The Motive platform automatically detects hours of service (HOS) violations based on U.S. and Canadian regulations. This helps fleets stay compliant and improve road safety. This article explains how violations are detected, defines common violation types, and shows how to review and resolve them.
Overview
Proactively managing HOS is key to avoiding costly fines, lowering audit risk, and keeping drivers safe. Motive’s compliance resources automatically detect potential violations and give both drivers and fleet users real-time visibility to address issues early.
- Automated violation detection: The platform applies complex U.S. and Canadian HOS rules to driver logs and flags any time limits that are exceeded.
- Real-time alerts: Drivers get proactive warnings before a violation happens, so they can take action in time.
- Centralized reporting: The Motive Dashboard includes Compliance Reports and a Compliance Hub, giving a fleet-wide view of HOS performance and trends.
- Streamlined coaching: Use Motive’s coaching tools to review violations with drivers and help prevent future issues.
Detecting violations
Motive uses built-in logic based on the HOS cycle rule assigned to each driver—whether it’s a U.S. federal or state rule, or a Canadian federal or provincial rule. When a driver’s duty status exceeds the allowed limit, the system automatically flags a violation.
Violations appear in both the Motive Driver App and the Motive Dashboard:
- In the Driver App: Days with violations show a red exclamation icon on the main Logs page. On the log graph, the violation period is marked with a red line, and the specific violation appears below the graph.
- In the Motive Dashboard: Violations are shown in the Compliance hub in the Logs tab and in Reports such as the HOS Violations Report, giving fleet managers a full view of compliance across the fleet.
Common violations
Understanding the most common types can help fleets identify recurring issues and focus their training efforts.
Shift violation
A shift violation occurs when a driver operates a commercial motor vehicle after their on-duty window has closed.
Driving violation
A driving violation occurs when a driver exceeds the maximum allowed driving time within a single shift.
Cycle violation
A cycle violation occurs when a driver exceeds the total on-duty hours allowed over a rolling 7- or 8-day cycle.
Break violation
A break violation occurs when a driver fails to take a required rest break. In the U.S., a property-carrying driver must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving time. The driver cannot continue driving until this break is completed.
Off-duty violation
An off-duty violation occurs when a driver does not take the minimum required off-duty time within a 24-hour period.
Exception violation
An exception violation can occur when a driver uses a special HOS exception but does not meet all the requirements for that exception to be valid.
Reports and alerts
Motive provides resources for fleet users to proactively monitor, investigate, and resolve HOS violations.
HOS Violations Report
The HOS Violations Report, found under the Compliance section of the Reports page, provides a detailed breakdown of all violations across your fleet. You can filter the Report page by date range, driver, or group to identify trends and pinpoint specific drivers or areas that need attention.
HOS violations alerts
- For drivers: In the Motive Driver App, go to notifications settings to choose when you want to receive an alert for an upcoming violation.
- For fleet users: In the Motive Dashboard, create alerts that send an email notification to designated managers when a driver has an HOS violation.
Steps to investigate and resolve a flagged violation
- Go to the Compliance page.
- Click on a violation to view the driver’s log for that day.
- Examine the log graph and event list to understand what led to the violation.
- If the violation was caused by a logging error, suggest a log edit to correct the record. The driver must approve any suggestion you make.
- If the violation was legitimate, use it as a coaching opportunity. Motive's coaching feature allows you to mark logs with violations as coachable and review them with the driver to help prevent future issues.
FAQs
What happens if a driver gets an HOS violation?
A driver found in violation during a roadside inspection can be placed out of service until they have accumulated enough off-duty time to be compliant. The carrier may also face significant fines from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
How do I know if I have a violation in the Motive Driver App?
The app displays a red exclamation icon next to any day on your logs list that contains a violation. On the log graph itself, the violation period is marked with a red line.
Can a violation be removed from my log?
If a violation was caused by a logging error, it can often be corrected by editing the log. However, if the violation reflects actual time driven over a limit, the record must remain as-is to stay compliant.
What’s the difference between a shift violation and a driving violation?
A driving violation happens when you exceed the maximum hours you are allowed to physically drive in a shift. A shift violation occurs when you drive after your on-duty window has expired, even if you haven’t used all your available driving time.
How can I prevent HOS violations?
The best way to prevent violations is to monitor your HOS clocks throughout the day and plan your stops accordingly. Enabling violation alerts in the Motive Driver App will give you reminders before you reach a limit.
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