DOT Hours of Service for local drivers — Local fleets must follow HOS limits: up to 11 hours driving within a 14-hour window, then 10 hours off-duty. Many operations qualify for the 150 air-mile short-haul exemption, using time records instead of logs/ELDs if all conditions are met. This keeps drivers compliant and reduces paperwork.
Understanding the Core Rules for Local Drivers
Getting a handle on DOT Hours of Service regulations can feel like learning a new language. But it’s a language every fleet manager needs to speak fluently to keep your operation safe and compliant. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) created these rules for one big reason: to keep tired drivers off the road and prevent accidents.
For your local drivers, who are usually operating in a specific area and get to go home every night, knowing the foundational HOS rules is the first step. Think of them as the building blocks for everything else.
These regulations essentially give every one of your drivers a daily “time budget.” Your job is to make sure that budget is managed perfectly every single shift. The two biggest line items in that budget are the driving and duty limits.
To give you a quick overview, here are the standard rules that form the basis of all HOS compliance.
Standard HOS Rules at a Glance
| HOS Rule | Description | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Hour Driving Limit | A driver can drive a maximum of 11 hours after being off-duty for 10 consecutive hours. | Property-Carrying CMVs |
| 14-Hour Duty Window | A driver cannot drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty. This clock does not stop. | Property-Carrying CMVs |
| 30-Minute Break | After 8 hours of driving, a driver must take at least a 30-minute off-duty break before driving again. | Property-Carrying CMVs |
| 60/70-Hour Limit | A driver cannot drive after being on duty for 60 hours in 7 consecutive days or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days. | Property-Carrying CMVs |
Even if your local drivers almost always use an exemption, you need to know these rules inside and out. Why? Because the moment a trip runs longer than expected and the exemption no longer applies, these are the rules that kick in.
Why Local Operations Are Different
Long-haul drivers live and breathe by these rules, tracking every minute on an Electronic Logging Device (ELD). But the FMCSA knows that local work is a different ballgame. The simple fact that your drivers return home every night changes the fatigue equation.
This is exactly why specific exemptions exist for short-haul operations. Many of these exemptions let you skip the ELD altogether, though you still have to keep time records. You can explore our detailed guide on FMCSA ELD exemptions to see if your operation fits the bill.
Don’t let the flexibility fool you, though. Getting it wrong is expensive. Over 100,000 HOS violations are written up every year in the U.S., and the fines can be steep. Mastering the DOT hours of service for local drivers isn’t just about dodging penalties; it’s about building a solid safety culture from the ground up.
Leveraging the Short-Haul Exemption for Your Fleet
For your local fleet, the short-haul exemption is one of the most powerful tools you have for boosting efficiency while staying completely DOT compliant with the DOT Hours of Service for local drivers.
This rule basically acknowledges that your drivers operate differently than long-haul truckers. Since they start and end their day at the same home base, the risk of getting dangerously tired is lower. This allows for much simpler record-keeping.
Instead of needing a detailed, minute-by-minute log from an Electronic Logging Device (ELD), you can use a much less painful system. This exemption was built to cut the administrative headaches for operations just like yours.
Learn more in this short video:
Qualifying for the 150 Air-Mile Exemption (CDL Drivers)
The most common version of the short-haul exemption is for your drivers who hold a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). To use this legally, your drivers have to meet a very specific set of criteria every single day they work. If they miss even one of these, the exemption is off the table for that shift.
To qualify, your driver must:
- Operate within a 150 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location. An “air mile” is a straight line—think “as the crow flies,” not the actual miles on the road. It’s about 172 road miles.
- Start and end their shift at the same location. This is the core of what makes a driver “short-haul.”
- Be released from duty within 14 consecutive hours of starting their shift.
- Have at least 10 consecutive hours off-duty between each 14-hour duty period.
The 14-hour on-duty limit is a hard stop. If your driver clocks in at 6 AM, they must be completely done with all work—not just driving—by 8 PM to stay under the exemption.
