General Knowledge: Hours Of Service

3 questions in the bank cover this topic. Everything below is drawn from the sources those questions cite.

Sources: 49 CFR 395.1

What you need to know

395.1(b)(1) allows not more than two additional hours, to complete the run or reach a place offering safety for the occupants and security for the vehicle and cargo.

It is for conditions you could not have known about, not for poor planning. Beyond the maximum allowable hours, for adverse conditions.

a driver who encounters adverse driving conditions, as defined in § 395.2, and cannot, because of those conditions, safely complete the run within the maximum driving time or duty time during which driving is permitted under § 395.3(a) or § 395.5(a) may drive and be permitted or required to drive a commercial motor vehicle for not more than two additional hours

49 CFR 395.1

395.1(e)(1)(i) sets a 150 air-mile radius, equal to 172.6 statute miles.

Air miles are straight-line distance, so the radius covers less road distance than it sounds.

The driver operates within a 150 air-mile radius (172.6 statute miles) of the normal work reporting location

49 CFR 395.1

395.1(e)(1)(ii) requires return and release within 14 consecutive hours, with a carve-out for driver-salespersons.

Both the radius and the time condition must be met; missing either means keeping a full record of duty status. The driver must also be released from duty at that point.

The driver, except a driver-salesperson, returns to the work reporting location and is released from work within 14 consecutive hours

49 CFR 395.1

Check yourself

• What may you do when adverse conditions prevent finishing your run?

• What radius defines the short-haul exemption from the record of duty status requirements?

• Besides the radius, what else must be true for the short-haul exemption to apply?

Answers are in the practice test for this topic.