ELD & HOS guide

Personal Conveyance Rules for Truck Drivers

Personal Conveyance (PC) is not a way to extend available driving hours. It is a method of recording authorized personal use of a commercial motor vehicle while the driver is genuinely off duty.

Core FMCSA test

The driver must be relieved from work and responsibility for performing work for the motor carrier. The reason for moving the CMV matters more than whether the vehicle is loaded or empty.

Examples that may qualify as Personal Conveyance

Travel from en-route lodging to a restaurant or personal activity while off duty

A permitted commute between a terminal or work site and the driver's residence

Travel to the first nearby reasonable safe location for required rest after loading or unloading

Moving a CMV at the request of a safety official during an off-duty period

Transporting personal property while otherwise off duty

Authorized travel home after completing work at an off-site location

Movements that should not be treated as PC

Moving the truck to improve the carrier's operational position for the next load

Driving closer to a shipper, receiver, terminal, or scheduled business destination for commercial benefit

Using PC simply because normal HOS driving time is exhausted

An on-duty yard movement made as part of loading, unloading, staging, or other work

Any movement the carrier has not authorized under its PC policy

Using PC in a way that prevents the driver from receiving the required restorative rest

How PC is recorded on an ELD

If the carrier has enabled authorized personal use in the driver's ELD account, the driver may select the Personal Conveyance special driving category before the movement.

If the carrier has not configured that category, FMCSA guidance describes recording the authorized personal use as Off Duty with annotations marking the beginning and end of the period.

Important: if a driver forgets to select PC, automatically recorded driving generally cannot later be converted to PC to shorten driving time. The record can be annotated to explain the intended period.

Carrier policy still matters

FMCSA allows carriers to establish limits that are more restrictive than federal guidance. A carrier can prohibit PC, set distance restrictions, or impose other conditions. Drivers should know the carrier's written policy before using the special category.

Personal Conveyance FAQ

What is personal conveyance?

Personal conveyance is off-duty movement of a commercial motor vehicle for personal use when the driver is relieved from work and responsibility for performing work for the motor carrier.

Can a loaded truck be used for personal conveyance?

FMCSA guidance says a CMV may be laden during personal conveyance if the movement is truly personal and is not transporting the load for the commercial benefit of the carrier at that time. A carrier may adopt a more restrictive policy.

Can missed PC be changed later?

Automatically recorded driving generally cannot later be shortened by changing it to Personal Conveyance. If PC was not selected at the start or end, FMCSA guidance allows an annotation identifying the intended PC period.

Can a carrier prohibit personal conveyance?

Yes. Motor carriers may set policies that are more restrictive than FMCSA guidance, including prohibiting PC or limiting its use.

Official sources

FMCSA Personal Conveyance guidance FMCSA: recording authorized personal use on an ELD FMCSA: missed PC or Yard Move selection

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