Personal conveyance and yard move are different ELD and HOS statuses. Personal conveyance generally relates to off-duty personal use of a commercial motor vehicle when the driver has been relieved from work, while yard move generally relates to a specific on-duty movement within a yard or similar limited area. They affect duty status differently. Carriers should verify current FMCSA guidance and document policy, driver training, and annotations. This is general information, not legal advice.
These two statuses cause more log confusion than almost anything else on the ELD. They sound similar, they both let a driver move the truck, and drivers reach for whichever one keeps the clock from running. That instinct is exactly where the trouble starts. Here is what each one is actually for.
Personal conveyance vs yard move at a glance
This is a general comparison. Whether a specific movement qualifies depends on the facts, current FMCSA guidance, your ELD configuration, and your carrier policy. Verify before you rely on it.
| Status | What it generally means | Duty status impact | Common use case | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal conveyance | Off-duty personal use of the vehicle when relieved from work | Generally recorded as off duty | Driving to a nearby truck stop after being relieved | Using it to advance a load or extend hours |
| Yard move | An on-duty movement within a yard or similar limited area | Generally on duty, not driving time, where allowed | Repositioning within a terminal or shipper yard | Using it out on public roads or off the yard |
| On-duty driving | Driving the commercial motor vehicle for work | Counts against driving and on-duty limits | Running the load | Logging it as something else |
| Off duty | Relieved from all work and responsibility | Not on duty or driving | Genuine rest | Logging off duty while still working |
| Driving without proper annotation | A special status used without an explanation | Hard to defend later | Any PC or yard move without a note | No annotation to explain the choice |
What is personal conveyance?
Personal conveyance may apply when a driver uses a commercial motor vehicle for personal reasons while off duty, subject to current FMCSA guidance and your carrier policy. The key idea is that the driver has been relieved from work and the movement is genuinely personal. It should not be used to advance a load, reposition for business convenience, or hide an hours-of-service problem. Where it is used, the driver should add an annotation explaining the personal purpose. For the fundamentals, see our plain-English guide to HOS compliance and our HOS and ELD auditing service. Check current FMCSA hours-of-service guidance for how personal conveyance is defined.
What is yard move?
Yard move may be used for certain on-duty movements within a yard or similar location if current rules and your ELD settings allow it. It is not the same as off-duty personal use. It is generally an on-duty status that is not counted as driving time when it applies, but that treatment depends on the location being an appropriate yard context and on how the ELD is configured. Carrier policy and driver training matter, because a yard move used out on a public road is a common source of ELD mistakes and one of the common HOS violations that hurt CSA scores. Confirm your ELD setup and current FMCSA guidance. Another HOS provision drivers misapply is the 16-hour short-haul exception.
When drivers confuse personal conveyance and yard move
Most misuse is not intentional. It is a driver reaching for the status that helps in the moment. Here is how to think through the common scenarios. Verify current requirements for your situation.
| Scenario | Better question to ask | Risk if handled incorrectly | What to document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moving after loading or unloading | Is this still part of the work, or am I relieved? | Logging work movement as personal use | The purpose of the move and the status chosen |
| Driving to a truck stop after being relieved | Have I genuinely been relieved from work? | Using PC while still on duty | Annotation noting the personal purpose |
| Moving around a terminal or shipper yard | Is this within an appropriate yard area? | Yard move used off the yard | Location context for the yard move |
| Repositioning closer to next load | Does this advance the load or the business? | PC used for operational advantage | Why the move was or was not personal |
| Using PC because hours are low | Am I choosing PC to extend hours? | Masking an HOS problem | The real reason for the movement |
| Forgetting to annotate | Did I explain why I used this status? | An unexplained special status | A clear annotation added at the time |
Carrier policy matters
Drivers should not have to guess. Carriers should define, in writing, when drivers may use personal conveyance and yard move, and the policy should match current FMCSA guidance and the carrier's operation. Dispatch should never pressure a driver into a status just to keep the clock down. And exceptions should be reviewed during log audits so misuse gets caught and coached. Our driver log auditing checklist covers where these show up in a review, and how to stop HOS violations covers the dispatch habits behind them.
Common personal conveyance and yard move mistakes
- Using personal conveyance to move a load.
- Using personal conveyance to gain an operational advantage.
- Using yard move outside an appropriate yard context.
- No annotation.
- Inconsistent carrier policy.
- Dispatch creating pressure to misuse a status.
- Ignoring repeat patterns in log audits.
- Not training drivers on the difference.
How these mistakes can affect HOS compliance
Incorrect status use can create HOS questions, ELD record issues, audit concerns, and repeat-pattern risk. We do not claim a specific CSA impact for any single event, because that depends on the violation, the inspection, and how the system treats it. What we can say is that a pattern of misused statuses is harder to explain than a clean, annotated record. For the score side, see CSA score improvement; for audits, DOT audit help; and for how gaps compound into cost, our DOT non-compliance cost report.
Personal conveyance and yard move review checklist
- Was the driver relieved from work?
- Was the movement personal or business-related?
- Was the vehicle being moved within a yard?
- Did the move advance the load or the carrier's business?
- Was the correct ELD status selected?
- Was an annotation added?
- Does the carrier policy support the decision?
- Was it reviewed during the log audit?
The tell I look for in an audit is personal conveyance that always seems to point toward the next shipper. When PC keeps moving the driver closer to the load, it is not personal, it is repositioning, and an auditor sees that pattern fast. Write a policy, train to it, and annotate every time. The annotation is what turns a judgment call into a defensible record.
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Frequently Asked Questions
They are different ELD and HOS statuses. Personal conveyance generally relates to off-duty personal use of a commercial motor vehicle, while yard move generally relates to a specific on-duty movement within a yard or similar limited area. They affect duty status differently, so verify current FMCSA guidance and your carrier policy before choosing one.
Personal conveyance generally reflects off-duty personal use of the vehicle when the driver has been relieved from work. Whether a specific movement qualifies depends on the facts and current FMCSA guidance, so it should be used carefully and annotated where appropriate.
Yard move is generally an on-duty movement within a yard or similar limited area, and it is not the same as off-duty personal use. Whether it may be used depends on current rules, the location, and how the ELD is configured. Confirm your setup and policy.
Generally no. Personal conveyance is not meant to advance a load, reposition for business convenience, or extend available hours. Using it that way can create HOS questions. Use it only for genuine off-duty personal movement and verify current FMCSA guidance.
Annotations help explain why a status was used, such as personal conveyance or yard move, or why a record was edited. Adding a clear, accurate annotation at the time supports the record if it is questioned later. Follow your carrier policy and ELD provider instructions.
They can. Using the wrong status, or using personal conveyance to gain an operational advantage, can create HOS record questions that may surface in a roadside inspection or audit. Not every mistake is a violation, but repeat misuse and missing annotations raise risk. Verify current requirements.
Yes. A written policy that defines when drivers may use personal conveyance and yard move, consistent with current FMCSA guidance and your operation, helps drivers apply the statuses correctly and helps you review them during log audits.
Yes. We help carriers audit logs, review annotations, train drivers, track repeat patterns, and build practical HOS policies for statuses like personal conveyance and yard move. We do not guarantee violation elimination, a CSA outcome, an audit result, or insurance savings.