Yard Moves and Log Book Gray Areas: What Owner-Ops Need to Know

A trucking company's recent petition to the FMCSA to log 1.3-mile trips between two facilities as 'yard moves' has brought a thorny question back into focus: what exactly counts as a yard move, and when can you legally skip the logbook? For owner-operators and small-fleet drivers, misunderstanding these gray areas can mean violations, fines, or worse. Let's break down what the rules actually say and how to navigate them safely.

What Is a Yard Move—and Why It Matters

A yard move is a short, low-speed trip between two locations owned or controlled by the same entity—typically a warehouse, distribution center, or company yard. Under FMCSA rules, yard moves are exempt from Hours of Service (HOS) logging if they meet specific criteria. That exemption can save you time on paperwork and give you flexibility on short runs. But the rules are stricter than many drivers think.

The FMCSA defines a yard move as operating a commercial motor vehicle within a 150-air-mile radius of the driver's normal work reporting location, at speeds not exceeding 15 mph, and for the purpose of performing necessary activities (loading, unloading, fueling, servicing) at a customer's location or terminal. Miss one of those conditions, and you're logging it.

The 1.3-Mile Question

The recent petition involved a company requesting approval to classify a 1.3-mile trip between two facilities as a yard move. On its face, 1.3 miles is well within the 150-air-mile threshold. But here's where it gets tricky: both facilities need to be owned or controlled by the same entity, and the trip must be at low speed for a legitimate purpose. If a company is asking the FMCSA for permission, it suggests the agency might have already flagged the move as questionable—either because the facilities don't meet the ownership test, or because the speed or distance patterns don't fit the yard-move profile.

As of mid-2026, the FMCSA has not issued a blanket ruling on this petition. That means owner-operators and small-fleet drivers should assume the conservative interpretation: if you're not 100% certain a short move qualifies, log it.

How to Stay Safe in the Gray Zone

Know your customer's setup. Before you agree to a short run, confirm that both the pickup and drop-off are owned or controlled by the same company. If you're moving freight between a shipper's warehouse and a third-party distribution center, that's not a yard move—it's a regular load, and it needs to be logged.

Document your speed. Yard moves must occur at speeds not exceeding 15 mph. If you're cruising at 25 mph on a 2-mile run between two facilities, you've lost the exemption. Keep your tachograph or ELD data clean; auditors will check it.

Write it down. If a broker or dispatcher tells you a move is a yard move, get it in writing. Screenshot the load offer, email confirmation, or load board listing. If an FMCSA auditor questions it later, you'll have evidence that you relied on the broker's representation—not a guarantee you'll avoid a violation, but it shows good faith.

When in doubt, log it. The cost of logging a 30-minute yard move is minimal. The cost of a HOS violation—$100–$500 per violation, plus potential out-of-service time—is not. If you're unsure, treat it as a regular load.

Why This Matters Now

With FMCSA audits surging (as reported in late June 2026) and brokers tightening vetting standards, compliance is under a microscope. Auditors are specifically looking at HOS logs and ELD records. A pattern of questionable yard-move exemptions can trigger a deeper investigation into your entire operation. Small fleets and owner-operators don't have the legal resources to fight a sustained audit; staying on the right side of ambiguous rules from the start is far cheaper.

The Takeaway

Yard moves are a legitimate exemption when they genuinely fit the FMCSA's definition. But the definition has boundaries, and those boundaries are enforced. If you're operating in a gray zone—short runs between facilities that might or might not qualify—the safest move is to log it. Your ELD will show compliance, brokers will see a clean record, and you'll avoid the audit headache. On a platform like Doft, you can filter for loads that clearly fit your operation and avoid the ambiguous ones altogether.

The FMCSA's petition process shows that even carriers are uncertain about the edges of these rules. That uncertainty is your signal to err on the side of caution.