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When a motor carrier or driver talks about the “short-haul” exception to the hours-of-service (HOS) rules, they’re usually referring to the one that’s limited to a 150-air-mile radius. But did you know that some short hauls need to be much shorter to qualify?
As more companies consider shorter hauls as a way to recruit and retain drivers, it’s a good time to review the short-haul exceptions and understand the distance limits that apply.
The 150-air-mile exception in 49 CFR 395.1(e) is the most commonly used short-haul exception. It’s an exception from:
To qualify, drivers must remain within a 150-air-mile radius of their starting location, return there each day, and be released from work within 14 consecutive hours. The rule includes some additional exceptions for drivers who are not required to hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
In addition, drivers transporting agricultural commodities or farm supplies within a 150-air-mile radius are exempt from all HOS rules if certain conditions are met (see 395.1(k)).
These federal exceptions apply to interstate operations but most states adopt these same exceptions for their in-state drivers as well.
Prior to September 2020, the 150-air-mile log exception was limited to 100 air miles for CDL-holding drivers (and all drivers prior to October 2005). Today, a handful of states still apply this limit on their in-state drivers, including California, New York, Ohio, and others. Drivers subject to those states’ HOS rules must remain within 100 air miles to claim the state’s log exception.
In addition, the federal HOS rules today still include three other exceptions that limit drivers to 100 air miles:
Certain drivers transporting construction materials and equipment can enjoy a 24-hour restart (versus the normal 34 hours) if it’s done within 75 air miles of the driver’s work-reporting location (395.1(m) and 395.2).
Under federal rules, states can adopt stricter limits on the exception for drivers transporting construction materials and equipment, as described above. Instead of adopting the federal 75-air-mile limit, states may enforce a limit of as few as 50 air miles. If you transport construction materials or equipment within a single state, be sure you know which limit applies.
Finally, federal rules include a once-per-week exception from the 14-hour limit for drivers who return home at the end of the day (395.1(o)). It does not, however, limit how far those drivers may drive (other than the standard 11-hour driving limit) — they just have to make it back to the starting location within 16 hours.
An air mile is a bit longer than the standard “land” mile tracked on a car’s odometer. One air mile is equivalent to 1.15 miles on the road.
Air Miles | Road Miles |
50 | 57.5 |
75 | 86.3 |
100 | 115.1 |
150 | 172.6 |
Keep in mind that an air-mile radius is based on travel in a straight line. If a driver must remain within a 150-air-mile radius of home, for example, then the driver may travel up to 172.6 miles away from that location in a straight line (“as the crow flies”) in any direction. Because most roads aren’t built in a straight line, drivers and motor carriers must refer to a map — or better yet, an online mapping tool — to determine where the geographic boundary lies.
Also be aware that drivers are not limited to a specific number of miles within the radius. For example, a truck driver may drive much more than 172 miles in a day and still claim the 150-air-mile log exception, as long as all driving (up to 11 hours) took place within the 150-air-mile radius.
Key to remember: The 150-air-mile log exception is well-known but federal and state HOS rules contain many other exceptions that further limit the distance that drivers may travel. Be sure you know the limits that apply when using one of these special exceptions.
When a motor carrier or driver talks about the “short-haul” exception to the hours-of-service (HOS) rules, they’re usually referring to the one that’s limited to a 150-air-mile radius. But did you know that some short hauls need to be much shorter to qualify?
As more companies consider shorter hauls as a way to recruit and retain drivers, it’s a good time to review the short-haul exceptions and understand the distance limits that apply.
The 150-air-mile exception in 49 CFR 395.1(e) is the most commonly used short-haul exception. It’s an exception from:
To qualify, drivers must remain within a 150-air-mile radius of their starting location, return there each day, and be released from work within 14 consecutive hours. The rule includes some additional exceptions for drivers who are not required to hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
In addition, drivers transporting agricultural commodities or farm supplies within a 150-air-mile radius are exempt from all HOS rules if certain conditions are met (see 395.1(k)).
These federal exceptions apply to interstate operations but most states adopt these same exceptions for their in-state drivers as well.
Prior to September 2020, the 150-air-mile log exception was limited to 100 air miles for CDL-holding drivers (and all drivers prior to October 2005). Today, a handful of states still apply this limit on their in-state drivers, including California, New York, Ohio, and others. Drivers subject to those states’ HOS rules must remain within 100 air miles to claim the state’s log exception.
In addition, the federal HOS rules today still include three other exceptions that limit drivers to 100 air miles:
Certain drivers transporting construction materials and equipment can enjoy a 24-hour restart (versus the normal 34 hours) if it’s done within 75 air miles of the driver’s work-reporting location (395.1(m) and 395.2).
Under federal rules, states can adopt stricter limits on the exception for drivers transporting construction materials and equipment, as described above. Instead of adopting the federal 75-air-mile limit, states may enforce a limit of as few as 50 air miles. If you transport construction materials or equipment within a single state, be sure you know which limit applies.
Finally, federal rules include a once-per-week exception from the 14-hour limit for drivers who return home at the end of the day (395.1(o)). It does not, however, limit how far those drivers may drive (other than the standard 11-hour driving limit) — they just have to make it back to the starting location within 16 hours.
An air mile is a bit longer than the standard “land” mile tracked on a car’s odometer. One air mile is equivalent to 1.15 miles on the road.
Air Miles | Road Miles |
50 | 57.5 |
75 | 86.3 |
100 | 115.1 |
150 | 172.6 |
Keep in mind that an air-mile radius is based on travel in a straight line. If a driver must remain within a 150-air-mile radius of home, for example, then the driver may travel up to 172.6 miles away from that location in a straight line (“as the crow flies”) in any direction. Because most roads aren’t built in a straight line, drivers and motor carriers must refer to a map — or better yet, an online mapping tool — to determine where the geographic boundary lies.
Also be aware that drivers are not limited to a specific number of miles within the radius. For example, a truck driver may drive much more than 172 miles in a day and still claim the 150-air-mile log exception, as long as all driving (up to 11 hours) took place within the 150-air-mile radius.
Key to remember: The 150-air-mile log exception is well-known but federal and state HOS rules contain many other exceptions that further limit the distance that drivers may travel. Be sure you know the limits that apply when using one of these special exceptions.