What Is Personal Conveyance? Everything You Need To Know

Last Updated: February 2026 to reflect current FMCSA guidance.

The term "personal conveyance" may be familiar to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. Still, a true understanding of its meaning may be less familiar, even for those who earn their livelihood behind the wheel. With this in mind, we'll answer the "What is personal conveyance?" question.

At its most basic, personal conveyance is a term used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to describe the operation of a commercial motor vehicle for personal reasons. This off-duty driving can involve traveling from work to home, home to work, or other private trips where the driver isn't "on the clock." The government spells out specific conditions and precise rules when personal conveyance conditions apply.

CMV drivers need to understand personal conveyance and how it impacts hours of service (HOS) rules and overall driving regulations. These guidelines established by the FMCSA ensure the safety of professional drivers and the public at large.

FMCSA Rules and CMV Drivers

CMV drivers are accountable for more than just operating a vehicle. These professionals are responsible for a vehicle's safety, passengers, cargo, and the general public. Much of this is mandated by the regulations set by the FMCSA.

These laws also govern each driver's HOS requirements, which specify the amount of driving and work hours in a day or week. The standards are in place to prevent driver fatigue, a major contributor to accidents involving CMVs. In fact, the federal government estimates that truck and bus accidents cause 4,000 fatalities annually.

These rules also define what a commercial motor vehicle is. Accordingly, a CMV is one of the following:

• Used in interstate commerce to transport passengers or property when the vehicle has a gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
• Transports more than eight passengers (including the driver) for compensation
• Transports more than 15 passengers, not for compensation
• Used to transport hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding.

Further, the FMCSA mandates that drivers must categorize their hours of service in one of these duty status areas:

1. On-duty, not driving
2. Driving
3. Sleeper berth
4. Off-duty

Personal conveyance falls under #4: off-duty. Any CMV movement that benefits the motor carrier cannot fall under this category.

What Is Personal Conveyance? The Details

We touched briefly on the definition of personal conveyance. Let's expand on this. As a reminder, personal conveyance is the personal use of a CMV for non-commercial activities. In other words, it's driving a vehicle in a way that doesn't benefit the driver's employer. This personal use time doesn't count toward the driver's regulated on-duty time.

So, personal conveyance is considered off-duty status. At the same time, it doesn't mean that all driving is considered off-duty. The FMCSA has precise guidelines for what does and doesn't qualify as personal conveyance.

It's helpful to know that a CMV for personal conveyance can be laden with cargo (or not). In addition, the trip doesn't have to start and stop at the same location. However, the travel cannot be for the furtherance of commercial activity (such as transporting cargo or passengers or performing work-related duties).

For instance, a driver can head to dinner. But taking the interstate to do so and being 50 miles closer to the final destination would abuse personal conveyance rules.

Proper uses of personal conveyance

• Commuting between the driver's home and workplace (a terminal or other designated location)
• Traveling between lodging facilities (like a truck stop or motel) to a restaurant or entertainment venue
• Moving a CMV at the command of a safety official during off-duty time
• Using the CMV to transport personal belongings while off-duty
• Driving to locate a suitable rest location after loading or unloading
• Driving home after working at an off-site location

Examples of what does NOT qualify

• Relocating a CMV to improve a motor carrier's operational status
• Following a motor carrier's instructions to pick up another towed unit following a delivery
• Delivering luggage while driving a passenger-carrying CMV and after dropping off passengers
• Driving a CMV to or from a vehicle maintenance facility for servicing
• Operating a passenger-carrying CMV with passengers on board
• Going to a motor carrier's terminal after loading or unloading cargo from a shipper or receiver

Why Use Personal Conveyance?

There are three main benefits to using personal conveyance:

1. Saving Drive Time: Moving the CMV via personal conveyance doesn't count against a driver's daily or weekly driving limit. This is especially helpful if there's a need to move the vehicle for personal reasons outside of working hours.
2. Flexibility: Personal conveyance creates more flexibility in managing hours of service. A driver has more flexibility in their work schedule if they don't have to count personal travel as on-duty time.
3. Driver Freedom: A CMV driver can enjoy more freedom to move around during off-duty time. These activities include running personal errands, visiting family and friends, or exploring the local area while out of town.

Does personal conveyance start your 14-hour clock?

It's important to keep in mind that personal conveyance doesn't start the FMCSA's 14-hour rule (the most a CMV driver can work in a 24-hour period). Time spent using personal conveyance is considered off-duty and doesn't impact the maximum on-duty period.

Notably, personal conveyance can't be used to extend a CMV driver's working hours. A driver who has reached their maximum daily or weekly driving time cannot continue driving for work purposes under personal conveyance. Mandatory off-duty time kicks in at this point.

How Fleets Monitor Personal Conveyance Compliance

While personal conveyance is a regulatory right for drivers, it creates a significant liability for fleet managers if abused. The FMCSA puts the burden on the carrier to ensure the vehicle is not being used for commercial benefit during off-duty hours.

This is where modern vehicle tracking solutions become essential. Fleet managers use GPS tracking to verify that personal conveyance claims match reality. For example:

• Route Verification: If a driver claims personal conveyance to drive "home," but the GPS shows them driving 100 miles toward their next pickup, that is a compliance violation.
• After-Hours Alerts: Platforms like Hapn allow managers to set alerts for vehicle movement during off-duty hours, ensuring that any movement is properly categorized in the ELD.
• Geofencing: Managers can set geofences around authorized personal locations (like home or a hotel) to automate the validation process.

By using unified fleet data, companies can protect their CSA scores while still granting drivers the freedom they need during downtime.

The Do's and Don'ts of FMCSA Personal Conveyance

DO use personal conveyance for:

• Legitimate personal use of the CMV.
• Commuting between home and the workplace.
• Moving the vehicle for personal safety.
• Driving to lodging or a restaurant.

DON'T use personal conveyance for:

• Transporting passengers.
• Traveling to a location for work-assigned duties.
• Extending maximum driving time (on-duty hours) to get closer to a destination.

Key Takeaways

The concept of personal conveyance might be confusing, especially for new CMV drivers. However, the idea is relatively simple once the basics are understood: A CMV may be used as personal transportation under certain conditions, and this activity won't count toward regulated on-duty time.

Motor carriers should establish driver guidelines for personal conveyance that match FMCSA standards or are more limiting. A complete understanding of these regulations ensures that CMV drivers demonstrate professionalism and compliance with the law.

FAQs: Personal Conveyance

What is personal conveyance?

Personal conveyance is the personal use of a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for non-commercial activities. It allows drivers to use their CMV for personal reasons without counting towards on-duty driving time.

Does personal conveyance time count against my daily driving limits?

No, personal conveyance time is considered off-duty and does not count against your daily or weekly driving limits.

Can I use personal conveyance to extend my work hours?

No, you cannot use personal conveyance to exceed your maximum on-duty driving hours for the day or week. It is only for legitimate personal use.

Can my employer impose a personal conveyance policy?

Yes, a motor carrier can have its own personal conveyance policy. However, these rules must be at least as restrictive as FMCSA regulations. A company cannot reinterpret these laws to be less stringent.

Are there distance limits for personal conveyance?

No, the FMCSA does not impose distance limits for personal conveyance, although some individual motor carriers may have distance restrictions.

Can I carry cargo or passengers during personal conveyance?

You may carry cargo (laden vehicle) if the travel is purely personal, but you generally cannot carry passengers unless they are family/friends authorized for ride-alongs and not part of the commercial operation.