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Truck Accidents & Injuries — Driver’s Record Requirements

June 30, 2016

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Morrow & Sheppard have Houston truck accident attorneys who assist clients around the country affected by 18 wheeler and commercial vehicle accidents that have caused serious personal injury or death.

Call us now at 1-800-489-2216 for a free, confidential, and non-binding consultation to discuss your rights.

This is the fifth in a series of articles discussing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act–Hours of Service requirements.

Fatigued truck drivers and commercial vehicle drivers who break the Hours of Service requirements have caued serious personal injuries and wrongful deaths in thousands if not millions of cases.

To make sure drivers to not violate these critical safety rules, the FMCSA sets requires drivers to keep extensive records.

Truck Injury Lawyers–Duty Status Records

Section 395.8 provides:

§ 395.8: Driver’s record of duty status.

(a)(1) Except for a private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness), as defined in §390.5 of this subchapter, a motor carrier subject to the requirements of this part must require each driver used by the motor carrier to record the driver’s duty status for each 24-hour period using the method prescribed in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through (iv) of this section, as applicable.

(i) Subject to paragraphs (a)(1)(ii) and (iii) of this section, a motor carrier operating commercial motor vehicles must install and require each of its drivers to use an ELD to record the driver’s duty status in accordance with subpart B of this part no later than December 18, 2017.

(ii) A motor carrier that installs and requires a driver to use an automatic on-board recording device in accordance with §395.15 before December 18, 2017 may continue to use the compliant automatic on-board recording device no later than December 16, 2019.

(iii)(A) A motor carrier may require a driver to record the driver’s duty status manually in accordance with this section, rather than require the use of an ELD, if the driver is operating a commercial motor vehicle:

(1) In a manner requiring completion of a record of duty status on not more than 8 days within any 30-day period;

((2) In a driveaway-towaway operation in which the vehicle being driven is part of the shipment being delivered; or

((3) That was manufactured before model year 2000.

(B) The record of duty status must be recorded in duplicate for each 24-hour period for which recording is required. The duty status shall be recorded on a specified grid, as shown in paragraph (g) of this section. The grid and the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section may be combined with any company form.

(iv) Subject to paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through (iii) of this section, until December 18, 2017, a motor carrier operating commercial motor vehicles shall require each of its drivers to record the driver’s record of duty status:

(A) Using an ELD that meets the requirements of subpart B of this part;

(B) Using an automatic on-board recording device that meets the requirements of §395.15; or

(C) Manually, recorded on a specified grid as shown in paragraph (g) of this section. The grid and the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section may be combined with any company form. The record of duty status must be recorded in duplicate for each 24-hour period for which recording is required.

(2) A driver operating a commercial motor vehicle must:

(i) Record the driver’s duty status using one of the methods under paragraph (a)(1) of this section; and

(ii) Submit the driver’s record of duty status to the motor carrier within 13 days of the 24-hour period to which the record pertains.

(b) The duty status shall be recorded as follows:

(1) “Off duty” or “OFF.”

(2) “Sleeper berth” or “SB” (only if a sleeper berth used).

(3) “Driving” or “D.”

(4) “On-duty not driving” or “ON.”

(c) For each change of duty status (e.g., the place of reporting for work, starting to drive, on-duty not driving and where released from work), the name of the city, town, or village, with State abbreviation, shall be recorded.

Note: If a change of duty status occurs at a location other than a city, town, or village, show one of the following: (1) The highway number and nearest milepost followed by the name of the nearest city, town, or village and State abbreviation, (2) the highway number and the name of the service plaza followed by the name of the nearest city, town, or village and State abbreviation, or (3) the highway numbers of the nearest two intersecting roadways followed by the name of the nearest city, town, or village and State abbreviation.

(d) The following information must be included on the form in addition to the grid:

(1) Date;

(2) Total miles driving today;

(3) Truck or tractor and trailer number;

(4) Name of carrier;

(5) Driver’s signature/certification;

(6) 24-hour period starting time (e.g. midnight, 9:00 a.m., noon, 3:00 p.m.);

(7) Main office address;

(8) Remarks;

(9) Name of co-driver;

(10) Total hours (far right edge of grid);

(11) Shipping document number(s), or name of shipper and commodity;

(e)(1) No driver or motor carrier may make a false report in connection with a duty status.

(2) No driver or motor carrier may disable, deactivate, disengage, jam, or otherwise block or degrade a signal transmission or reception, or reengineer, reprogram, or otherwise tamper with an automatic on-board recording device or ELD so that the device does not accurately record and retain required data.

(3) No driver or motor carrier may permit or require another person to disable, deactivate, disengage, jam, or otherwise block or degrade a signal transmission or reception, or reengineer, reprogram, or otherwise tamper with an automatic on-board recording device or ELD so that the device does not accurately record and retain required data.

(f) The driver’s activities shall be recorded in accordance with the following provisions:

(1) Entries to be current. Drivers shall keep their records of duty status current to the time shown for the last change of duty status.

(2) Entries made by driver only. All entries relating to driver’s duty status must be legible and in the driver’s own handwriting.

(3) Date. The month, day and year for the beginning of each 24-hour period shall be shown on the form containing the driver’s duty status record.

(4) Total miles driving today. Total mileage driven during the 24-hour period shall be recorded on the form containing the driver’s duty status record.

