[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 49, Volume 5]

[Revised as of October 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 49CFR395.8]



[Page 456-460]

 

                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION

 

                      DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

 

PART 395_HOURS OF SERVICE OF DRIVERS--Table of Contents

 

Sec. 395.8  Driver's record of duty status.



    (a) Except for a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness), 

every motor carrier shall require every driver used by the motor carrier 

to record his/her duty status for each 24 hour period using the methods 

prescribed in either paragraph (a)(1) or (2) of this section.

    (1) Every driver who operates a commercial motor vehicle shall 

record his/her duty status, in duplicate, for each 24-hour period. The 

duty status time shall be recorded on a specified grid, as shown in 

paragraph (g) of this section. The grid and the requirements of 

paragraph (d) of this section may be combined with any company forms. 

The previously approved format of the Daily Log, Form MCS-59 or the 

Multi-day Log, MCS-139 and 139A, which meets the requirements of this 

section, may continue to be used.

    (2) Every driver who operates a commercial motor vehicle shall 

record his/her duty status by using an automatic on-board recording 

device that meets the requirements of Sec. 395.15 of this part. The 

requirements of Sec. 395.8 shall not apply, except paragraphs (e) and 

(k) (1) and (2) of this section.

    (b) The duty status shall be recorded as follows:

    (1) ``Off duty'' or ``OFF.''

    (2) ``Sleeper berth'' or ``SB'' (only if a sleeper berth used).

    (3) ``Driving'' or ``D.''

    (4) ``On-duty not driving'' or ``ON.''

    (c) For each change of duty status (e.g., the place of reporting for 

work, starting to drive, on-duty not driving and where released from 

work), the



[[Page 457]]



name of the city, town, or village, with State abbreviation, shall be 

recorded.



    Note: If a change of duty status occurs at a location other than a 

city, town, or village, show one of the following: (1) The highway 

number and nearest milepost followed by the name of the nearest city, 

town, or village and State abbreviation, (2) the highway number and the 

name of the service plaza followed by the name of the nearest city, 

town, or village and State abbreviation, or (3) the highway numbers of 

the nearest two intersecting roadways followed by the name of the nerest 

city, town, or village and State abbreviation.



    (d) The following information must be included on the form in 

addition to the grid:

    (1) Date;

    (2) Total miles driving today;

    (3) Truck or tractor and trailer number;

    (4) Name of carrier;

    (5) Driver's signature/certification;

    (6) 24-hour period starting time (e.g. midnight, 9:00 a.m., noon, 

3:00 p.m.);

    (7) Main office address;

    (8) Remarks;

    (9) Name of co-driver;

    (10) Total hours (far right edge of grid);

    (11) Shipping document number(s), or name of shipper and commodity;

    (e) Failure to complete the record of duty activities of this 

section or Sec. 395.15, failure to preserve a record of such duty 

activities, or making of false reports in connection with such duty 

activities shall make the driver and/or the carrier liable to 

prosecution.

    (f) The driver's activities shall be recorded in accordance with the 

following provisions:

    (1) Entries to be current. Drivers shall keep their records of duty 

status current to the time shown for the last change of duty status.

    (2) Entries made by driver only. All entries relating to driver's 

duty status must be legible and in the driver's own handwriting.

    (3) Date. The month, day and year for the beginning of each 24-hour 

period shall be shown on the form containing the driver's duty status 

record.

    (4) Total miles driving today. Total mileage driven during the 24-

hour period shall be recorded on the form containing the driver's duty 

status record.

    (5) Commercial motor vehicle identification. The driver shall show 

the number assigned by the motor carrier, or the license number and 

licensing State of each commercial motor vehicle operated during each 

24-hour period on his/her record of duty status. The driver of an 

articulated (combination) commercial motor vehicle shall show the number 

assigned by the motor carrier, or the license number and licensing State 

of each motor vehicle used in each commercial motor vehicle combination 

operated during that 24-hour period on his/her record of duty status.

    (6) Name of motor carrier. The name(s) of the motor carrier(s) for 

which work is performed shall be shown on the form containing the 

driver's record of duty status. When work is performed for more than one 

motor carrier during the same 24-hour period, the beginning and 

finishing time, showing a.m. or p.m., worked for each motor carrier 

shall be shown after each motor carrier's name. Drivers of leased 

commercial motor vehicles shall show the name of the motor carrier 

performing the transportation.

    (7) Signature/certification. The driver shall certify to the 

correctness of all entries by signing the form containing the driver's 

duty status record with his/her legal name or name of record. The 

driver's signature certifies that all entries required by this section 

made by the driver are true and correct.

    (8) Time base to be used. (i) The driver's duty status record shall 

be prepared, maintained, and submitted using the time standard in effect 

at the driver's home terminal, for a 24-hour period beginning with the 

time specified by the motor carrier for that driver's home terminal.

    (ii) The term ``7 or 8 consecutive days'' means the 7 or 8 

consecutive 24-hour periods as designated by the carrier for the 

driver's home terminal.

    (iii) The 24-hour period starting time must be identified on the 

driver's duty status record. One-hour increments must appear on the 

graph, be identified, and preprinted. The words ``Midnight'' and 

``Noon'' must appear above or beside the appropriate one-hour increment.

    (9) Main office address. The motor carrier's main office address 

shall be



[[Page 458]]



shown on the form containing the driver's duty status record.

    (10) Recording days off duty. Two or more consecutive 24-hour 

periods off duty may be recorded on one duty status record.

