When do I have to fill out logbooks?
Posted on May 30, 2007
Filed Under ASK ERIC, HOURS OF SERVICE
Dear Eric: Do I have to fill out logbooks?
Answer: The regulations state that you must complete a record of duty status (aka a logbook) every day, unless if you:
1) stay within a 100 air mile radius from your office, and 2) return to the office within 12 hours.
If you do that, your driver may record his time on a time card, time sheet, any thing that captures the time started, time finished, and the total number of hours worked that day. In the event the driver does not meet those requirements one day, then for that day, he must complete a logsheet. Logbooks are generally available at truckstops, or online from www.jjkeller.com. If you are a non-CDL driver, there are numerous exceptions that apply instead of the 100 air mile rule.
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Eric Arnold is a Former Enforcement Agent with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and a leading expert on USDOT compliance for small businesses. Do you have a question for Eric Arnold? Email him at eric@arnoldsafety.com.
Arnold Safety simplifies D.O.T. Compliance for commercial vehicle operators. Get Eric Arnold’s USDOT Compliance Guide, DVD, & Regulations at ArnoldSafety.Com.
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18 Responses to “When do I have to fill out logbooks?”
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So what are the exceptions that apply to a non-CDL driver?
We have no vehicles or combinations that require a CDL, very very rarely go beyond a 100 mile radius and hardly ever exceed a 12 hour work day of which maybe 4 hours would be driving.
If you are driving a CMV with a GVWR of 26,000 lbs. and under (ie a non-CDL vehicle), and stay within 150 miles of your office, you do not need to fill out a log book. Instead, you can record your time by showing a driver’s time started, time finished, and the total number of hours for the day. This can be a time sheet, time clock, or any other type of document which has the time started, time finished, and total number of hours for the day.
Eric, I am the marketing manager for our company, therefore, I drive quite a bit, however, normally less than 100 miles total distance from our facility. I am on salary and therefore, do not punch a time clock or keep track of my time. Normally, I only work up to 8 hours per day. What type of records do I need to keep? Pick-up I normally drive is not DOT. 1/2 Ton Chevy.; do not tow trailers. What if during that day however, I do get into another DOT vehicle and drive to and from a job site?
Thanks
Rick Weidig
Rick: When you are driving the 1/2 ton Chevy, it is an unregulated vehicle under 10,000 lbs., so you don’t need any sort of time records. However, if you get into a regulated vehicle, you will then need the time you start work, the time you finish work, and the total number of hours worked that day. Furthermore, you will need that information for all work performed in the previous 7 days, even if that work was done in the 1/2 ton Chevy, or just working in the office for that matter. DOT wants to be able to see that you were not over the 70 hours in 8 day rule on the day you drove the subject vehicle. If you drive vehicles over 10,000 lbs. GVWR at all, I’d get in the habit of recording the time started work, time finished work, and total hours worked that day.
Our company is an oil/gas well service company consisting of 3 rigs rated 75,000 GVW, non-highway carrier crane. The rigs are mostly off road/county roads but occasionally a rig may have to access the highway for a mile or two. One of the rigs was pulled over by the Highway Patrol due to the fact there was no DOT # shown on the rig. The Highway Patrol Officer stated we are required to register and get the DOT # even if we stay with in 100 air mile radius from the office and classified as a non-highway vehicle. As for the required log book, the CDL employee driving the rig to the location may be driving for only 10 to 30 minutes (mostly on dirt roads) but could be on location sometimes for 12 – 15 hours then drive the rig home. Are they still required to keep a log book for this short of time and distance driving the rig?
Thank you
Stephanie
Stephanie: even though you stay within 100 miles, and only drive on the public highway for very short periods of time, you still need a logbook in your example. Your driver is not reporting back to the office within 12 hours, and therefore does not qualify for the “time-card” exemption.
I too am in construction and there are times when I am on a job for 15 to 18 hours, how does a person go about logging this?
Jeff:
Do you drive a CDL vehicle? If so, when you are on the job 15-18 hours a day, you need to fill out a logbook. Anything over 12 hours requires a logbook. However, if you are driving a smaller vehicle, such as a big pickup truck pulling a trailer, a logbook is not required, provided you stay within 150 miles of your office, even if you work 18 hours.
Remember, regardless of whether or not you need to log, you may only work 14 hours following a 10 hour off-duty period. Depending on what you drive, and where you go, you may be allowed to work up to 16 hours once or twice a week.
If the driver qualifies for the time-card exemption, which most of our employees do, do we as a company need to maintain a copy of their time-card in the employees’ DOT file or is it acceptable to have large gaps between logbook entries because those days the employee was exempt?
No, you must have a time record for each day the driver works. Time started, time stopped, total number of hours that day.
What about a tow truck?
I have a rollback & I buy junk cars to crushed….What type of records are needed?
I do not own a junk yard, just buy & sell
I was pulled over by D.O.T. over this past summer, and was told I need to have truck inspection, maintenance log book and time sheets. My truck GVW is 11,000lbs, and the trailer is 10,000lbs. I had gone to a seminar and the instructor had told me I don’t need that stuff. I drive less than 100 miles a day and work about ten. This sounds the same as what you are saying. For safety measures I called a Sargeant from D.O.T. but he said I have to have all of this. So my question is what is correct.
James: do you take your truck across state lines? If you do, you may need for-hire authority. Do you take ownership of the crushed cars, or are you just transporting them for other people? If your truck has a GVWR of over 26,000 lbs., it is a CDL vehicle, and subject to all of the safety regulations.
Andy: Where do you operate? Some states have different regulations than the Federal rules. For example, if you operate wholly within New Jersey, your rig would not be subject to the safety regulations, as vehicles with a GVWR of under 26,001 lbs. are not subject to New Jersey’s regulations. In Pennsylvania, they are. If you go across state lines, vehicles become subject to the safety regs at 10,001 lbs. GVWR.
I live in Colrado and was wondering if the 150 mile limit is counted as the bird flies or is that actual mileage? Is the local limit in all states 150 miles or does it vary by state? Thanks for all the great information you provide.
Charley: Thank for the compliment; I try. The short answer to your question is: counted as the crow flies or air-miles is the actual term used in the rules. Although the interstate rule is 100 air-miles, not 150. I’m not sure what it is in Colorado without researching it, many states have slightly different rules within their own states as opposed to the rules if you cross state lines.
When driving a Frieght liner Sadona with air brakes towing a rv trailer is the driver require to fill out a log book? Is any other state permits required other than the home state?
Thanks
If you are in commerce, and going more than 150 miles from your office, you need to fill out a logbook. Don’t know about the permits, need more information.