELD rule must automatically record on- and off-duty time using an electronic logging device (ELD). Motor carriers who have an automatic on-board recording device (AOBRD) that was installed and in-use prior to December 18, 2017, may continue to use this device to record and share HOS data until December 16, 2019.

• Requirements for ELDs can be found in 49 CFR 395 Subpart B.
• Requirements for automatic onboard recording devices can be found in 49 CFR 395.15

To submit your ELD file

• Via web-service (telematics or Bluetooth): ELD device will prompt user to request an "output file comment". The comment you enter must be the "NEWS-xxxxx" code located beneath the "Upload Here" button on this page.
• Via local data transfer: ELD device will output a file that user can upload to NEWS via the upload button. Do not print and fax in this file, it must be uploaded.

To submit your AOBR file

• Upload or fax your file to NEWS using the "Upload Here" button at the top right of this page.

Carriers with drivers that operate within 150 air-miles of their operations may keep Time Records instead of RODs for those drivers. Time records must include the times the drivers report for and are released from work each day and the total hours on duty each day.

If a carrier meets an exception below, a  timecard must be uploaded.

Operators of property-carrying commercial motor vehicles requiring a CDL -

• A driver is exempt from the requirements of § 395.8 and 395.11 if:
  • The driver operates within a 150 air-mile radius (172.6 statute miles) of the normal work reporting location;
  • The driver, except a driver-salesperson, returns to the work reporting location and is released from work within 14 consecutive hours;
  • A property-carrying commercial motor vehicle driver has at least 10 consecutive hours off-duty separating each 14 hours on-duty;
  • A passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicle driver has at least 8 consecutive hours off-duty separating each 14 hours on-duty; and
  • The motor carrier that employs the driver maintains and retains for a period of 6 months accurate and true time records showing the total number of hours the driver is on-duty each day, time in/time out each day, and the total time for the preceding 7 days in accordance with 395.8(j)(2) for drivers used for the first time or intermittently.

Operators of property-carrying commercial motor vehicles not requiring a CDL -

• A driver is exempt from the requirements of § 395.3(a)(2), 395.8, and 395.11 and ineligible to use the provisions of § 395.1(e)(1), (g), and (o) if:
  • The driver operates a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle for which a CDL is not required under part 383 of this subchapter;
  • The driver operates within a 150 air-mile radius of the location where the driver reports to and is released from work, e., the normal work reporting location;
  • The driver returns to the normal work reporting location at the end of each duty tour;
  • The driver does not drive:
    • After the 14th hour after coming on duty on 5 days of any period of 7 consecutive days; and
    • After the 16th hour after coming on duty on 2 days of any period of 7 consecutive days.