Using the 150 Air-Mile Agricultural Commodity Exemption as a Driver

The 150 air-mile agricultural commodity exemption to the federal HOS regulations allows you to be exempt from keeping a duty status record under certain conditions. The Hours of Service (HOS) mobile app does not have a dedicated mode for applying this exemption. However, you might be able to use one of the following options to apply the exemption to your HOS records. 

Note: Ensure that you have permission from your motor carrier to use one of these options.

Option 1:

• Drive within the 150 air-mile radius of the source of the agricultural commodity you are transporting without being logged in to the HOS mobile app.
• When you reach the 150 air-mile radius limit, log in to the HOS mobile app and start recording your driving time as normal. 
• Your vehicle records the driving time within the 150 air-mile radius as unidentified driving time. When the HOS app suggests this unidentified driving time to you to claim as yours, do not claim the driving time. 
• Your administrator needs to mark the unidentified driving time as exempt and add an annotation stating that the driving time occurred while operating under the 150 air-mile agricultural commodity exemption.

Option 2:

• Log in to the HOS mobile app and record your driving time as normal. 
• Add a comment to the HOS events that were created during the time when you were within the 150 air-mile radius of the source of the agricultural commodity. In the comment, state that the driving time occurred while operating under the 150 air-mile agricultural commodity exemption. To do this:
1. Go to the HOS Chart screen.
2. Select the event that you want to edit. Tap the Edit button in the lower right corner of the screen.
3. Under Notes, enter a note stating that the HOS event was created during the time when you were within the 150 air-mile radius of the source of the agricultural commodity.
   
   
   
4. Tap Done.
• The annotation will mean that the FMCSA ignores any violations that might have occurred during the time that you were driving within the 150 air-mile radius of the source of the agricultural commodity.

Option 3:

• If you have permission from your motor carrier, you can use Personal Conveyance mode while you are driving within the 150 air-mile radius of the source of the agricultural commodity. To do this:
1. Turn your vehicle off, if you have been driving as part of your work shift.
2. Perform any remaining work tasks, if applicable, making sure that your status is On Duty on the HOS Status screen.
3. When you are ready to enter the Personal Conveyance mode, change your HOS status to Off Duty on the HOS Status screen.
4. Tap Actions at the bottom of the screen.
   
   
   
5. Tap Personal Conveyance.
   
   
   
6. Tap Yes to enter the Personal Conveyance mode.
• When you reach the 150 air-mile radius limit, exit Personal Conveyance mode, by tapping End on the screen, and start recording your driving time as normal.