[email protected] | (888) 470-2966

NutechTMS Logo
LoginFree demo
NEW! Check out our mobile app:    Nutech Comply   Compliance. Simplified. >

NEW! Mobile app:  Nutech Comply >

[email protected] | (888) 470-2966

Resources > CVSA Calls For Time Limits on Personal Conveyance

CVSA Recommends Time Limits on Personal Conveyance for Truck Drivers

by | Aug 7, 2025

Semi truck on highway during sunset

Semi Truck on Highway During Sunset | Credit: Freepik

Table of Contents:
  1. CVSA Urges Action on Driver Fatigue and Safety
  2. What Is Personal Conveyance?
  3. What is CVSA’s Main Concern?
  4. Examples of Misuse in the Field
  5. Data Shows a Rising Trend
  6. What is the CVSA’s Recommendation?

CVSA Urges Action on Driver Fatigue and Safety

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is calling on Congress to tighten regulations around personal conveyance use by truck drivers, following rising concerns over its misuse. In a public submission on July 29, 2025, CVSA outlined its recommendations to the U.S. Senate during the hearing titled “Shifting Gears: Issues Impacting the Trucking and Commercial Bus Industries in the U.S.”.
Their message was clear: without tighter limits, personal conveyance is being used in ways that risk driver fatigue and compromise road safety.

What Is Personal Conveyance?

Personal conveyance refers to the use of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for personal, off-duty travel. Under current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), drivers can operate a loaded or unloaded truck during off-duty hours for personal reasons — and that driving time does not count toward their regulated hours of service (HOS).
But this flexibility has come under scrutiny. 

What is CVSA’s Main Concern?

According to the CVSA, the vague definition and lack of time limits have opened the door to abuse. Drivers are reportedly using personal conveyance to extend their driving time, either before, during, or after their workday — essentially bypassing HOS rules designed to prevent fatigue.
“Drivers can drive hundreds of miles over several hours while still being considered off-duty,” CVSA wrote, warning that this practice increases the risk of fatigued driving and undercuts safety regulations.

Examples of Misuse in the Field

CVSA inspectors shared real-world examples of how personal conveyance is being exploited:
  • Driving 10 hours between deliveries under personal conveyance.
  • Searching for parking for over two hours, even when available spots were passed.
  • Making up lost time at loading docks by switching to personal conveyance.
  • Avoiding HOS violations by switching just before hitting the 11- or 14-hour driving limits.
These actions stretch the intent of personal conveyance rules and blur the line between work and rest time.

Data Shows a Rising Trend

CVSA also cited data showing a significant rise in violations tied to personal conveyance misuse:
  • In a 2023 data collection, nearly 40% of personal conveyance use was deemed improper.
  • False log violations (where personal conveyance abuse is often recorded) have surged:
    • Ranked 7th most-cited driver violation in 2019
    • Jumped to 3rd in 2021–2023
    • Dropped slightly to 12th in 2024
  • The specific violation for “false logs – personal conveyance” climbed from the 60th most cited in 2021 to the 27th in 2024.

What is the CVSA’s Recommendation?

To address these growing concerns, CVSA is urging federal transportation authorities to revise the FMCSRs and implement a maximum time limit for personal conveyance use. This would create clearer boundaries and reduce opportunities for misuse.
“Using personal conveyance to extend driving time increases the possibility of fatigued driving and can endanger other road users,” the CVSA stated. “Placing a limit on the time that a driver can use personal conveyance is a strategy for mitigating fatigued driving that should be implemented.”

See more articles