Are You Driving On-Duty or Off-Duty?

If you drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) you may have asked good questions such as, “Can I continue to work after reaching the 60- or 70-hour limit as long as I don’t get behind the wheel?” or, “How do I log the time I spend moving trailers around our yard?”

There are two categories of on-duty time to discuss when answering those questions:

• On-duty driving, and
• On-duty not driving.

On-Duty Driving

First, drivers are required to log on-duty driving, also known as “Line 3 time,” when operating a CMV on a highway.  A highway is usually a roadway but can be a truck stop or store parking lot if there are no signs or gates that prohibit public entry.

Driving limits, such as the 14- or 60-/70-hour driving limits, prohibit driving a CMV on a highway beyond a 14-consecutive hour duty window or after you accumulate 60 or 70 hours of on-duty time in the previous seven or eight days, respectively.

On-Duty Not Driving

That said, you can do on-duty (not driving) work beyond those limits provided the work doesn’t involve operating a CMV on a highway. Some examples of on-duty (not driving) include:

• Moving trailers in a yard with a gate or signs to keep the public out;  
• Driving a pickup truck that is not a CMV (less than 10,001 pounds) on a public roadway;  
• Inspecting, maintaining, or fueling your vehicle; and
• Operating your personal vehicle for compensation, such as for a rideshare company.

If you use an ELD while shuttling trailers around a yard, you can use the “Yard Move” option (if authorized by your carrier) when the location is not open to public access. Yard-move time would count toward accumulated on-duty time, not “Line-3” driving time.

Rest breaks

You may also ask the question, “How does on-duty (not driving) time impact the 30-minute rest break?”

Answer: If you don’t drive a CMV on a highway after eight hours from your last break of 30 minutes or more (usually your 10-hour break), you won’t need to log a 30-minute rest break.

Keep in mind that you need a minimum 10-consecutive hour break from the end of your last on-duty time before you can drive a CMV on a “highway” if you have exceeded driving limits, and you have hours remaining on the 60-/70-hour limit.

Safety First & Always

Above all, it is your duty to stay safe, but knowing the difference between on-duty driving and on-duty (not driving) can keep you compliant.

About the Author: Mark Schedler is the Senior Editor, J. J. Keller and Associates, Inc.