What is Personal Conveyance in Trucking? A Complete Guide

Kate Feyrer

⏳ 6 min

Navigating the trucking industry can be challenging, as this sector faces strict regulations and safety standards. These complexities include the concept of personal conveyance, which allows drivers to use their vehicles for personal reasons. While it offers flexibility to improve work-life balance, it requires adherence to additional rules and regulations.

Table of Contents

What is Personal Conveyance?
When Can You Use Personal Conveyance?
How Does Personal Conveyance Work?
Personal Conveyance Rules and Regulations
Potential Violations and Consequences
Conclusion
FAQ

The article explores the meaning of personal conveyance, cases when it can be used, and the operational and regulatory steps necessary to stay compliant. With these critical aspects, drivers can confidently use personal conveyance and remain within legal and company guidelines.

What is Personal Conveyance?

Personal conveyance refers to using a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for personal reasons. Thus, the truck isn’t used for shipping cargo, delivering goods, or performing any job-related tasks.

For instance, a driver can use the vehicle to visit a store or return home after a work shift. Understanding what personal conveyance is is necessary for drivers, as it helps ensure compliance with federal regulations.

Specific rules cover personal conveyance, including a personal conveyance mileage limit. This defines how far a driver can go on a CMV for personal reasons. Exceeding this limit or misusing the allowance could lead to violations.

In addition, drivers should accurately log the time and location of their personal conveyance trips through their electronic logging devices (ELDs) to ensure regulatory compliance. Otherwise, a driver can face personal conveyance violations during inspections.

When Can You Use Personal Conveyance?

As we’ve defined, personal conveyance is allowed for cases when a driver needs to operate their truck for personal reasons. Thus, a vehicle can’t be used to ship the load or position the truck closer to a pickup or delivery location. In particular, driving a vehicle closer to the next day’s delivery point during off-duty hours will be considered a work-related activity. This can lead to violation of personal conveyance rules, leading to penalties, fines, or more serious consequences.

Returning home or lodging and arriving at work place. After a shift or during off-duty hours, a driver can use their truck to commute between their work location and their home or a lodging place. This is one of the most frequent uses of personal conveyance. However, the trip can’t be connected to any work-related task, such as returning the truck to a terminal or preparing for a next-day delivery.
Traveling to restaurant, stores, or other errands. Drivers often can run personal errands during their off-duty time, such as going to a restaurant, grocery store, or recreational facility. These trips are considered personal conveyance unless they don’t contribute to the cargo movement. It should be noted, that these trips should be short and within the personal conveyance mileage limit.
Moving the vehicle for safety reasons. If drivers park in an unsafe area, they can move their vehicle to a safer location. This can also be considered as personal conveyance. This rule ensures that drivers can prioritize their safety without worrying about violating regulations.
Driving between terminal for non-work reasons. Sometimes a driver can be ordered to more the truck to another terminal or location for not work-related reasons, such as going to maintenance facility during off-duty hours. If the trip isn’t a part of a driver’s responsibilities or within the working hours, it can be logged as personal conveyance.
Returning to the point of origin. After unloading, a driver may use personal conveyance to return to the last location where they were off-duty, such as home or hotel. However, this trip should be for personal reasons only and not involve preparing a truck for the next job.

How Does Personal Conveyance Work?

Drivers must follow specific steps to use personal conveyance correctly and comply with industry regulations. In particular, truck drivers must activate the proper mode on their ELDs, log all trips, and adhere to mileage or time limits.

Activating personal conveyance mode. Once a driver decides to use the vehicle for personal reasons, they must activate the personal conveyance mode on their ELDs. This step is obligatory as it distinguishes between work-related driving and personal use. With this mode, the driving time and the distance are recorded as a personal activity. Drivers must remember to switch back to the regular driving mode before return to work-related tasks.
Logging the trip. As the personal conveyance mode is activated, the ELD tracks the time and location of the trip. Depending on the system, the driver may also need to enter details, including the reason for the personal use or the nature of the trip. Proper logging provides a clear record that the trip was seasonal personal and helps prevent any misunderstandings. Accurate records are critical to avoid potential conveyance violations.
Monitoring mileage and time limits. Drivers must comply with personal conveyance mileage limits imposed by their carrier or company policies and governmental bodies. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) doesn’t have a specific mileage limit for personal conveyance. At the same time, companies can establish their own limits to prevent misuse. Drivers should track their mileage and driving time during personal conveyance to not exceed these limits.
No impact on hours of service. The main benefit of using personal conveyance is that it doesn’t impact hours of service (HOS). Since the CMV is used for personal activities, it doesn’t reduce the driver’s on-duty hours. However, it’s important to ensure that the use of personal conveyance is appropriate and not perceived as an attempt to violate HOS regulations.
Company policies and regulations. Some companies implement their rules regarding personal conveyance to prevent misuse and ensure compliance of their fleet. This can include more restrictive mileage limits, designated areas where personal conveyance is allowed, or additional documentation requirements.
Review and audit process. During audits or roadside inspections, carriers and regulatory bodies may review a driver’s personal conveyance logs. They will examine the logs to ensure constant compliance and adherence to the allowed limits during personal conveyance. Drivers should be prepared to explain the nature of their personal trips and provide any necessary documentation to support their use.

