• A driver may not use both the 16-hour short-haul and the 150-air-mile exceptions on the same day because a short-haul driver who is on duty for 15-16 hours would exceed the 14-hour limit for the 150 air-mile limit.

The federal hours-of-service rules contain two “short-haul” exceptions: one that exempts drivers from logs when operating within 150 air miles (LINK) and another that allows drivers of property-carrying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to drive up to the 16th hour of the day (instead of the normal 14-hour limit) once per week (LINK). However, these two exceptions are mutually exclusive; a driver may not use both on the same day.

A driver using the 150-air-mile exception must be released from duty within 14 consecutive hours, whereas a driver using the 16-hour short-haul exception must be released within 16 hours. Therefore, a driver may not use both exceptions on the same day, because a short-haul driver who stays on duty for 15-16 hours would not be eligible for the 150-air-mile exception. However, a 150-air-mile-radius driver who normally does not complete a log could use the short-haul exception as long as a standard log is completed for that day.

“Short haul” and “duty tour”

The rules do not define “short haul,” but this term generally refers to any driver and vehicle that return to the normal work-reporting location daily. Any driver who meets the conditions of a “short haul” exception can use the exception. A “duty tour” is the interval between the time a driver comes on duty and is released from duty on a daily basis, beginning and ending at the driver’s normal work-reporting location.