What is a driver's record of duty status (RODS)?

A record of duty status (RODS) is the document a commercial motor vehicle driver uses to record how their time is spent during each 24-hour period. Under FMCSA 49 CFR 395.8, the RODS captures four duty statuses: off duty, sleeper berth, driving, and on duty (not driving). The standard format is a 24-hour grid with one continuous line per status, plus a remarks section, shipping documents block and a recap of cumulative on-duty hours. Most CMV drivers now record their RODS automatically using an electronic logging device, but the paper format is still required for ELD malfunction reconstruction, short-haul exemption operations and certain pre-2000 vehicles.

What are the four duty status categories on the grid?

The four duty status categories are: 1. Off duty, when the driver is relieved from work and free to pursue activities of their choosing; 2. Sleeper berth, when the driver is resting in the sleeper compartment of the vehicle (as defined in 49 CFR 393.76); 3. Driving, all time spent at the driving controls of a CMV in operation; and 4. On duty (not driving), all time the driver is on duty but not driving, including loading, unloading, inspections, fuelling, paperwork and waiting at terminals or shipper facilities. Each row on the grid represents one of these statuses, and the driver marks a continuous line on the appropriate row for time spent in each.

When can a driver use a paper log instead of an ELD?

Under the ELD mandate (49 CFR 395.8(a)), most CMV drivers must use an ELD. Paper logs are still permitted for: drivers operating under the short-haul exemptions in 49 CFR 395.1(e) provided they return to their work-reporting location within 12 hours; drivers using a CMV manufactured before model year 2000; drivers conducting driveaway-towaway operations where the vehicle being driven is the commodity; and any driver whose ELD has malfunctioned (paper logs must be used to reconstruct RODS for the current day and prior seven days while the ELD is repaired). The carrier must keep records of any ELD malfunction.

How long must records of duty status be retained?

The motor carrier must retain RODS and supporting documents for at least six months from the date of receipt under 49 CFR 395.8(k)(1). The driver must keep the duplicate of the most recent eight consecutive days of RODS in their possession while on duty so it can be presented during a roadside inspection. ELD records are subject to the same six-month retention by the carrier. State authorities and the FMCSA can request RODS during a compliance review or after a crash investigation, so many carriers retain records for longer than the minimum.

What is the difference between this duty status log and the existing driver daily log sheet?

The driver daily log sheet on this site is a trip-based record built around Australian fleet management and FBT logbook substantiation: it captures departure time, destination, kilometres, fuel and rest breaks for each trip in the day. This duty status log is the FMCSA RODS format used by US commercial motor vehicle drivers under 49 CFR 395.8: a 24-hour grid with four duty status rows and a 60/70-hour recap. Many international fleets keep both, with the trip log used for accounting and the duty status grid used for FMCSA hours of service compliance.

Is this duty status log free to download?

Yes. The driver's daily log with 24-hour duty status grid is completely free to download and use. Open the HTML file in any browser, then choose Print and Save as PDF (in landscape orientation) to generate a printable copy. There is no MapTrack account required. If you later want digital duty status capture with GPS-verified location, automatic recap calculations and integrated supporting document reconciliation, MapTrack supports those workflows for fleets running mixed paper and digital operations.

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Free driver's daily log with 24-hour duty status grid (off duty, sleeper berth, driving, on duty). FMCSA 49 CFR 395.8 RODS. Print-ready PDF.

Jarrod Milford

Commercial Director

Updated 7 May 2026

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What is a drivers daily log with duty status grid?

A driver's daily log with the 24-hour duty status grid is the standard format used by commercial motor vehicle drivers in the United States to record their record of duty status (RODS) under FMCSA 49 CFR 395.8. The grid uses four horizontal rows, one for each duty status category: 1. Off duty, 2. Sleeper berth, 3. Driving, and 4. On duty (not driving). Each row spans 24 hours from midnight to midnight, subdivided into 15-minute increments, so the driver can mark a continuous line on the appropriate row for the time spent in each status. A right-hand totals column captures hours per status, and a recap block on the right side calculates 60-hour / 7-day and 70-hour / 8-day cumulative on-duty time.

Under FMCSA 49 CFR Part 395, drivers of commercial motor vehicles operating in interstate commerce are subject to the hours of service rules: an 11-hour driving limit, a 14-hour on-duty window, mandatory 30-minute breaks before the eighth consecutive hour of driving, and 60-hour / 7-day or 70-hour / 8-day weekly limits. Most CMV drivers must use a registered electronic logging device (ELD) to record their RODS automatically under the ELD mandate (49 CFR 395.8(a) and Part 395 Subpart B). Drivers who fall under one of the short-haul exemptions, drive pre-2000 model year vehicles, or drive driveaway-towaway operations may continue using paper logs in this format.

Even where ELDs are mandated, this paper template remains useful for ELD malfunction reconstruction (drivers must reconstruct RODS for the current day and previous seven days when an ELD fails, per 49 CFR 395.34), driver training, audit preparation, and supporting document reconciliation. The template also helps owner-operators and small carriers running short-haul exemption vehicles maintain a clean paper record without subscribing to an ELD platform. Filing the original at the home terminal and giving the duplicate to the driver to carry for eight days satisfies the retention pattern required by 49 CFR 395.8(k).

