Personal conveyance, Canada vs US
Under Canada's hours of service rules, driving a truck for personal use is off duty for up to 75 km in a day, if it is not used for the carrier's business, is unloaded with any trailers unhitched, and the odometer readings are recorded. The US guidance sets no distance or time limit; the carrier may set its own.
Personal conveyance, side by side
| Rule | US rules | Canadian rules |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | No distance or time limit in the guidanceFMCSA personal conveyance FAQ 7 | Up to 75 km in a day, counted as the actual distance driven. No time limit.SOR/2005-313 s. 1(1), "on-duty time", paragraph (b)(iv), CCMTA Application Guide, Questions 38, 45 |
| Load and trailers | The truck may be loaded, since the load is not being moved for the carrier at that timeFMCSA guidance, 83 FR 26377, June 2018 | Unloaded, with any trailers unhitchedSOR/2005-313 s. 1(1), "on-duty time", paragraphs (b)(ii), (iii) |
| The carrier's business | Personal use only, with the driver relieved of all work for the carrierFMCSA guidance, 83 FR 26377, June 2018 | Not used in the course of the carrier's businessSOR/2005-313 s. 1(1), "on-duty time", paragraph (b)(i) |
| Record | The carrier may set up the ELD with an authorized personal use category49 CFR 395.28(a)(1)(i) | The odometer reading at the start and end, recorded in the logSOR/2005-313 s. 1(1), "on-duty time", paragraph (b)(v) |
| What the carrier can set | Its own limits, such as a distance limit or no personal conveyance when loadedFMCSA guidance, 83 FR 26377, June 2018 | Whether the ELD allows personal use. A new driver account starts with it off.CCMTA ELD Technical Standard, 4.3.3.1.1(a) |
On a cross-border run this means
Each country's rule applies where the truck is. A US driver using personal conveyance in Canada is held to the 75 km in a day and to an unloaded truck with any trailers unhitched. The free check does not apply these rules: it takes the hours as entered.
A northbound run that needs a rest before it can go. The fix on the result is time off duty. The free check does not test whether a move during that rest is personal conveyance.
- Direction
- US to Canada
- Hours read at
- 15:30 EDT on Mon Oct 5
- Came on duty at
- 02:00, after 10 h off
- This shift so far
- 7 h driving, 9 h on duty, 3 h driving since the last break
- Canadian cycle
- Cycle 1 (70 hours in 7 days)
- US cycle
- 70 hours in 8 days
- On-duty hours
- 40 h in the last 7 days, 40 h in the last 8 days
- 24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days
- Yes
- The run
- Leaves at 15:30, drives 15 m to the border, then 3 h after it
This is the answer the free check gives for these hours.
Not legal as planned. The run breaks the Canadian 16-hour window.
Why
Binding limit: Canadian 16-hour window (SOR/2005-313 s. 13(3)). Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.
What makes this a GO
10 h off duty from 15:30, then depart at 01:30 EDT on Tue Oct 6 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.
At the border, under Canadian rules
| Driving left | 5 h 45 m |
|---|---|
| On-duty time left | 4 h 45 m |
| 16-hour window left | 2 h 15 m |
| Cycle 1 left | 29 h 45 m |
Where the hours came from
Hours entered by hand.
BorderHOS is a planning aid. It does not replace your ELD, the driver's judgment, or the regulations. Results depend on the hours used.
How this was worked out
- Hours read at 15:30 on Mon Oct 5: 7 h driving and 9 h on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
- Departs 15:30, drives 15 m in the US, crosses at 15:45, then 3 h in Canada.
- At the border under Canadian rules: 5 h 45 m of driving left, 4 h 45 m of on-duty time left, 2 h 15 m of the 16-hour window left, 29 h 45 m of Cycle 1 left.
- First limit broken: the Canadian 16-hour window at 18:00, in Canada.
- Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 15:30: 01:30 on Tue Oct 6.
What this check does not cover
- Sleeper-berth splits are not modeled.
- Canadian deferral of daily off-duty time is not modeled.
- Adverse driving conditions are not modeled.
- Team drivers, north of 60, oil-well permits and short-haul exemptions are not modeled.
- Border wait is not added. Time waiting in line counts as on duty.
- The date of the driver's last 24 hours off was not given. It is assumed to fall within the last 14 days for the whole run.
- Canada requires records of duty status for the current day and the preceding 14 days on board. Confirm before crossing.
Engine 1.0.1. Rule values 1.1.0, verified by CVORReady Inc.
Check it
Open the example in the free check with the hours filled in, then change them to match your driver.
Questions
How far can I drive on personal conveyance in Canada?
Up to 75 km in a day, counted as the actual distance driven, with no time limit. The truck must be unloaded with any trailers unhitched. The ELD keeps count of the day's personal use distance and will not let the driver start a new personal use period once the limit is passed.
Is there a distance limit in the US?
No. FMCSA's guidance sets no distance or time limit, but the rule on driving while fatigued still applies, and the carrier may set its own limit.
Does the free check count personal conveyance?
The check uses the hours you enter. Personal conveyance logged as off duty is entered as off duty, like any other off-duty time. The check does not test the 75 km or the other conditions.
When the check says NO-GO
- How late can my driver drive after crossing into Canada?
Canadian 16-hour limit
- I took my 10, so why am I still over for the day in Canada?
Canadian 10 hours off in a day
- My driver took 8 hours off, so why can't they drive in the States?
US 10 hours off
More rules
- Canadian rules for US drivers
What a US driver must follow in Canada: 13 hours driving, 10 hours off, Cycle 1 and 2, and why your 34-hour restart does not count.
- US rules for Canadian drivers
What changes the moment a Canadian driver enters the US: 11 hours, the 30-minute break, the 34-hour restart, and what does not reset.
- Canadian vs US hours of service, every difference
Every difference between Canadian federal and US FMCSA hours of service, side by side, cited to the regulation. Verified and dated.
Sources
- Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations, SOR/2005-313 (Justice Canada)
- 49 CFR 395.3, Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles (eCFR)
- FMCSA, Hours of service requirements for cross-border drivers
Values verified by CVORReady Inc. Last verified 25 Oct 2026. Sources: SOR/2005-313 s. 1(1), "on-duty time", paragraph (b)(iv), FMCSA personal conveyance FAQ 7, CCMTA Application Guide, Questions 38, 45, FMCSA guidance, 83 FR 26377, June 2018, SOR/2005-313 s. 1(1), "on-duty time", paragraphs (b)(ii), (iii), SOR/2005-313 s. 1(1), "on-duty time", paragraph (b)(i), 49 CFR 395.28(a)(1)(i), SOR/2005-313 s. 1(1), "on-duty time", paragraph (b)(v), CCMTA ELD Technical Standard, 4.3.3.1.1(a).