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Personal Conveyance vs Yard Move
The practical difference
Personal conveyance and yard move are two special ELD duty statuses that allow drivers to move the truck outside of normal driving status — and both are commonly misused or confused by drivers who do not understand the qualifying conditions for each. Personal conveyance is recorded as off-duty movement: the driver is moving the truck for personal reasons unrelated to work. It does not extend the 14-hour clock or add to driving time, but it must meet FMCSA conditions — the driver must be relieved of all duty and the movement must be for personal use. Yard move is recorded as on-duty not driving: it is a work-related movement within a facility or yard, recognized by the ELD as different from over-the-road driving. Using the wrong status — recording a work movement as personal conveyance, or forgetting to switch back from yard move after leaving the facility — creates log violations.
The cleanest way to separate the terms is to attach each one to a specific document, party, cost, mile type, or piece of equipment.
| Question | Personal Conveyance | Yard Move |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An off-duty ELD status for personal movement of the truck — the driver is relieved of all work duties and using the vehicle for personal reasons. | An on-duty not driving ELD status for work-related movement within a facility or terminal yard — the truck is moving for a work purpose but not over public roads. |
| How it affects HOS | Does not count against driving time or the 14-hour clock — the driver is off duty, so personal conveyance miles and time do not consume on-duty allowance. | Counts against the 14-hour on-duty window — yard move is on-duty not driving, so extended yard operations can chip away at the available on-duty time before driving. |
| Qualifying condition | Driver must be genuinely relieved of all duty — no work tasks, no deliveries, no broker communication required; misuse for work movement is a log violation. | Movement must be within a facility or yard as a work task — not on public roads and not over-the-road driving; switching back to on-duty driving when leaving the yard is required. |
When each one matters
- Use personal conveyance when the driver is moving the truck for personal reasons — going to eat, sleep at a different location, or return to a truck stop after being released from the load — with no work obligations.
- Use yard move when the driver is moving the truck within a facility or terminal yard as part of a work task — repositioning to a different door, moving to a staging area, or shifting trailers in a yard.
- The distinction matters for log accuracy and HOS compliance: personal conveyance is recorded as off-duty and does not count against driving or on-duty time; yard move is on-duty not driving and does count against the 14-hour clock. Using the wrong status on the ELD creates a log violation.
What to check before acting on it
Start with the record that raised the question, then name which term controls that decision.
- Check which exact document, role, charge, mileage basis, or equipment requirement uses Personal Conveyance.
- Check which separate decision depends on Yard Move.
- Write the final answer in plain language so dispatch, billing, and the driver are not using one term for two different things.
Example in trucking
A driver finishes a delivery at a warehouse at 6:00 p.m. and is released from the load. The nearest truck stop with available parking is 4 miles away. The driver switches the ELD to personal conveyance and drives to the truck stop to park for the night. That is personal conveyance — the movement is personal, the driver is off duty, and those 4 miles do not count against driving time or the 14-hour clock. The next morning, the driver is dispatched to a new load at the same warehouse complex. When they arrive, the loading dock is occupied and a yard worker instructs the driver to reposition the truck to a staging area inside the facility. The driver switches the ELD to yard move and moves the truck 200 feet within the yard to the designated spot. That is a yard move — the movement is work-related, inside a facility, and is on-duty not driving. Using personal conveyance for the yard repositioning would be a log violation.
How people confuse them
- Using Personal Conveyance and Yard Move as interchangeable labels because they appeared on the same load.
- Sending the right document for the wrong question, which slows down billing, setup, or review.
- Letting a quick text message override the written rate confirmation, policy, log, or official record.
- Using the comparison for a regulated, financial, or insurance decision without checking the current source or agreement.
Quick questions
What is the main difference between Personal Conveyance and Yard Move?
Personal conveyance is an off-duty ELD status used when a driver moves the truck for personal use unrelated to work — such as driving to a nearby restaurant or rest area; a yard move is an on-duty ELD status used for short movements within a shipper or terminal yard that are work-related but not over-the-road driving.
When should a trucking office check Personal Conveyance vs Yard Move?
Use personal conveyance when the driver is moving the truck for personal reasons — going to eat, sleep at a different location, or return to a truck stop after being released from the load — with no work obligations. Use yard move when the driver is moving the truck within a facility or terminal yard as part of a work task — repositioning to a different door, moving to a staging area, or shifting trailers in a yard. The distinction matters for log accuracy and HOS compliance: personal conveyance is recorded as off-duty and does not count against driving or on-duty time; yard move is on-duty not driving and does count against the 14-hour clock. Using the wrong status on the ELD creates a log violation.
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Last updated: 2026-05-10