Editor’s update — October 2026: This article was first published when FMCSA proposed Hours-of-Service changes in 2019. The short-haul expansion was finalized and took effect September 29, 2020. Do not use the 2019 proposal as the current rule. Start with FMCSA’s current HOS summary and, for limousines and buses, its passenger-carrier guidance.
What changed after the 2019 proposal?
The proposal would have expanded the short-haul, sometimes called “time clock,” exception from a 100-air-mile radius and a 12-hour return window to a 150-air-mile radius and 14 hours. FMCSA adopted that expansion in its 2020 final rule. It applies to qualifying property- and passenger-carrying commercial drivers; it does not make every local trip exempt from Hours-of-Service rules.
What must a passenger carrier check now?
- Does the driver stay within a 150-air-mile radius of the normal work reporting location?
- Does the driver return there and get released within 14 consecutive hours?
- Are the required carrier time records kept? The short-haul exception can replace the usual logbook or record of duty status (RODS), not the time-record requirement.
- Are the separate passenger-carrier driving and on-duty limits met? The short-haul exception does not erase them. FMCSA’s passenger guidance states a 10-hour driving limit after eight consecutive hours off duty.
ELD use is a separate decision. FMCSA says a driver required to prepare RODS no more than eight days in any 30-day period may qualify for an ELD exception; a carrier should count actual RODS-required days rather than assume that a mostly local schedule settles the question. See FMCSA’s ELD overview. Intrastate operations should also check the rules of the state involved before changing procedures.
For more checklists and related DOT topics, use the LBC Fleet DOT compliance resource hub. It is a resource path, not a substitute for confirming a driver’s eligibility under the applicable rule.
Historical record
The 2019 FMCSA proposal explains what was under consideration when this post first appeared. The 2020 final-rule summary documents what FMCSA adopted. The 2019 proposal is preserved for context, not for current operational instructions.
