What Are the 2025 Rules for Personal Conveyance?

Personal conveyance is one of those trucking topics that every CDL driver hears about, but not everyone fully understands. At its core, personal conveyance means driving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for personal, off-duty reasons after you’ve been relieved from work and all responsibility to the motor carrier. 

The FMCSA personal conveyance definition makes it clear: this is off-duty time, not part of your 11-hour or 14-hour clock, and it must not be used to advance a load or benefit the carrier.

How Personal Conveyance Works

Personal conveyance is officially considered off-duty personal conveyance, which means your ELD logs the time as off-duty even though you are physically driving. That distinction is important because it keeps this time from affecting your hours-of-service calculations.

When switching to PC, you should be fully relieved from work and not under any dispatch instructions. Your trip should have a personal purpose — for example, going to a haven, finding food, or heading to a hotel. If you’re still advancing a load, even with an empty trailer, you must log the movement as driving.

Another key point is that personal conveyance does not start your clock or reset your 14-hour window. Your next shift begins based on your last qualifying break, not based on your PC use. This is why PC cannot be used as a tool to “extend” the day or drive longer than the law allows.

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Clear Examples of Acceptable Use

FMCSA personal conveyance guidance lists several practical examples of proper use:

- Driving from a shipper or receiver to the nearest safe parking area to rest after being released.

- Relocating to another truck stop for food, showers, or fuel after going off-duty.

- Driving for purely personal reasons, such as to a grocery store, post office, or doctor appointment.

- Moving the truck at the request of a property owner or law enforcement to comply with parking rules, as long as the move is reasonable and off-duty.

- Travel to a safe location after completing a roadside inspection, once relieved of duty.

These are considered reasonable uses of personal conveyance. Carriers often include similar scenarios in their personal conveyance company policy so drivers know exactly what is acceptable.

For owner-operators, PC can also cover traveling to a shop for scheduled maintenance when not under a load. Each of these examples falls under the “personal, not business” rule — the movement should not give your carrier a business advantage or reposition you for a load.

Common Violations to Avoid

Violations usually happen when drivers push the limits of the rule. Personal conveyance violations include:

- Driving under PC while still under dispatch or advancing a load.

- Using a PC to drive home after delivering a load if that movement is considered part of the trip.

- Using a PC to get closer to the next pickup location, even with an empty trailer.

- Staying in PC for hundreds of miles — considered unreasonable and likely to be flagged.

Because PC is a gray area, DOT officers and inspectors often ask for justification during inspections. If your log looks suspicious, you may be cited for falsification. Carriers can also face violations during audits if they do not monitor PC use. Documenting each use with a brief note, such as “PC to truck stop 8 miles for parking,” protects both the driver and the company.

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DOT inspectors and FMCSA audits look closely at PC usage, especially when used right after hitting the 11-hour or 14-hour limit. A personal conveyance ticket or citation for falsifying logs can hurt your CSA score and your carrier’s compliance record.

Mileage and Time Limits

FMCSA sets no official mileage or time limit on personal conveyance, stating only that the movement must be reasonable. What is considered “reasonable” will vary depending on your location. Driving 30 miles to find parking in a traffic area may be accepted, while 300 miles of PC would likely be flagged.

Many carriers have added personal conveyance mileage limits to their policies to make expectations clear, such as 25–50 miles per day or a specific time cap like 1 hour. These limits are not federal law but act as guardrails for compliance.

In Canada, personal conveyance is more tightly defined under hours-of-service regulations. Drivers are allowed to drive up to 75 km (about 47 miles) per day under PC, must record odometer readings, and cannot use PC after certain workday thresholds are met. Canadian inspectors watch PC closely, so annotation and mileage tracking are critical north of the border.

ELD Logging and Carrier Policy

Your ELD must be set to allow personal conveyance if your carrier permits it. When you select PC, your log should show “off-duty – personal conveyance” for the duration. The annotation should include why and where you drove. If your ELD is not configured for PC, you can still go off-duty and make a manual note, but you must be prepared to explain the entry.

Unassigned driving time is not the same as personal conveyance. Carriers are responsible for reviewing unassigned driving time and reassigning it to drivers when needed. If PC use looks suspicious (for example, if it happens frequently right after hitting the 11-hour limit), carriers may flag it internally or reject the PC annotation and reclassify it as driving time.

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Motor carriers have the right to set more restrictive PC policies than FMCSA. Some fleets allow PC only for parking moves, while others permit full personal travel within a set limit. 

Having a written personal conveyance company policy is a best practice, so drivers know exactly when PC is allowed and how to log it.

Practical Advice for Drivers

The safest way to use personal conveyance is to keep it short, necessary, and well-documented. Always annotate start and end points, and keep receipts or screenshots if possible when traveling longer distances. If using a PC with an empty trailer, be sure the movement is not toward your next shipper — even an empty trailer move can be considered advancing a load.

For new drivers, a good rule of thumb is: if you have to convince yourself it’s PC, it’s probably not. When in doubt, log it as driving and protect your record. Consistent misuse of PC can hurt CSA scores, trigger audits, and create risk for both you and your carrier.

Personal conveyance is a valuable tool that helps truck drivers operate safely, comply with DOT regulations, and meet real-world needs like finding parking or traveling during off-duty time. By understanding FMCSA personal conveyance rules, Canadian mileage limits, and your company’s policy, you can use PC properly and avoid violations.

Using personal conveyance responsibly keeps your logbook clean, protects your CDL, and avoids unnecessary personal conveyance tickets or citations.