USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Portions of the Department of Transportation are currently in shutdown/furlough status due to a lapse in appropriations. Please continue to monitor this page for updates on DOT’s operating status.
U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Regulatory Guidance

Welcome to the FMCSA Guidance Portal. This web portal is a searchable, indexed database that contains and links to all guidance documents in effect from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The guidance documents lack the force and effect of law, unless expressly authorized by statute or incorporated into a contract.

To comment on any guidance document, or to request issuance, reconsideration, modification, or rescission of any guidance document, please identify the guidance document in your request and send it to: FMCSAguidance@dot.gov. NOTE: The FMCSAguidance mailbox is not intended to serve as a mailbox for general inquiries. For inquiries that go beyond the limited purpose of the FMCSAguidance mailbox, please call FMCSA's Information Line (800-832-5660) or visit FMCSA's "Contact Us" page to send your inquiry to the appropriate mailbox.

Subject Agency Identifier Topic Issued Date
What is the responsibility of the carrier and driver pertaining to electronic logging device (ELD) diagnostic events or malfunctions that do not interfere with the accurate recording of hours of service? What would the documentation requirements be in... FMCSA-ELD-395-Q047(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
Under section 4.6.1.2 of 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, Appendix A, the engine synchronization compliance monitoring requires the electronic logging device (ELD) to record an engine synchronization diagnostics event when it cannot acquire values for the ELD FMCSA-ELD-395-Q048(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
Is the electronic logging device (ELD) required to retrieve the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) position from the device connected to the port, or can this be retrieved by using a smartphone or tablet? FMCSA-ELD-395-Q079(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
In an electronic logging device (ELD) with multiple components, which component must generate the event identifier sequence number? FMCSA-ELD-395-Q080(2022-03-10)-RESCINDED ELD Guidance
If a driver forgets to indicate the start of Personal Conveyance (PC) or Yard Moves (YM), can they later edit that automatically generated driving event to PC (Off Duty) or YM (On Duty Not Driving)? FMCSA-ELD-395-Q081(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
Section 4.6.1.6(d) of 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, Appendix A states that “An unidentified driving records data diagnostic event can be cleared by the ELD when driving time logged under the unidentified driver profile for the current 24‐hour period and... FMCSA-ELD-395-Q049(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
What data does the electronic logging device (ELD) need to log when there is an unidentified driver? FMCSA-ELD-395-Q050(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
How should the electronic logging device (ELD) handle the dashboard odometer display not matching the odometer value returned by the electronic control module (ECM)? For instance, when the engine is replaced and the value is not synced. FMCSA-ELD-395-Q059(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
Is it permissible to allow the electronic logging device (ELD) to power up, boot, and accept driver logins before the engine is powered?  FMCSA-ELD-395-Q056(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance
What is a manufacturer required to do when required data is not available from the electronic control module (ECM)? FMCSA-ELD-395-Q057(2022-03-10) ELD Guidance