Everything You Need to Know about the DOT 150 Air Mile Rule

When you’re looking at the basic rules that all transportation and cargo hauling companies must adhere to, the hours of service restrictions are pivotal. The law limits how much time commercial drivers may spend behind the wheel, preventing fatigue and the dangerous conditions it can create for everyone using the road.

One way to ensure drivers don’t exceed their allotted HOS is to use electronic logging devices. However, not all drivers have to provide ELD records for inspection. For example, the DOT 150 Air Mile rule provides an exemption, allowing some short-haul drivers to use a time record in place of the electronic log to document HOS.

Many companies and drivers use the 150 Air Mile Radius rule to avoid the burden of detailed documentation, but it’s easy to misinterpret these guidelines. In the trucking and transportation industry, keeping up with ever-changing regulations and filing requirements can be challenging. FMCA Filings’ FMCSA compliance checklist is a great start, but the team also explains more below about the DOT 150 Air Mile rule so that you can easily stay within the boundaries. 

The Basics of Short-Haul Exemptions From the DOT

You’ve established that the DOT 150 Air Mile rule eliminates the need for local, short-haul drivers to keep detailed logs of their time on duty. If so, it increases the number of hours some short-haul drivers can work to 14 per day. It also bumps the air-mile radius (from the trucking base) from 100 to 150 miles.

Air miles are a distance measurement between Point A and Point B without consideration of the actual road miles and the twists and turns between them. In other words, it’s miles between locations “as the crow flies.” If a driver only travels within a 150-air-mile radius of their base and is on duty for less than 14 hours, they likely won’t have to maintain a detailed log via an ELD.

DOT regulations for short trips also eliminate the requirement that drivers using 150-air-mile exemptions take a mandatory 30-minute break after eight hours of driving time. To qualify for exemptions from ELD logging requirements, non-CDL drivers must meet all of the following criteria:

• Start and return from the same point. 
• Record the start and end times and total number of hours on duty for the day on the time record. 
• Avoid driving in states that require a CDL for the type of vehicle they are driving.
• Remain within a 150-air-mile radius of the work reporting location.

Understandably, the rules for commercial driver’s license holders are slightly different. To qualify for the exemption, CDL drivers must:

• Remain within a 100-air-mile radius of the starting location.
• Have at least ten consecutive hours of rest time before starting work.
• Start from and return to the same location.
• Work no more than 12 hours.

The intrastate driving limits for non-CDL drivers don’t apply to CDL drivers. However, any travel across state lines must be within the 100-air-mile radius of the starting point to qualify for the exemptions from ELD requirements. 

Avoiding Mistakes When Using the DOT 150 Air Mile Rule 

The DOT 150 Air Mile rule offers trucking companies some additional flexibility in scheduling and route planning by reducing the burden of excess documentation. Still, it’s easy to make mistakes, so here’s how to avoid the most common ones:

Comply With Driver Qualification and Inspection Requirements 

Are your drivers working under the 150-mile exemption? They aren’t exempt from other DOT regulations. Maintain the appropriate licenses and medical cards, and ensure the vehicle has all the required permits, registrations, and inspections, too.

Educate Drivers on Logging Requirements 

If drivers begin the day under the DOT 150 Air Mile rule, but then drive beyond the allowed distance or for more than the allotted number of hours, they must begin logging their time and take the required 30-minute break. They only need to do this when they fall out of compliance with the exemption rules. If they stay within the parameters every other day of the workweek, they can still use time records.

Train Drivers in Simulations

Have you informed your drivers about how to correctly respond to an officer requesting a log? Never tell an officer you don’t have one in the vehicle; this is a violation. Instead, mention that you’re working on the DOT 150 Air Mile rule and that your time records are at the employer’s office.

Let FMCA Filing Help You Stay in Compliance With Permits

Driving without a logbook is a serious offense for long-haul drivers. If you only make local trips and return home every evening, though, the DOT 150 Air Mile rule could eliminate that requirement. 

With so many rules and regulations to keep track of, managing permits and other documentation can be a challenge. Why not let FMCA Filing streamline the process? Reach out to one of our agents on Live Chat now.