Hours of service - Montana

Montana has adopted Part 395 of the Federal Regulations.

Part 395 applies to intrastate operation of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating, gross combination weight rating, gross vehicle weight, or gross combination weight of 26,001 or more pounds, or vehicles used to transport hazardous materials of a type or quantity that require the vehicle to be placarded.

Exception — Part 395 does not apply to the operation of a covered farm vehicle.

Exception — The hours-of-service requirements (Part 395) shall not apply during planting and harvesting season to drivers transporting:

• Agricultural commodities from the source of the agricultural commodities to a location within 150 air-miles from the source;
• Farm supplies for agricultural purposes from a wholesale or retail distribution point of the farm supplies to a farm or other location where the farm supplies are intended to be used within a 150 air-mile radius from the distribution point; or
• Farm supplies for agricultural purposes from a wholesale distribution point of the farm supplies to a retail distribution point of the farm supplies within a 150 air-mile radius from the wholesale distribution point.

Montana’s planting and harvesting season is January 1 through December 31 of each year.

A driver subject to this exception must keep a daily record of the number of hours he/she worked. The format of the daily record may be determined by the record keeper, so long as the format includes a provision for entry of hours worked by calendar day. The daily record must be retained for a period of 6 months from initial entry date. Payroll records or time sheets may be used for this purpose if they are updated on a daily basis.

Montana has adopted the electronic logging device (ELD) requirements in Part 395 for intrastate motor carriers and drivers.