Introduction to Personal Conveyance(ELD)
Since the enforcement of the ELD mandate, inquiries about personal conveyance have surfaced. In the pre-ELD era, marking drive time as personal conveyance was a matter of manual notation. However, the advent of electronic logging devices has altered the approach to recording personal conveyance.
Furthermore, the FMCSA has recently revised its guidelines on personal conveyance, prompting additional queries and some uncertainty.
This comprehensive guide provides essential information on personal conveyance, the updated regulations governing it, and the proper procedures for recording it when employing an ELD.
Personal conveyance
The ELD Rule, released in December 2015, introduced regulations for two specific driving categories outlined in 395.28: Authorized Personal Use, commonly referred to as Personal Conveyance or PC, and Yard Moves.
Personal conveyance involves the operation of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for personal purposes while the driver is off duty.
To clarify, personal conveyance movements are entirely personal and do not serve the interests or benefits of the motor carrier.
Is personal conveyance mandatory?
The utilization of personal conveyance is not obligatory. Carriers have the option to configure Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) to enable drivers to log personal conveyance, but there is no mandate requiring them to do so.
Personal conveyance limitations
If a carrier permits personal conveyance, there are no specific regulations in the U.S. dictating time or distance limits.
However, carriers retain the authority to establish specific limits if they choose to do so. They can implement personal conveyance policies for their fleets and drivers, provided that these policies align with FMCSA regulations.
In contrast, Canadian commercial drivers are subjected to a personal conveyance limit of 75 kilometers (46.6 miles) per day. It's important to note that this distance is based on the actual distance traveled, not the radius distance.
What is the FMCSA's latest guideline for personal conveyance ?
In the previous year, the FMCSA revised personal conveyance guidelines, introducing increased flexibility for drivers. The most significant alteration in the new guidance is that a commercial motor vehicle, whether loaded or empty, can now be used for personal conveyance.
This updated guideline and clarification provide additional leeway for drivers, particularly those operating straight trucks that cannot disconnect from their trailer and cargo.
While offering clarity on the personal conveyance guideline, the FMCSA emphasized that the off-duty obligation remains mandatory. The Agency stated, "This guidance is now applicable regardless of the vehicle's load. However, it is important to note that the requirement for the driver to be off duty remains unchanged."
Personal conveyance and its impact on a driver's on-duty time
The mandatory nature of being off duty implies that engaging in personal conveyance does not impact a driver's on-duty time or the applicable Hours of Service (HOS) regulations.
As per the FMCSA, "There are no effects on the 11- or 14-hour limitations for truck drivers, the 10- or 15-hour limitations for bus drivers, the 60/70-hour limitations, the 34-hour restart provisions, or any other on-duty status."
Personal conveyance and the last on-duty location
While issuing the guidelines, the FMCSA clarified that drivers don’t have to return to the last on-duty location after a personal conveyance movement.
In other words, it’s possible for a driver to resume their on-duty status immediately after an off-duty status regardless of the location of the CMV. However, drivers must be off duty and personal conveyance movements can’t be for the benefit of the motor carrier.
Examples of an acceptable personal conveyance movement
The FMCSA outlines acceptable instances of personal conveyance movement, including:
- Time spend traveling from a truck stop or stop or motel to restaurants and entertainment facilities
- Commuting between the driver's workplace and residence.
- Traveling to a nearby, secure location for required rest after loading or unloading.
- Moving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) at the request of a safety official during the driver's off-duty time.
- Driving a motorcoach without passengers to a truck stop, motel, restaurant, or entertainment facility, and returning, while off duty.
- Transporting personal property while off duty.
- Authorized use of a CMV for travel home after working at an offsite location.
Instances of inappropriate personal conveyance movements
The FMCSA specifies situations that do not qualify as personal conveyance, including:
- Moving a commercial motor vehicle to improve the operational readiness of a motor carrier.
- Continuing a trip in interstate commerce for business purposes, such as bobtailing, fetching another load, or repositioning a commercial motor vehicle as directed by the motor carrier.
- Driving a passenger-carrying CMV while passengers are on board.
- Transporting a commercial motor vehicle to a facility for vehicle maintenance.
- Driving to a location for rest after being placed out of service, unless directed otherwise by an enforcement officer at the scene.
- Traveling to the terminal after loading or unloading from a shipper or receiver.
To record personal conveyance using the Advaya ELD solution, follow these steps:
Before drivers are allowed to log personal conveyance, carriers must first activate personal conveyance from their Fleet Dashboard.
Advaya users can log in to the Advaya Fleet Dashboard and navigate to Fleet Overview> Drivers> Click on "Edit Driver" under the Action tab> enable yard moves and personal conveyance for the driver.
After activating Personal or Yard Statuses from the Advaya Fleet Dashboard, drivers can utilize them through the Advaya Driver App