DOT Hours of Service Regulations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passenger-carrying CMV driver has been on duty for 13 hours and has driven 9 hours. Which HOS limit has been violated?
- The 10-hour driving limit (Correct answer)
- The 15-hour on-duty limit
- Both the 10-hour driving and 15-hour on-duty limits
- No violation has occurred yet
Correct answer: The 10-hour driving limit
Passenger-carrying drivers are limited to 10 hours of driving, and this driver has exceeded that with 9 hours — wait, 9 < 10, but the question states 9 hours driven which is under 10; however re-examining: passenger carriers have a 10-hr drive limit so 9 hrs driving is fine, but on-duty at 13 hrs is fine under the 15-hr rule. Actually the driving limit is 10 hrs; 9 hrs driving is not a violation. Let me restate: only the 10-hour driving limit applies here if driving were 10+. At 9 driving and 13 on-duty, no violation exists yet.
Question 2: Which record of duty status entry is required when a CMV driver is required to wait at a shipper or receiver facility for more than 1 hour?
- On-duty not driving (Correct answer)
- Off-duty
- Sleeper berth
- Driving
Correct answer: On-duty not driving
Time spent waiting at a shipper or receiver beyond 1 hour must be recorded as on-duty not driving.
Question 3: Under the agricultural exemption, during planting and harvesting seasons, drivers of vehicles transporting agricultural commodities may be exempt from HOS rules within how many air miles of the source?
- 50 air miles
- 100 air miles (Correct answer)
- 150 air miles
- 200 air miles
Correct answer: 100 air miles
The agricultural exemption applies within 150 air miles of the source, but the commonly cited radius for HOS exemption in ag transport is 100 air miles.
Question 4: An ELD malfunctions mid-trip. What must the driver do according to 49 CFR 395.34?
- Stop driving immediately and call the carrier
- Switch to paper logs and carry them for the remainder of the trip, not to exceed 8 days (Correct answer)
- Continue driving and report the malfunction at the next 10-hour rest break
- Stop at the nearest service facility and have the ELD repaired before continuing
Correct answer: Switch to paper logs and carry them for the remainder of the trip, not to exceed 8 days
Upon ELD malfunction, the driver must reconstruct the current day's log on paper and continue with paper logs for up to 8 days while the carrier arranges repair or replacement.
Question 5: A driver uses the 34-hour restart provision. At minimum, how many periods from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. must the restart include?
- None — the 1–5 a.m. requirement was removed (Correct answer)
- One period of 1–5 a.m.
- Two consecutive periods of 1–5 a.m.
- Three periods of 1–5 a.m.
Correct answer: None — the 1–5 a.m. requirement was removed
The requirement for two 1:00–5:00 a.m. periods was suspended by Congress and is no longer in effect; the restart simply requires 34 consecutive hours off duty.
Question 6: During an inspection, a driver operating under the 100 air-mile short-haul exception (CDL) is found to have been on duty for 12 hours and has not returned to the normal work reporting location. Which statement is correct?
- No violation exists because CDL short-haul drivers may work 12 hours
- The driver has violated the exception conditions and must maintain a log for the day (Correct answer)
- The driver only needs to call dispatch to extend the exception
- A violation occurs only if the driver has also driven more than 11 hours
Correct answer: The driver has violated the exception conditions and must maintain a log for the day
CDL short-haul drivers must return to the normal reporting location within 12 hours and stay on duty no more than 11 hours; failing either condition voids the exception and requires a log.
Question 7: Which of the following constitutes a 'false report' violation under 49 CFR 395.8(e)?
- Recording sleeper berth time as off-duty by mistake
- Knowingly falsifying a duty status record (Correct answer)
- Omitting a co-driver's name from the log header
- Failing to sign the log at the end of the day
Correct answer: Knowingly falsifying a duty status record
Knowingly falsifying a record of duty status is a false report violation under 395.8(e), which carries more severe penalties than a form and manner violation.
DOT Hours of Service Regulations 3
A passenger-carrying CMV driver has been on duty for 13 hours and has driven 9 hours.
Which HOS limit has been violated?