A convenient way to stay compliant without an ELD
In the world of trucking, the short-haul exemption offers a convenient and efficient way for drivers and local carriers to stay compliant without adhering to the electronic logging device (ELD) requirements imposed by federal regulations. For compliance specialists and fleet managers, understanding how this exemption works is key to optimizing operations while upholding safety standards.
What is the short-haul exemption?
The short-haul exemption, as defined by both U.S. and Canadian hours-of-service (HOS) regulations, allows eligible drivers to operate without maintaining detailed logbooks or using ELDs. Instead, drivers can use timesheets, as long as they meet specific conditions.
Who qualifies?
The U.S. and Canadian rules differ regarding the conditions that must be met to qualify for the short-haul exemption. Here is a breakdown of each.
U.S. regulations
To qualify for the short-haul exemption according to U.S. trucking regulations, a driver must:
- Operate within a 150 air-mile radius of their home terminal
- Start and end their shift at the same location
- Maintain a maximum duty period of 14 hours
- Maintain a maximum of 11 hours of driving
- Take/have taken at least 10 consecutive hours off duty between shifts
Canadian regulations
To qualify for the short-haul exemption according to Canadian regulations, a driver must:
- Operate within a 160 km radius of their home terminal
- Start and end their shift at the same location
- Take/have taken at least 8 consecutive hours off duty between shifts
- Follow all other Canadian HOS rules in the Federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations, including the daily, work shift and cycle limits.
- Drive less than 13 hours in a shift and day
- Refrain from driving after accumulating 14 hours of on-duty time in a day and shift
- Be off duty within 16 hours of starting a day and shift
This exemption is meant for local, routine operations — think local trucking operations such as last-mile delivery, regional haulers, and service-based fleets.
Key benefits
- Exempts a driver from meeting ELD requirements: drivers can use paper timecards or other time-tracking systems instead of electronic logs with detailed logbooks to track time.
- Simplifies recordkeeping: carriers only need to keep basic time records for six months. See US regulations and Canadian regulations.
- Boosts operational efficiency: simplifies the time tracking process and allows drivers to focus on their routes.
Conclusion
The short-haul exemption is a useful option for carriers whose activities meet the conditions for this rule. It offers a simplified approach to compliance for local drivers but is not without constraints.
Carriers must ensure that drivers stay within 150 air miles (in the U.S) or 160 km (in Canada), do not exceed local HOS limits, and keep accurate time records. Any deviation from these requirements may result in disqualification from the exemption and potential penalties.
Thus, even when ELDs aren’t required, we recommend using ISAAC’s intuitive tablet to track driving time and generate compliant records automatically. That means no paper logs or timesheets, fewer manual tasks, and less risk of error. The interface is easy to use, with minimal clicks required. You get the best of both worlds: accurate, compliant records without the administrative burden.
For compliance teams, this exemption, combined with using ISAAC’s platform, can simplify processes while keeping the fleet compliant, especially in environments where trucks return to the terminal often.
