good luck

I've had several carriers tell me they have to keep log pages for six months. For DOT, in the truck, it's your current day and seven consecutive previous days. For income tax, it's seven years. But, if you don't claim the $42/day meal allowance, you don't have to keep them for taxes.

The company I'm with just went through an audit last week. I can call the safety director on Monday and check with him, but I'm sure it's six months.

As a company driver you only need to keep your previous 7 days duty status available for any inspections. Company drivers turn in log sheets with trips to company. company has to keep logs minimum of 6 months archive.

If your using your logs for tax purposes at end of year (per-diem etc, etc.) then you will keep them a minimum of one year, as for the tax man cometh your going to want totreat them like reciepts and keep them 7 + years in case of audits but i am sure no need for longer than 10 years.

For them that collect per-diem each paycheck there is no need to keep logs for tax man at end of year.

This whole thing could be different in an Owner operator case.

I am basing what i am saying here off what my safety guy stated at the company i work at. so it could vary company to company except the previous 8 days for the driver and the minimun 6 months held by company.

FMCSA website is back up, and GMAN is right - kind of.

Under part 396.3, it does indeed state that record of duty must be retained by the carrier for 6 months.

HOWEVER, under part 385, it states that during an initial 18 month safety audit, one of the things they check is driver record of duty status - so if you are tossing your driver's logs after 6 months, then you don't have one of the required documents for the audit.

FURTHERMORE, under part 396.3, it states that the Drivers Vehicle Inspection Report must be kept by the carrier for a minimum of one year, and for 6 months after a vehicle is no longer in the carrier's fleet (part 396.11). Since the vehicle inspection report is usually attached to the log, by default, you are keeping the logs for one year.

So it is a cloudy area, and technically, we are both correct.

I called OOIDA earlier today and spoke with Jerry in compliance. He found it in 395.8, K-1. According to what he found, the carrier needs to keep driver logs for 6 months from receipt. I assume that means from the time the carrier receives the logs. We talked for a bit and he also informed me that it may be necessary to have logs to substantiate IFTA records. I don't recall him finding that in the rules, but I will need to do further research. When I couldn't get into the Federal website, over the weekend, I went into my state website, as well as a couple of other states. Some records must be kept as long as 4 years in my state. Some of these rules are cloudy and difficult to locate. I think that I will keep them a while longer to be safe. I think we all should have realized that it would not be as clear as it should since it involved the government. :?

OK for Dot it is 6months and for tax purposes it is 3 years!!

For Safety Purposes:

For Economic Purposes:

Be safe.