A driver finishes a delivery, goes off duty, and still needs to move the truck. Does that time count against hours of service, or does it qualify as personal conveyance? Getting this wrong on an ELD can turn a routine move into a compliance headache.
In this guide, we'll explain what truck driver conveyance time regulations cover, when personal conveyance is allowed, when it isn't, how it affects hours of service, and how to log it correctly on an ELD.
Key Takeaways:
- Personal conveyance is off-duty time: Qualifying movement of a commercial vehicle for personal use gets logged as off-duty, not driving.
- Carriers can restrict its use: FMCSA sets the baseline, but carriers may prohibit, limit, or place conditions on personal conveyance.
- A loaded truck can still qualify: The load isn't being moved for the carrier's benefit, so being laden doesn't disqualify a trip.
- Logging it wrong risks HOS issues: Misusing personal conveyance on an ELD can trigger violations during a roadside inspection.
What Is Personal Conveyance in Trucking?
Personal conveyance is the off-duty operation of a commercial motor vehicle for personal use. Under FMCSA guidance, a driver can record qualifying personal conveyance as off-duty time when they've been relieved from work and the movement isn't being made for the carrier's commercial benefit.
Personal conveyance is an off-duty status, not extra driving time, and it doesn't count against a driver's available HOS limits. A truck can be loaded and still qualify, since the load isn't being transported for the carrier's benefit at that moment. Carriers aren't required to allow personal conveyance, and FMCSA specifically notes they can prohibit it, limit its distance, or restrict its use with loaded vehicles.
How Do Personal Conveyance Rules Work?
Personal conveyance generally comes down to four conditions lining up: the driver is relieved of work, the movement is for a personal reason, it doesn't advance the carrier's business or operational readiness, and the carrier permits it in the first place.
The exact circumstances matter more than the destination itself:
This table is a useful gut check, but it isn't a substitute for the full FMCSA guidance.
When Can Truck Drivers Use Personal Conveyance?
FMCSA lists several situations where personal conveyance typically applies:
- Driving between lodging and personal destinations, such as restaurants or entertainment, while off duty.
- Commuting between home and a terminal, drop lot, or work site, as long as the trip still leaves enough time for required rest.
- Traveling to the first reasonable, safe parking location for required rest after loading or unloading.
- Moving the truck at the request of a safety official during off-duty time.
- Traveling home after being released from work at an offsite location.
The safe-parking example has an important limit. FMCSA only allows travel to the first reasonably available rest location, not to keep driving toward the next load.
When Does Driving Not Qualify as Personal Conveyance?
This is where drivers run into trouble most often. FMCSA guidance excludes several common movements:
- Driving closer to the next pickup or delivery, or otherwise bypassing an available rest stop to reach a scheduled destination.
- Continuing a trip to fulfill a business purpose, including bobtailing or repositioning a truck or trailer at the carrier's direction.
- Driving to a terminal after loading or unloading from a shipper or receiver.
- Taking the truck to a maintenance or repair facility.
- Using personal conveyance simply because the driver has run out of available hours, outside the narrow safe-parking exception above.
Where you're driving matters less than why you're driving. FMCSA's guidance focuses on whether the movement is personal or benefits the carrier's business, which is why bobtailing doesn't automatically make a trip personal conveyance.
Is There a Time or Mileage Limit for Personal Conveyance?
FMCSA doesn't set a maximum federal time or distance for personal conveyance. Carriers may establish their own restrictions, and drivers still have to meet standard safety and fatigue requirements regardless of any company policy.
Federal rules: No fixed mileage or time cap on personal conveyance.
Carrier policies: May add mileage limits, time limits, loaded-vehicle restrictions, or prohibit personal conveyance altogether.
How Should Personal Conveyance Be Logged on an ELD?
Logging personal conveyance correctly takes a few steps:
- Confirm the carrier permits personal conveyance.
- Select the ELD's personal conveyance or authorized personal use category, if it's available.
- Record the movement as off duty.
- Add an annotation explaining the circumstances.
- Return to the appropriate duty status once personal conveyance ends.
Most ELDs pull duty status directly from the engine, but personal conveyance still calls for a manual switch, which fits into the broader picture of how ELDs record duty status throughout a shift. If a carrier hasn't configured the personal conveyance option, FMCSA guidance allows the driver to switch to Off Duty instead and annotate the start and end of the period.
How Does Personal Conveyance Affect a Truck Driver's Hours of Service?
Personal conveyance is recorded as off-duty time, so it doesn't chip away at a driver's available driving hours, and it can't be used to stretch the workday artificially between loads.
Drivers still need to meet the same rest requirements that shape the 14-hour rule, and qualifying personal conveyance can count toward that off-duty time as long as the driver actually gets adequate rest.
Personal Conveyance vs. Yard Move: What's the Difference?
The two get confused often, but they land on opposite sides of the duty-status line.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does personal conveyance count against your 14-hour clock?
No. Personal conveyance is off-duty time and doesn't extend the duty period, but the trip still has to leave enough time to complete required rest before the clock resets.
Can you use personal conveyance while loaded?
Yes. FMCSA guidance says a loaded truck can still qualify, since the load isn't being moved for the carrier's commercial benefit during that time.
Can you use personal conveyance to drive home?
Sometimes. Commuting between a terminal, drop lot, or offsite work location and home can qualify, as long as the trip still allows time for required rest.
Can you use personal conveyance after running out of hours?
Generally no. The one narrow exception is traveling to the nearest reasonable, safe parking location after loading or unloading, and rest requirements still apply.
How many miles can you drive on personal conveyance?
FMCSA sets no federal mileage or time cap on personal conveyance, though individual carriers can put their own distance limits in place for drivers.
Can a carrier deny personal conveyance?
Yes. Carriers can prohibit personal conveyance altogether, limit how far or long it can be used, or restrict it when the truck is loaded.
Does personal conveyance have to be logged on an ELD?
Yes, as off-duty time. Drivers use the personal conveyance category when the ELD has one, or switch to Off Duty and annotate the start and end otherwise.