Record-Keeping Under the Exemption
So, if you don’t need an ELD, what records do you need? The FMCSA still requires you to track your drivers’ hours, and they have to be accurate. You’re responsible for keeping time records that clearly show:
- The time the driver reports for duty.
- The time the driver is released from duty.
- The total number of hours the driver was on duty for that day.
You have to hang onto these records for six months and have them ready for a DOT audit. It’s a huge benefit, but don’t get sloppy—accuracy is non-negotiable.
Understanding the Non-CDL Short-Haul Provision
It’s also crucial to know that a similar exemption exists for your drivers who don’t need a CDL but are still driving a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV).
Non-CDL drivers can use the short-haul rule under the same basics as CDL drivers: stay within 150 air-miles, start and end at the same location, and keep accurate time records. The key difference is the duty window: it’s 14 hours normally, but may extend to 16 hours up to 2 days in any 7-day period.
This does not increase driving beyond 11 hours, and the 30-minute break still applies after 8 hours of driving.
If a driver exceeds the radius or time limits, that day requires RODS (paper log or ELD if applicable). Note: the old “100 air-mile” term is legacy—federal short-haul is 150 air-miles today.
Defining On-Duty Time and Off-Duty Breaks
Nailing the difference between on-duty time and off-duty breaks is one of the most critical parts of staying compliant with DOT hours of service for local drivers. It’s also one of the easiest places to get tripped up. A simple misclassification can lead to a violation, even if it feels like your driver isn’t actually working.
On-duty time is way more than just driving. It’s essentially any time your driver is on the clock and responsible for the truck or performing a task for your company. This covers all the “bookend” activities of a shift, like pre-trip inspections, loading or unloading, and filling out paperwork before heading home.
It also includes the less obvious stuff. Waiting to be dispatched? That’s on-duty. Undergoing a random drug test? On-duty. Even cleaning the truck at the terminal counts. If your driver is required to be somewhere and is answerable for the vehicle, you can bet it’s on-duty time.
What Counts as On-Duty Time
Any activity your driver performs in service of your company has to be logged as on-duty, not driving. This is a common stumbling block with DOT Hours of Service for local drivers. Gray areas like waiting time at a customer’s facility—even with the engine off—or time spent in a mandatory safety meeting often get logged incorrectly.
To keep your logs clean, you have to track every work-related activity. Here are some of the big ones:
- Vehicle Inspections: All pre-trip, en route, and post-trip inspections.
- Waiting Time: Time spent waiting at a plant, terminal, or customer facility, unless the driver has been formally relieved from all duties.
- Loading and Unloading: Any time spent physically loading, supervising the loading, or waiting for cargo to be handled.
- Repair Work: Time spent working on the truck or waiting for it to be serviced.
- Paperwork: Completing logs, delivery receipts, and any other required documentation.
For local operations, figuring out if your driver can even use the short-haul exemption is the first step. This decision tree breaks it down quickly.
As you can see, it boils down to three core questions that determine if the exemption applies on any given day.
To help clear up any confusion, it’s useful to see a direct comparison of what typically falls into on-duty versus off-duty status.
On-Duty vs Off-Duty Activities
| Activity | Classification (On-Duty/Off-Duty) | Key Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Trip/Post-Trip Inspection | On-Duty | This is considered work, even if the vehicle isn’t moving. |
| Driving to the Terminal (Personal Vehicle) | Off-Duty | Normal commuting to and from work is not on-duty time. |
| Waiting at a Customer’s Dock | On-Duty | The driver is still responsible for the vehicle and cargo. |
| Eating Lunch at a Truck Stop | Off-Duty | The driver must be relieved of all duties and free to leave. |
| Fueling the Truck | On-Duty | This is a task performed in service of the carrier. |
| Mandatory Company Meeting | On-Duty | Attendance is required by the employer. |
| 30-Minute Rest Break | Off-Duty | Must be a continuous 30 minutes, free from all work tasks. |
| Waiting for Roadside Assistance | On-Duty | The driver remains responsible for the CMV until help arrives. |
Knowing these distinctions is fundamental to accurate logging and avoiding simple but costly HOS violations.
