Are drivers required to show supporting documents during roadside inspections?
Upon request, a driver must provide any supporting document in the driver’s possession for an authorized safety official’s review.
What supporting documents should a motor carrier retain if a driver submits more than eight documents for a 24-hour period?
The carrier must keep the first and last documents for that day, and six others. If a driver submits fewer than eight documents, the carrier must keep them all. NOTE: Paper documents do not have to be retained if they are scanned and available digitally.
Can a document with fewer than four required elements be used as a supporting document?
If a driver has fewer than eight documents that include all four elements, a document that contains all of the elements except “time” is considered a supporting document.
What information should be in the supporting documents?
Supporting documents must contain the following elements: Driver name or carrier-assigned identification number, either on the document or on another document enabling the carrier to link the document to the driver. The vehicle unit number can also be used if it can be linked to the driver; Date; Location...
Can supporting documents be limited to only those acquired at the beginning and end of the workday?
No. Documents acquired throughout the day are important in enforcing the 60/70-hour rule—a crucial part of ensuring hours of service compliance. Compliance with the 60/70-hour rule is based on the cumulative hours an individual works over a period of days. Supporting documents are critical to verify the proper duty...
Are there specific categories of supporting documents that drivers can provide electronically?
Two categories—electronic mobile communications and payroll records—are not documents a driver would have to physically retain. They may be part of a larger record that the carrier retains electronically or physically at the dispatch location or principal place of business. In applying the eight-document limit, all information in an...
What are the categories of supporting documents?
Given the diversity of the industry, FMCSA has identified five categories of supporting documents: Bills of lading, itineraries, schedules, or equivalent documents that show the starting and ending location for each trip; Dispatch records, trip records, or equivalent documents; Expense receipts related to “on-duty/not driving” periods (meals, lodging, fuel,...
How long must motor carriers retain records of duty status (RODS) and supporting documents?
Motor carriers must retain RODS and supporting documents for six months.
How many supporting documents must be retained by motor carriers, and when must drivers submit them to the motor carrier?
Motor carriers must retain up to eight supporting documents for every 24-hour period that a driver is on duty. Drivers must submit their records of duty status (RODS) and supporting documents to the motor carrier no later than 13 days after receiving them. If a motor carrier retains more...
When are motor carriers and drivers required to comply with the supporting document requirements?
All motor carriers and drivers must comply with the supporting documents requirements starting December 18, 2017.
