Introduction to Compliance

Abstract

Motive helps fleets maintain hours of service (HOS) compliance with tools that simplify log management, track driver duty status, and support adherence to complex federal, state, and provincial regulations. These features promote road safety and help reduce the risk of violations.

Overview 

Motive makes it easier to follow HOS rules, no matter the size of your fleet. The system tracks hours automatically and gives you a clear view of each driver’s status. This improves safety and reduces the risk of HOS violations across different regions and driving conditions:

• Manage complex rules: Follow U.S. federal and state HOS regulations, as well as Canadian federal and provincial regulations, with support built into the platform.
• Simplify HOS exceptions: Apply and manage exceptions like adverse driving, short-haul, and agriculture directly in Motive.
• Support driver compliance: Set the right HOS rules for each driver, monitor special duty statuses, and catch possible violations early.
• Handle cross-border trips: When drivers cross between the U.S. and Canada, Motive can switch HOS rules automatically to help stay compliant.

State and provincial regulations 

Motive supports all federal cycles in the U.S. and Canada, plus state and provincial rules such as California, Texas, Florida, and Alberta.
HOS rules vary depending on where your drivers are operating. In the U.S. and Canada, drivers must follow federal or local regulations set by individual states or provinces. Fleet managers can assign the correct HOS cycle to each driver based on where they usually operate.

HOS exceptions

Motive supports exceptions so drivers can keep accurate and compliant logs. The FMCSA allows several exceptions to standard HOS rules to help drivers stay compliant in special situations.

Adverse driving conditions
Drivers can extend both their driving limit and on-duty window by up to 2 hours when unexpected conditions occur. This exception only applies if the conditions were not known before the trip started. It cannot be used for delays like rush hour traffic.

Short-haul exception
Drivers who stay within a certain distance (air-mile radius) from their home base may not need to keep a full record of duty status (RODS). One version of this rule—the 16-hour short-haul exception—lets a driver extend their 14-hour on-duty window to 16 hours once every 7 days, as long as they return to the same work location each day.

Agriculture operations
Drivers can use the off-duty status if they stay within 150 air miles.

Oilfield operations
Drivers can use the waiting time duty status while they wait at a well site.

HOS clocks

Motive helps drivers and fleet managers stay compliant with easy-to-read HOS clocks. These clocks automatically show how much time a driver has left under each HOS limit, helping prevent violations before they happen.
Depending on the driver’s HOS cycle, the Driver App shows four main clocks:

• Break clock: Time left until the next required break.
• Drive clock: Time left in the driving limit.
• Shift clock: Time left in the on-duty window.
• Cycle clock: Time left in the hour and day cycle.

Fleet managers can check a driver’s clocks in the Fleet Dashboard:

1. Go to Fleet View > Drivers.
2. Select a driver.
   
3. Click the Summary tab.

Drivers can check their clocks anytime in the Driver App home screen or in the HOS recap.

Primary and secondary HOS cycles 

Motive lets drivers use both a primary and a secondary HOS cycle. This is helpful for drivers who switch between rules—like a long-haul driver who sometimes does short-haul work or crosses the U.S.-Canada border.
Motive supports all standard U.S. and Canadian HOS cycles, including:

• USA 70-hour/8-day
• USA 60-hour/7-day
• Canada North 70-hour/7-day
• Canada North 120-hour/14-day
• Canada South 70-hour/7-day
• Canada South 120-hour/14-day

Fleet managers can assign cycles in the Fleet Dashboard:

1. Go to Admin > Drivers.
2. Select a driver.
3. Click Edit Account.
   

   

4. In the Cycles section, choose a primary cycle and (if needed) a secondary cycle.
   

   

Drivers can also set a secondary cycle in the Driver App:

1. Go to Settings > Cycle Rules.

Special duty statuses: Personal conveyance and yard move 

Motive supports two special duty statuses that let drivers move their vehicles without logging. These options must be turned on by a fleet manager before a driver can use them.
Personal conveyance
This duty status is used when a driver is off-duty and driving for personal reasons—like heading from a terminal to a nearby hotel or restaurant. To qualify:

• The vehicle must be empty.
• The movement must not benefit the motor carrier.

To use personal conveyance, the driver selects it from the duty status options in the Motive Driver App before driving.
Yard move
This duty status is used when driving a vehicle in a private area like a terminal, yard, or repair shop.
Time in the Yard Move counts as on-duty but not driving.

To use yard move, drivers can select yard move as their duty status when moving the vehicle within a designated yard or terminal area.

Fleet managers can turn on these statuses by following these steps:

1. Go to Admin > Drivers.
2. Select a driver. 
3. Click Edit Account.
4. Select Special Duty Statuses.
5. Check the boxes for Allow Yard Move or Allow Personal Conveyance.

Driver profiles 

Each driver's profile on the Motive platform stores all HOS settings. This includes cycle rules, exemptions, and special duty status permissions. Managing these settings at the profile level ensures that the right rules are applied based on a driver’s role and region.
When a fleet manager adds a new driver through the Fleet Dashboard, they complete the hours of service Compliance section. Here, they can set whether the driver is required to maintain HOS logs and define the following settings:

• Compliance mode: ELD or Electronic Logbook (for ELD-exempt drivers)
• HOS cycles: Primary and optional secondary cycle rules
• Log settings: Home terminal time zone and odometer units (miles or kilometers)
• Special duty statuses: Permissions for Personal Conveyance and Yard Move

Fleet managers can edit these settings anytime by updating the driver’s account. This centralized setup helps ensure consistent, accurate compliance across the fleet.

FAQs