What changed

FMCSA renewed several long-standing HOS exemptions on November 28, 2025. The short-haul exemption under 49 CFR §395.1(e)(1) - covering CDL drivers operating within a 150-air-mile radius of their normal work-reporting location and returning to the work-reporting location within 14 hours - held for 2026 with no rule modification.

The livestock-haul exemption under §395.1(j) was extended through 2027. Agricultural commodity exemption seasonal application rules under §395.1(k) remain unchanged.

Short-haul rule details

The 150-air-mile rule eliminates the ELD requirement for qualifying drivers. The driver still must adhere to the 11-hour driving and 14-hour on-duty limits, but recordkeeping shifts from ELD to a simpler "time clock" recording.

Drivers who occasionally exceed 150 miles or the 14-hour return become subject to ELD on those days. Carriers running mixed short-haul / long-haul operations should configure the ELD to capture both modes correctly.

Agricultural exemption nuance

§395.1(k) lets agricultural-commodity drivers operate without HOS limits within a 150-air-mile radius of the source of the commodity. The "source" definition has been litigated repeatedly - current guidance treats grain elevators, farm gates, and livestock pickup points as sources.

Once the load travels beyond the 150-mile radius, full HOS rules apply. Drivers running mixed loads (some agricultural, some non-agricultural) need to track which segment they're in.

What to do next

Carriers operating short-haul should confirm their ELDs are configured to allow short-haul exempt status when the driver qualifies. Our /guides/dot-compliance-handbook page covers HOS framework in detail.