Personal conveyance is any personal trip you make during off-duty time. While there are no regulations against using a commercial motor vehicle as personal transport, the FMCSA offers some guidelines.

Here is what you need to know about personal conveyance time being logged as off-duty:

How Far Can You Go?

Canadian rules are clear on how far you can travel; the daily limit is up to 75 kilometers, almost 47 miles, for using a CMV for personal conveyance. In the United States, however, no limit is currently set.

The general guideline is that personal conveyance with a CMV is the need to travel short distances for personal reasons. Traveling hundreds of miles will not be considered personal conveyance by a DOT Inspector.

Loaded or Not, if you have a Trailer You’re On-duty

You cannot operate a CMV for personal conveyance if you have a trailer. Off-duty personal conveyance time is only considered as such if you are bobtailing. Pulling an empty trailer is considered being loaded.

No Work Allowed

Logging personal conveyance as off-duty means you cannot perform any work related tasks. Fueling, taking the vehicle in for maintenance, or even picking up parts for the truck is considered on-duty and must be logged as such.

Off-duty personal conveyance is for personal time therefore commuting to and from locations that are of a personal nature. Travel to your home or a hotel, trips to restaurants or the grocery store are considered personal conveyance off-duty time.

Getting Dispatched from Home Means You’re Back On-duty

As soon as you set out on your trip, you are on-duty. Traveling from home to pick up a load is considered a work related task and must be logged as on-duty.

Personal Conveyance Cannot be used to avoid OOS Violations

If you are placed out of service for hours of service violations you cannot drive a CMV to a rest area or for any other personal conveyance purposes. If you have been placed OOS, then you’re shut down. The best way to avoid HOS violations is through proper trip planning that includes predetermined rest stops.

If you have any questions about personal conveyance please contact John.