Reviewing Hours of Service Logs

Under the hours-of-service legislation, there are many different ways of reviewing an hours-of- service log to determine if it is in compliance. A three-step process is offered here. All three main steps must be in compliance:

1. Check the log to ensure that it is accurate (compare supporting documents to the log).
2. Check the Day.
3. Check the work shift.
4. Check the cumulative cycles.

NOTE: In addition, the reviewer must always check to evaluate if an exemption is being used by the driver.

1. Check the Day (start time of the 24-hour period must be specified by the operator):

• Regular time (including use of sleeper berth)
  • No driving after 13 hours of driving
  • No driving after 14 hours on-duty
  • At least 10 hours off-duty

NOTE: Before the driver can drive, at least eight hours of this time must be consecutive, and there must be two additional hours off-duty in no less than 30-minute periods that do not form part of the eight consecutive hours.

• Deferred time
  • Option of deferring up to two hours of daily off-duty time to the second day
  • Total driving time in two days not more than 26 hours
  • Total on-duty time in two days not more than 28 hours
  • Total off-duty time in two days not less than 20 hours
  • A mandatory consecutive off-duty period of at least eight plus the number of hours deferred completed before the end of the second day

NOTE: This exemption cannot be used with split sleeper provision.

2. Check the Work Shift (period between the end of one period of eight hours or more off-duty, and the start of the next period of eight hours or more off-duty):

• No sleeper berth used
  • No driving after 13 hours driving
  • No driving after 14 hours on-duty
  • No driving after 16 hours of elapsed time.

NOTE: Elapsed time includes all time in a work shift.

• Single driver using sleeper berth
  • Driving time before and after each period in the eligible sleeper period not to exceed 13 hours
  • No driving after the on-duty time before and after each eligible sleeper period exceeds 14 hours

The driver may not drive after the elapsed time before and after each eligible sleeper period exceeds 16 hours.

NOTE: Each eligible sleeper period must not be less than two hours, and the total of the two periods must be at least 10 hours.

• Team drivers using sleeper berth
  • Driving time before and after each period in the eligible sleeper period not to exceed 13 hours
  • No driving after the on-duty time before and after each eligible sleeper period exceeds 14 hours

The driver may not drive after the elapsed time before and after each eligible sleeper period exceeds 16 hours.

NOTE: Each eligible sleeper period must not be less than four hours, and the total of the two periods must be at least eight hours.

3. Check the Cumulative Cycles (cycle must be specified by operator):

• Seven-day cycle
  • Verify the driver did not drive after accumulating 70 hours of on-duty time in any period of seven consecutive days.

NOTE: A driver may end a seven-day cycle and start a new cycle by taking 36 consecutive hours off-duty. When a driver starts a new cycle, the accumulated hours are deemed to be zero, and the hours start to accumulate again in the new cycle.

• 14-day cycle:
  • Verify the driver did not drive after accumulating 120 hours of on-duty time in any period of 14 consecutive days.
  • Verify the driver did not drive after accumulating more than 70 hours at any time during the cycle without taking 24 hours off-duty.

NOTE: A driver may end a 14-day cycle and start a new cycle by taking 72 consecutive hours off-duty. When a driver starts a new cycle, the accumulated hours are deemed to be zero, and the hours start to accumulate again in the new cycle.

• Day off:
  • Verify that the driver did not drive at any time without having a period of 24 consecutive hours off-duty in the preceding 14 days (regardless of the day or cycle being worked).