The Short-Haul Exemption: Who Qualifies and What It Actually Means

The short-haul exemption is one of the more generous provisions in HOS rules — if you qualify. No ELD required. No daily logs. Just a timecard. But the qualification rules have some gotchas that trip up plenty of carriers.

CDL Short-Haul (§395.1(e)(1))

CDL drivers qualify if they:

• Operate within a 150 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location
• Return to their work reporting location and are released within 14 consecutive hours
• Do not exceed 11 hours of driving
• Have used this exemption at least 8 days out of the last 30

Air miles, not driving miles. 150 air miles is about 172 road miles, give or take depending on the roads. Draw a circle on a map — that's your operating area.

Non-CDL Short-Haul / Timecard Exception (§395.1(e)(2))

Non-CDL drivers have an even simpler version. Operate within 150 air miles, 14-hour window, and the carrier just keeps timecards showing start time, end time, and total hours. That's it.

When You Lose the Exemption

This is where carriers mess up:

• Go beyond 150 air miles — even once — and that day requires a full ELD record
• Exceed 14 hours — the driver must switch to full RODS for that day
• Use the exemption fewer than 8 days in 30 — technically disqualifies the driver from short-haul for that period

The risk is having an ELD on the truck but "usually" not needing it. When the driver goes outside the exemption criteria — even for one run — they need to know how to use the ELD and create proper logs. Train them on both scenarios.

Best Of Both Worlds?

Some carriers install ELDs in short-haul trucks anyway. Why? Because the exemption criteria can change on any given day. A last-minute delivery outside the radius, a shift that runs long — suddenly you need RODS and don't have an ELD. Having one installed (even if usually unused) is cheap insurance against that scenario.