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Benefits of using this drivers daily log with duty status grid

FMCSA-aligned format: matches the four-row, 24-hour duty status grid required under 49 CFR 395.8 for property-carrying CMV drivers.
ELD malfunction backup: provides the paper format drivers must use to reconstruct RODS for the current day and prior seven days when an ELD fails (49 CFR 395.34).
Driver self-monitoring: visualises driving hours, on-duty window and remaining time, helping drivers stay within the 11-hour, 14-hour and 60/70-hour limits.
Audit readiness: the standard grid layout is what FMCSA auditors and roadside inspectors expect, reducing friction during compliance reviews and inspections.
Training aid: an effective tool for new driver orientation, helping trainees learn duty status categories and HOS rules before their first revenue trip.
Short-haul exemption support: gives owner-operators and carriers running short-haul exempt operations a structured RODS without the cost of an ELD platform.

Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack

When you digitise commercial vehicle log / registers in MapTrack, you get:

Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
Ability to share forms digitally.
Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
Electronic signatures.
Edit forms later without reprinting.
Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
Monitor odometer and service-interval triggers across your entire fleet.
Capture fuel receipts and trip logs alongside vehicle inspection data.
Compare vehicle downtime and repair costs to inform replacement decisions.

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What to include in a drivers daily log with duty status grid

This drivers daily log with duty status grid covers 9 key areas:

Date fields: month, day and year for the 24-hour period covered by the log.
Carrier details: total miles driving today, total mileage today, name of carrier or carriers, main office address and home terminal address.
Driver and vehicle: truck/tractor/trailer numbers, licence plates and state for each unit, driver's full signature, co-driver name and total hours.
Driver certification: signature line confirming the entries are true and correct, as required by 49 CFR 395.8(c).
24-hour duty status grid: four rows (off duty, sleeper berth, driving, on duty not driving) with hourly columns from midnight to midnight, each subdivided into 15-minute increments.
Total hours column: per-status total for the 24-hour period, used for recap calculations.
Remarks section: notes the location and time of every duty status change as required under 49 CFR 395.8(h).
Shipping documents: B/L or Manifest number, shipper and commodity, from and to fields linking the log to specific freight movements.
Recap block: on-duty hours today (lines 3 + 4), totals for last 7 days, totals for last 8 days, available hours tomorrow under both 60-hour and 70-hour rules.

How to use this drivers daily log with duty status grid

Fill in the date, carrier details, vehicle and driver header before starting the duty period.: Record the month, day and year. Enter the carrier name, main office address and home terminal address. List every truck, tractor and trailer number along with their licence plates and states. The driver should print their name and certify the entries before signing at the end of the day.
Mark each duty status change on the grid as it occurs, using a continuous line on the appropriate row.: Draw a horizontal line on the row matching the current duty status (1 off duty, 2 sleeper berth, 3 driving, or 4 on duty not driving). When the status changes, draw a vertical line at the exact time of the change and continue the horizontal line on the new row. Use the 15-minute subdivisions to mark the change time accurately to the nearest quarter hour.
Note the location and reason for each duty status change in the remarks section.: For every status change, record the city and state (or highway mile marker) and a brief description such as fuel stop, loading, rest break or post-trip inspection. This satisfies the 49 CFR 395.8(h) requirement to identify the location of duty status changes and supports later reconciliation against fuel receipts and bills of lading.
Complete the shipping documents block when carrying a load.: Enter the bill of lading or manifest number, the shipper and commodity, the origin (from) and the destination (to). This links the duty status record to the freight movement and supports supporting-document reconciliation during audits.
At the end of the duty period, total each row, complete the recap and sign the certification.: Sum the hours spent in each duty status (rows 1 to 4) and write the totals in the right-hand column. Complete the recap block: on-duty hours today (lines 3 + 4), totals for the last 7 and 8 days, and available hours tomorrow under the applicable 60- or 70-hour rule. Print the driver name, sign the certification and submit the original to the home terminal within 13 days.
File the original at the home terminal and retain duplicates as required.: The motor carrier must retain the original RODS for at least six months from the date of receipt under 49 CFR 395.8(k). The driver must keep the duplicate for the most recent eight consecutive days while on duty so it can be presented during a roadside inspection.

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How often should you complete this log / register?

Drivers must complete a record of duty status for every 24-hour period in which they are subject to FMCSA hours of service rules. The 24-hour period runs from midnight to midnight at the home terminal time zone. CMV drivers operating under one of the short-haul exemptions in 49 CFR 395.1(e) (the 150 air-mile radius exemption or the non-CDL short-haul exemption) are not required to complete a RODS provided their employer maintains time records for them. Drivers using ELDs satisfy the daily RODS requirement automatically through the device, but should reconstruct on this paper format whenever the ELD malfunctions, for the current day and prior seven days, until the device is repaired or replaced (49 CFR 395.34).

Frequently asked questions

Applicable regulatory standards

This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:

FMCSA 49 CFR 395.8 (Driver record of duty status)
FMCSA 49 CFR 395.3 (Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles)
FMCSA 49 CFR 395.5 (Maximum driving time for passenger-carrying vehicles)
FMCSA 49 CFR Part 395 Subpart B (Electronic Logging Devices / ELD mandate)
FMCSA 49 CFR 395.34 (ELD malfunctions and data diagnostic events)

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