Personal Conveyance Rules and Regulations

Personal conveyance is regulated by specific rules set by the FMCSA and company policies. The rules are designed to ensure safe driving and the accurate recording of a driver’s hours of service.

In addition, personal conveyance rules and regulations provide some flexibility for drivers in using their vehicles for personal purposes. Understanding and adhering to these rules are essential to avoid penalties and keep a strong safety record.

Personal conveyance definition. The FMCSA defines personal conveyance as operating a commercial vehicle for personal use when a driver is off duty. The vehicle can’t be used for work-related activities, such as driving to a new location of delivery. Off-duty requirement. For personal conveyance, a driver must be officially off-duty. The driver has to complete their work shift, log out of the work mode on their ELD, and switch to personal mode.
No business purpose. During personal conveyance, the vehicle can’t be used in a way that benefits the motor carrier. This can include maintenance activities, fueling, or other action that could be seen as advancing the company’s operations.
Documentation and logging. Drivers must accurately document their personal conveyance trips through their ELDs. This include the fixing of the start and end times and the locations of the trips. Incomplete or inaccurate logging can lead to penalties during inspections or audits.
Company-imposed restrictions. Individual companies may impose additional restrictions for personal conveyance. In particular, this can involve specific mileage limits, designated areas where personal conveyance is allowed, or prohibiting personal conveyance at all.
Inspections. Personal conveyance logs can be review during roadside inspections or audits. Inspectors can examine the driver’s log to ensure that the use of personal conveyance was appropriate and within the regulatory guidelines.
A driver’s responsibility. The driver must ensure compliance with all regulations, including accurate log of all trips, staying within any company-imposed limits, and understanding the rules.
Penalties for violations, non-compliance with the FMCSA regulations and company policies can result in a range of penalties, such as fines, out-of-service orders, or having the veiolations records on the driver’s Compliance, Safety, Acountbaility (CSA) score.

Potential Violations and Consequences

While personal conveyance offers flexibility for drivers in using their CMVs for personal purposes, even a tine violation can lead to serious consequences.

Misuse of personal conveyance. One of the most frequent violations occurs when a driver uses personal conveyance for work-related tasks. This can include driving closer to a pickup or delivery location, moving the vehicle to a repair shop, or positioning the vehicle for the next day’s job. It’s considered as violation, as it benefits the motor carrier and contradicts the purpose of personal use.
Exceeding mileage or time limits. Although the FMCSA doesn’t foresee a specific mileage limit for personal conveyance, many companies set certain limits. Exceeding them can lead to internal violations, suggesting that the driver is improperly extending their work hours.
Failure to properly log personal conveyance. Accurate logging is critical in the trucking industry. Drivers must switch to the personal conveyance mode on their ELDs. Otherwise, they can face violations. If an inspector detects discrepancies in the logs, such as incomplete or inaccurate information, it can provoke penalties. Inspectors need to be convinced that the use of personal conveyance was legitimate and not an attempt to circumvent HOS regulations. As for penalties, it usually includes such outcomes as fines, job loss, and even legal action. To avoid it, drivers must stay compliant with federal regulations and companies’ policies. In particular, it may include:
Impact on Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) Score. Violations related to personal conveyance can negatively impact a driver’s CSA score. The program tracks and evaluates safety violations. A poor score can affect a driver’s career, leading to more scrutiny during inspections, increased insurance rates, or difficulty finding jobs.
Fines and legal consequences. Regulatory authorities can impose penalties for personal conveyance violations. In severe cases, where personal conveyance misuse can lead to accidents or affect safety, legal consequences can include lawsuits or criminal charges.
Out-of-service orders. In case of severe violations, a driver can be placed out of service that means prohibition from driving. This can also reflect poorly on a driver’s safety record and affect future employment opportunities.
Loss of employment. Persistent or severe violations of personal conveyance regulations can lead to the loss of employment. In case of repeated misuse or violations, companies can decide to terminate the driver’s employment to protect their compliance status and safety record.

Conclusion

Personal conveyance offers valuable flexibility for commercial drivers, as it enables them to address personal needs while off duty with no impact on professional obligations. However, drivers must adhere to the framework of rules and regulations during navigating this flexibility.

Proper understanding and application of personal conveyance guidelines, including accurate trips logging, compliance with mileage limits, and adherence to company policies, are crucial. Embracing responsible use of personal conveyance helps preserve a positive safety record and fosters a balanced approach to professional and personal commitments.

FAQ

Can I use personal conveyance to drive home after making a delivery?

Yes, you can use personal conveyance in this case. However, it can’t be related to your next work assignments, such as positioning the truck closer to job location.

Are there any restrictions for personal conveyance?

The FMCSA doesn’t impose a specific personal conveyance mileage limit. However, your company may have its own mileage and time restrictions. Always check with your employer to understand any limitations.

How do I log personal conveyance on my ELD?

To log personal conveyance on your electronic logging device, you must switch to the personal conveyance mode before starting the trip. The device will track the time and location, but you may need to enter additional trip details.

What happens if I misuse personal conveyance?

Misusing personal conveyance can lead to fines, out-of-service orders, or receiving violations in your Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) score.

Can my company prohibit the use of personal conveyance?

Yes, companies can choose to prohibit or restrict the use of personal conveyance. Ensure you’re aware of your company’s specific rules and internal policies regarding personal conveyance.