NOTE: This guidance reflects minor correction(s) (e.g., for grammar, typographical errors, or consistency) made on March 10, 2022.

FMCSA-HOS-ELD-395-FAQ29(2017-03-27)-CORR1

Question: What are the categories of supporting documents?

Guidance: Supporting documents required in the normal course of business are important to verify a driver’s records of duty status (RODS). They consist of 5 categories, described in 49 CFR 395.11(c):

• Bills of lading, itineraries, schedules, or equivalent documents that indicate the origin and destination of each trip;
• Dispatch records, trip records, or equivalent documents;
• Expense receipts related to any on-duty not-driving time;
• Electronic mobile communication records, reflecting communications transmitted through a fleet management system; and
• Payroll records, settlement sheets, or equivalent documents that indicate what and how a driver was paid.

If a driver keeps paper RODS under §  395.8(a)(1)(iii), the carrier must also retain toll receipts. For drivers using paper RODS, toll receipts do not count toward the eight-document cap.

Contact Info: FMCSA ELD Information, 1-800-832-5660 or ELD@dot.gov.

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Note: This guidance document does not have the force and effect of law and is not meant to bind the public in any way.  It is intended only to provide information and clarity regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.