The Mandatory 30-Minute Break Explained
Drivers must take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving without a qualifying interruption. The break must be 30 consecutive minutes with no driving and can be logged as off-duty, sleeper-berth, or on-duty not driving (or any consecutive combination).
After the break, the 8-hour driving clock is refreshed—subject to the 11-hour driving and 14-hour duty-window limits.
This break effectively resets the 8-hour driving clock, allowing them to continue driving up to their 11-hour daily limit. For drivers on longer hauls, knowing how to use rest periods is key. While most local drivers won’t use a sleeper berth, it’s still helpful to understand flexible rest options for context. That’s why we put together a guide on split sleeper berth rules.
Getting on-duty versus off-duty time right isn’t just about checking a compliance box. It’s about making sure your drivers get the rest they need to operate safely, which protects them, your fleet, and everyone else on the road from preventable accidents and costly violations.
Avoiding Common DOT Hours of Service for Local Drivers Pitfalls
Even with the best intentions, navigating the finer points of DOT Hours of Service for local drivers can be tricky. It’s often the small, unintentional mistakes that snowball into serious violations during a roadside inspection or a DOT audit. Getting ahead of these common slip-ups is the secret to keeping your operation running clean and safe.
The most frequent issues we see are rooted in misinterpreting the short-haul exemptions. Your driver might start their day thinking they’re covered, only to have one unexpected delay push them outside the rules, invalidating their entire shift’s log status. Knowing where these tripwires are is your best defense against compliance headaches.
Miscalculating the 150 Air-Mile Radius
This is a big one. One of the most common errors with DOT Hours of Service for local drivers is confusing road miles with air miles. The 150 air-mile radius isn’t measured by the route your driver takes; it’s a straight line—”as the crow flies”—from your home terminal.
Think about it this way: a delivery that’s 165 miles by highway might only be 140 air-miles away, keeping your driver safely within the exemption. But the opposite is also true. A winding 145-mile road trip through hilly areas could easily push a driver beyond the 150 air-mile limit. Before dispatching, use a simple air-mile calculator tool. It’s a crucial gut-check to ensure you’re always on the right side of this rule.
When the Exemption Suddenly Ends
A compliant short-haul day can unravel fast. If a delay pushes a driver past 14 hours on duty or beyond 150 air-miles, the short-haul exception no longer applies for that day. At that point, the driver must prepare a Record of Duty Status (RODS) covering the entire day and keep it current.
If logs aren’t current, that’s a violation. Depending on how often this occurs, the driver may use paper logs or—if RODS are needed more than 8 days in a rolling 30-day period—an ELD is required.
When the change is unforeseen, annotate why the exception couldn’t be used and take any required break at the earliest safe opportunity. For more strategies on building this kind of proactive safety net, check out our guide on preventing Hours of Service violations.
Incomplete Records for Exempt Drivers
Just because the short-haul rule lets you skip the ELD doesn’t mean you can skip record-keeping altogether. Far from it. The FMCSA requires you to keep accurate time records for every single exempt driver for a minimum of six months.
These HOS supporting documents need to show three simple but non-negotiable pieces of information for each shift:
- The time your driver reported for duty.
- The time your driver was released from duty.
- The total number of hours they were on duty.
Showing up to an audit without these basic records is a massive red flag and can lead to some eye-watering penalties. The consequences here are severe for a reason—it’s all about road safety. The FMCSA can levy hefty fines, and for 2025, a single HOS violation could cost a carrier up to $19,246. When the stakes are that high, meticulous record-keeping isn’t just a “best practice”; it’s a critical business function.
Staying on top of these common issues will strengthen your compliance program and protect your company’s safety score. By turning these potential pitfalls into training opportunities, you build a smarter, more resilient team.
What to Expect from Future HOS Regulations
If there’s one constant in trucking, it’s that the rules are always changing. The DOT Hours of Service regulations for local drivers are no exception. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is constantly looking at data and listening to what the industry has to say, trying to strike that tricky balance between road safety and operational common sense.