(5) Commercial motor vehicle identification. The driver shall show the number assigned by the motor carrier, or the license number and licensing State of each commercial motor vehicle operated during each 24-hour period on his/her record of duty status. The driver of an articulated (combination) commercial motor vehicle shall show the number assigned by the motor carrier, or the license number and licensing State of each motor vehicle used in each commercial motor vehicle combination operated during that 24-hour period on his/her record of duty status.

(6) Name of motor carrier. The name(s) of the motor carrier(s) for which work is performed shall be shown on the form containing the driver’s record of duty status. When work is performed for more than one motor carrier during the same 24-hour period, the beginning and finishing time, showing a.m. or p.m., worked for each motor carrier shall be shown after each motor carrier’s name. Drivers of leased commercial motor vehicles shall show the name of the motor carrier performing the transportation.

(7) Signature/certification. The driver shall certify to the correctness of all entries by signing the form containing the driver’s duty status record with his/her legal name or name of record. The driver’s signature certifies that all entries required by this section made by the driver are true and correct.

(8) Time base to be used.

(i) The driver’s duty status record shall be prepared, maintained, and submitted using the time standard in effect at the driver’s home terminal, for a 24-hour period beginning with the time specified by the motor carrier for that driver’s home terminal.

(ii) The term “7 or 8 consecutive days” means the 7 or 8 consecutive 24-hour periods as designated by the carrier for the driver’s home terminal.

(iii) The 24-hour period starting time must be identified on the driver’s duty status record. One-hour increments must appear on the graph, be identified, and preprinted. The words “Midnight” and “Noon” must appear above or beside the appropriate one-hour increment.

(9) Main office address. The motor carrier’s main office address shall be shown on the form containing the driver’s duty status record.

(10) Recording days off duty. Two or more consecutive 24-hour periods off duty may be recorded on one duty status record.

(11) Total hours. The total hours in each duty status: off duty other than in a sleeper berth; off duty in a sleeper berth; driving, and on duty not driving, shall be entered to the right of the grid, the total of such entries shall equal 24 hours.

(12) Shipping document number(s) or name of shipper and commodity shall be shown on the driver’s record of duty status.

(g) Graph grid. The following graph grid must be incorporated into a motor carrier recordkeeping system which must also contain the information required in paragraph (d) of this section.

eCFR graphic ec01ap91.034.gif

View or download PDF

(h) Graph grid preparation. The graph grid may be used horizontally or vertically and shall be completed as follows:

(1) Off duty. Except for time spent resting in a sleeper berth, a continuous line shall be drawn between the appropriate time markers to record the period(s) of time when the driver is not on duty, is not required to be in readiness to work, or is not under any responsibility for performing work.

(2) Sleeper berth. A continuous line shall be drawn between the appropriate time markers to record the period(s) of time off duty resting in a sleeper berth, as defined in §395.2. (If a non-sleeper berth operation, sleeper berth need not be shown on the grid.)

(3) Driving. A continuous line shall be drawn between the appropriate time markers to record the period(s) of driving time, as defined in §395.2.

(4) On duty not driving. A continuous line shall be drawn between the appropriate time markers to record the period(s) of time on duty not driving specified in §395.2.

(5) Location—remarks. The name of the city, town, or village, with State abbreviation where each change of duty status occurs shall be recorded.

Note: If a change of duty status occurs at a location other than a city, town, or village, show one of the following: (1) The highway number and nearest milepost followed by the name of the nearest city, town, or village and State abbreviation, (2) the highway number and the name of the service plaza followed by the name of the nearest city, town, or village and State abbreviation, or (3) the highway numbers of the nearest two intersecting roadways followed by the name of the nearest city, town, or village and State abbreviation.

(i) [Reserved]

(j) Drivers used by more than one motor carrier. (1) When the services of a driver are used by more than one motor carrier during any 24-hour period in effect at the driver’s home terminal, the driver shall submit a copy of the record of duty status to each motor carrier. The record shall include:

(i) All duty time for the entire 24-hour period;

(ii) The name of each motor carrier served by the driver during that period; and

(iii) The beginning and finishing time, including a.m. or p.m., worked for each carrier.

(2) Motor carriers, when using a driver for the first time or intermittently, shall obtain from the driver a signed statement giving the total time on duty during the immediately preceding 7 days and the time at which the driver was last relieved from duty prior to beginning work for the motor carriers.

(k) Retention of driver’s record of duty status and supporting documents. (1) A motor carrier shall retain records of duty status and supporting documents required under this part for each of its drivers for a period of not less than 6 months from the date of receipt.

(2) The driver shall retain a copy of each record of duty status for the previous 7 consecutive days which shall be in his/her possession and available for inspection while on duty.

Note: Driver’s Record of Duty Status.

The graph grid, when incorporated as part of any form used by a motor carrier, must be of sufficient size to be legible.

The following executed specimen grid illustrates how a driver’s duty status should be recorded for a trip from Richmond, Virginia, to Newark, New Jersey. The grid reflects the midnight to midnight 24 hour period.

Houston Truck Injury Lawyer Can Help Your Family Secure Maximum Recovery

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a truck accident, our Houston based personal injury attorneys can help.  We help victims nationwide and we only get paid when our clients win.

Call us now at 1-800-489-2216 to discuss your legal rights.

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