    (11) Total hours. The total hours in each duty status: ff duty other 

than in a sleeper berth; off duty in a sleeper berth; driving, and on 

duty not driving, shall be entered to the right of the grid, the total 

of such entries shall equal 24 hours.

    (12) Shipping document number(s) or name of shipper and commodity 

shall be shown on the driver's record of duty status.

    (g) Graph grid. The following graph grid must be incorporated into a 

motor carrier recordkeeping system which must also contain the 

information required in paragraph (d) of this section.

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01AP91.034



    (h) Graph grid preparation. The graph grid may be used horizontally 

or vertically and shall be completed as follows:



[[Page 459]]



    (1) Off duty. Except for time spent resting in a sleeper berth, a 

continuous line shall be drawn between the appropriate time markers to 

record the period(s) of time when the driver is not on duty, is not 

required to be in readiness to work, or is not under any responsibility 

for performing work.

    (2) Sleeper berth. A continuous line shall be drawn between the 

appropriate time markers to record the period(s) of time off duty 

resting in a sleeper berth, as defined in Sec. 395.2. (If a non-sleeper 

berth operation, sleeper berth need not be shown on the grid.)

    (3) Driving. A continuous line shall be drawn between the 

appropriate time markers to record the period(s) of driving time, as 

defined in Sec. 395.2.

    (4) On duty not driving. A continuous line shall be drawn between 

the appropriate time markers to record the period(s) of time on duty not 

driving specified in Sec. 395.2.

    (5) Location--remarks. The name of the city, town, or village, with 

State abbreviation where each change of duty status occurs shall be 

recorded.



    Note: If a change of duty status occurs at a location other than a 

city, town, or village, show one of the following: (1) The highway 

number and nearest milepost followed by the name of the nearest city, 

town, or village and State abbreviation, (2) the highway number and the 

name of the service plaza followed by the name of the nearest city, 

town, or village and State abbreviation, or (3) the highway numbers of 

the nearest two intersecting roadways followed by the name of the 

nearest city, town, or village and State abbreviation.



    (i) Filing driver's record of duty status. The driver shall submit 

or forward by mail the original driver's record of duty status to the 

regular employing motor carrier within 13 days following the completion 

of the form.

    (j) Drivers used by more than one motor carrier. (1) When the 

services of a driver are used by more than one motor carrier during any 

24-hour period in effect at the driver's home terminal, the driver shall 

submit a copy of the record of duty status to each motor carrier. The 

record shall include:

    (i) All duty time for the entire 24-hour period;

    (ii) The name of each motor carrier served by the driver during that 

period; and

    (iii) The beginning and finishing time, including a.m. or p.m., 

worked for each carrier.

    (2) Motor carriers, when using a driver for the first time or 

intermittently, shall obtain from the driver a signed statement giving 

the total time on duty during the immediately preceding 7 days and the 

time at which the driver was last relieved from duty prior to beginning 

work for the motor carriers.

    (k) Retention of driver's record of duty status. (1) Each motor 

carrier shall maintain records of duty status and all supporting 

documents for each driver it employs for a period of six months from the 

date of receipt.

    (2) The driver shall retain a copy of each record of duty status for 

the previous 7 consecutive days which shall be in his/her possession and 

available for inspection while on duty.



    Note: Driver's Record of Duty Status.



    The graph grid, when incorporated as part of any form used by a 

motor carrier, must be of sufficient size to be legible.

    The following executed specimen grid illustrates how a driver's duty 

status should be recorded for a trip from Richmond, Virginia, to Newark, 

New Jersey. The grid reflects the midnight to midnight 24 hour period.



[[Page 460]]



[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01AP91.035



               Graph Grid (Midnight to Midnight Operation)



    The driver in this instance reported for duty at the motor carrier's 

terminal. The driver reported for work at 6 a.m., helped load, checked 

with dispatch, made a pretrip inspection, and performed other duties 

until 7:30 a.m. when the driver began driving. At 9 a.m. the driver had 

a minor accident in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and spent one half hour 

handling details with the local police. The driver arrived at the 

company's Baltimore, Maryland, terminal at noon and went to lunch while 

minor repairs were made to the tractor. At 1 p.m. the driver resumed the 

trip and made a delivery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between 3 p.m. 

and 3:30 p.m. at which time the driver started driving again. Upon 

arrival at Cherry Hill, New Jersey, at 4 p.m., the driver entered the 

sleeper berth for a rest break until 5:45 p.m. at which time the driver 

resumed driving again. At 7 p.m. the driver arrived at the company's 

terminal in Newark, New Jersey. Between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. the driver 

prepared the required paperwork including completing the driver's record 

of duty status, driver vehicle inspection report, insurance report for 

the Fredericksburg, Virginia accident, checked for the next day's 

dispatch, etc. At 8 p.m., the driver went off duty.



(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 

2125-0016)



[47 FR 53389, Nov. 26, 1982, as amended at 49 FR 38290, Sept. 28, 1984; 

49 FR 46147, Nov. 23, 1984; 51 FR 12622, Apr. 14, 1986; 52 FR 41721, 

Oct. 30, 1987; 53 FR 18058, May 19, 1988; 53 FR 38670, Sept. 30, 1988; 

57 FR 33649, July 30, 1992; 58 FR 33777, June 21, 1993; 59 FR 8753, Feb. 

23, 1994; 60 FR 38748, July 28, 1995; 62 FR 16709, Apr. 8, 1997; 63 FR 

33279, June 18, 1998]