How Many Miles Can You Drive Without a Logbook?

As a trucking professional, you keep up with a seemingly endless amount of paperwork day in and day out. Logging your Hours of Service (HOS) comes with the territory, so what happens when you forget to log those hours after a 30-minute break? 

Are there logging exemptions? How many miles can you drive without a logbook? 

With many years behind Federal Motor Carrier Authority Filings, these questions are part and parcel of helping companies and truckers adhere to the FMCSA compliance checklist and other regulations. The team shares more about HOS, log books, and exemptions below.

The Purpose of Your Logbook

Logbooks are there to help truckers track their driving and off hours during long routes. Modern rigs feature an electronic logging device (ELD), which automatically logs when the truck starts to move or stops throughout a route. These nifty devices do most of the service tracking for trucking companies, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t paperwork.

It’s important to still maintain a physical logbook to record the following information:

• The carrier employing your driving services
• The date
• The number of miles driven that day
• Your license or carrier number
• Your co-driver’s name, if applicable
• Your base time zone
• The number of hours on duty over 24 hours
• Your work reporting location (when you change your duty status)
• Shipment information 

Important Hours of Service Regulations

You must also adhere to the Hours of Service rules specified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These regulations protect you from overworking yourself, which also protects other drivers using the same highway as you. 

Some examples of the Hours of Service regulations include the following:

• 30-minute breaks: An eight-hour shift must include a 30-minute break. 
• 14-hour shifts: A shift cannot exceed 14 hours. 
• 11-hour drives: A shift that’s 14 hours must include no more than 11 hours of driving. 
• Hours per week: A 7-day work week should include no more than 60 hours of driving (8-day weeks max out at 70 hours).

How Many Miles Can You Drive Without a Logbook?

While you should aim to keep your logbook nearby at all times, some exceptions do apply depending on your shift length and how far you drive. 

In short, you might not need a logbook if you stay within a predetermined radius of your base during a single shift. 

Understanding Logging Exemptions

So, with those parameters in mind, how many miles can you drive without a logbook? Your shift, logistics, and record-keeping compliance make a difference.

100 Air-Mile Exception

Air miles (nautical miles) are slightly longer than a regular mile. One logging exception allows you to travel within a “100-air-mile radius of your base” without logging your duty status or your comings and goings.

In other words, you could work a 12-hour shift within 100 air miles (or 115.08 regular miles) of your reporting location. If you leave and return to the same base, you may not have to log your HOS throughout the shift. 

Non-CDL Short-Haul Exception

Do you drive a vehicle that doesn’t require a commercial driver’s license for an employer? You could have a similar logging exemption. 

The non-CDL short-haul exception allows you to travel within a 150-air-mile radius of the base within a 12-hour shift. By that measure, you may be able to drive 172 regular miles away from your reporting base without logging anything.

30-Minute Break Exemption

The 30-minute break exemption works with the non-CDL short-haul exception. For example, if you operate a fleet vehicle that doesn’t require commercial licensing within 150 air miles of the reporting base, you may not have to take a mandated 30-minute break in that 8-hour shift. 

Use caution when applying this exemption. If you unexpectedly work for more than eight hours, you must immediately take your 30-minute break (even within a 150-air-mile radius of your base). This might happen if:

• Your vehicle has a mechanical issue that delays your arrival.
• You face traffic delays.
• Inclement weather prolongs your shift.
• A detour adds miles and time to your route.

What If You Drive or Work for Too Long?

The above-listed exemptions are just examples, and all of them have strict time and mileage constraints. If you jeopardize your own and your carrier’s compliance, CSA-point deductions will follow. 

So, if you suspect you might go over the hour or mileage exemption allowance, do the following:

• Find a safe place to take your break.
• Prepare to log your Hours of Service.
• Communicate with your carrier accordingly.

FMCA Filings Helps Truckers Understand Their Regulations

How many miles can you drive without a logbook? Adherence to HOS rules protects your reputation as a competent, knowledgeable driver. While you might be able to drive between 100 and 150 air miles from your base, it heavily depends on your CDL requirements and shift length.

If you’d like to know more, you can learn about DOT regulations for dump trucks and other vehicles.