CHP Grants CTTA’s Request for 150 Air-Mile ELD Exemption for Intrastate Drivers

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is now allowing California’s intrastate drivers to utilize the federal 150 air-mile “short haul” exemption to avoid Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs).

CTTA, through its Towing Regulatory Oversight Council (T-ROC), has been advocating the CHP for the past several years to extend California’s current short-haul 100 air-mileage radius exception to 150 air-miles, consistent with federal law, in order to exempt such short-haul drivers from the ELD requirement.  CTTA is grateful and pleased to see the CHP now adopt this policy.   

As quick background, effective January 1, 2024, the CHP required ELD use by all intrastate drivers who are required to prepare hours-of-service (HOS) records of duty status (RODS), unless an exemption applies (interstate carriers have been subject to ELD requirements since 2017).  Further information on the ELD requirements for intrastate drivers can be found on the CHP’s website: https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/commercial-vehicle-section/intrastate-elds

Of importance, the federal 150 air-mile “short haul” exemption is limited to ELD use and does not otherwise exempt an intrastate driver from their RODS obligations should it exceed California’s “100 air-mile radius driver” exemption.  In other words, if within the first 100 air-miles from their normal work reporting location, a California intrastate driver is permitted to use timecards instead of an ELD.  For the next 50 air-miles, they are permitted to use paper logbooks instead of an ELD.  If 150 or more air-miles, ELDs are required.  However, the new rules also permit the use of a logbook (but no timecard) should a driver exceed this 150 air-mile short-haul exemption no more than 8 days within any 30-day period.  Finally, the current HOS carveout for California towers (Title 13 CCR section 1212 (q)) itself has not changed. 

CTTA will keep you updated if there are any additional clarifications or changes.