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Committee advances bill to align North Dakota short‑haul hours with federal rules
Summary
The House Transportation Committee voted to give Senate Bill 2075 a do‑pass recommendation after testimony that the change would align North Dakota law with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) short‑haul rules and allow intrastate drivers a 14‑hour duty window without a logbook.
The House Transportation Committee voted to give Senate Bill 2075 a do‑pass recommendation after hearing that the change would align North Dakota with current federal short‑haul rules.
Luke Hendrickson, motor carrier operations commander for the North Dakota Highway Patrol, told the committee the state’s existing short‑haul exemption permits a 12‑hour duty day while the federal short‑haul exemption allows 14 hours. “This bill would align North Dakota’s [century] code with current federal guidelines 49 CFR 350.305,” Hendrickson said, and would “increase the allowed hours for an intrastate CMV driver in short‑haul operation from 12 hours to 14 hours in a shift without being required to complete a logbook.”
The change would mean drivers operating within a 150‑air‑mile short‑haul radius could use time cards rather than full logbooks and have up to 14 hours to complete their duty day, Hendrickson said. He added the extra two hours would “allow for 2 more additional hours of commerce within a work day to complete deliveries and other associated activities” and would bring North Dakota into alignment with Montana, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Scott Meske of the North Dakota Motor Carriers Association also spoke in support of the bill but did not submit written testimony. Committee members asked whether the 14‑hour window includes non‑driving activities; Hendrickson confirmed it does and noted limited exceptions (for example, vehicle breakdown or inclement weather) may require documentation.
Representative Mackey moved a do‑pass recommendation; Representative Fralick seconded. The clerk recorded the roll as 12 yes, 0 no, 2 absent. The committee named a carrier for the bill for the next steps in the process.
The bill would not change federal hours‑of‑service requirements for interstate drivers; rather, committee testimony said it would harmonize state law with the federal short‑haul exemption and simplify record keeping for intrastate operations. The committee did not take testimony in opposition during the hearing.
Further action: the bill will move forward from committee to the next stage of consideration with a committee recommendation of do pass.