Knowing which way the wind is blowing helps you prepare your fleet for what’s next. It’s the difference between reacting to a new rule and already having a plan in place. While a lot of the initial testing happens in the long-haul world, those lessons often trickle down and shape the rules for everyone, including your local crews.
Pilot Programs Paving the Way
The FMCSA likes to test-drive new ideas before rolling them out nationwide. They use pilot programs to see how potential rule changes work in the real world, collecting safety data and addressing the everyday headaches drivers and carriers face. Think of these programs as a sneak peek into the future of HOS.
A perfect example is the big push for more flexible scheduling. In 2025, the FMCSA kicked off two major initiatives: the Split Duty Period Pilot Program and the Flexible Sleeper Berth Pilot Program. These are designed to give drivers more options for managing their rest.
The Split Duty pilot, for instance, lets a driver pause their 14-hour clock for up to three hours. Anyone who’s ever had a driver burn through their available hours waiting at a dock knows what a game-changer that could be. You can get more details on how these programs might reshape driver schedules on Overdrive Online.
Even though these specific programs are limited right now, they show a clear trend: the agency is serious about giving drivers more control. This could eventually lead to some fundamental changes to the HOS rules we all follow today.
Key Takeaway: The FMCSA’s willingness to experiment with core rules like the 14-hour clock shows they’re open to adapting regulations based on real-world feedback and hard data.
What This Means for Your Fleet
So, with all this potential change on the horizon, what can you do right now?
First off, stay informed. Keeping tabs on proposed DOT Hours of Service for local drivers rule changes and the outcomes of these pilot programs puts your company a step ahead. You’ll be seen as a leader in safety, not just someone trying to keep up.
This knowledge also gives you a voice. When the FMCSA opens the floor for public comments, informed feedback from fleet managers like you is pure gold. You can share how a proposed tweak would actually play out for your local drivers on the ground.
Ultimately, the goal is to build a culture of compliance that works today and is flexible enough for tomorrow. By understanding the trends in HOS regulations, you make sure your fleet is never caught by surprise and is always ready for the road ahead.
DOT Hours of Service for Local Drivers: FAQ
What is the 150 air-mile rule for local drivers?
The 150 air-mile rule is a short-haul exemption for CDL drivers that allows you to bypass the need for an Electronic Logging Device (ELD). To qualify, your driver must start and end their shift at the same location, operate within a 150 air-mile radius (a straight line, not road miles), and be released from duty within 14 consecutive hours. You must still keep time records showing their start time, end time, and total hours on duty for six months.
Do local drivers need to take a 30-minute break?
Yes. The mandatory 30-minute break rule applies to most commercial drivers, including those operating under the short-haul exemption. After 8 hours of cumulative driving time, your driver must take a continuous 30-minute off-duty break before they are allowed to drive again. During this break, they must be completely relieved of all work-related duties.
What happens if a local driver exceeds the 14-hour limit?
If your driver operating under the short-haul exemption exceeds the 14-hour on-duty limit, the exemption for that day is immediately void. At that point, your driver is required to complete a full Record of Duty Status (RODS), or log, for the entire day using an ELD or paper logbook. Failure to produce a complete log for that shift will result in a violation.
Are non-CDL drivers subject to the same HOS rules?
Yes, if your non-CDL driver operates a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV), they are subject to HOS rules. However, there is a specific short-haul exemption for non-CDL drivers that is similar to the CDL version but extends the on-duty window from 14 hours to 16 hours. They must still operate within a 150 air-mile radius and start and end the day at the same location.
What records do you need for exempt local drivers?
Even when using the short-haul exemption, you must maintain accurate time records for six months. These records must clearly show three things for each driver, for each day: 1) the time they reported for duty, 2) the time they were released from duty, and 3) the total number of hours they were on duty.
Managing DOT compliance can feel like a full-time job in itself. My Safety Manager takes that complexity off your plate. We offer expert services covering everything from driver qualification and CSA score management to drug and alcohol programs, all for a flat, predictable fee. Let us handle the details so you can get back to what you do best—running your business. Learn more at My Safety Manager.
