Do Driver Hours Still Apply to Same-Day Propane App Orders?
No. A same-day app option does not extend a driver’s legal hours. Under the general federal freight rules, a covered driver can drive up to 11 hours after 10 straight hours off. A 14-hour window also applies. Have dispatch check the driver’s time before it confirms the stop. Read FMCSA’s summary.
What does the federal summary say?
FMCSA’s freight-driver summary sets an 11-hour driving cap after 10 straight hours off. It also sets a 14-hour window for driving, plus break and multi-day limits. Read the full summary. Some exceptions may apply. Have your fleet lead check the rules for the actual work. Federal interstate and state intrastate rules need separate review.
What should dispatch check before accepting the window?
Check the driver’s time left, the current route and the delivery location. Include any service work the account needs. A new order asks the office to schedule a stop. The receipt should say what that means. Do not promise an arrival time until dispatch has checked whether the stop fits.
How do we avoid a promise the driver cannot keep?
Read the customer screens with your dispatcher. Look at the message before checkout and the one after review. Does either promise an arrival before the route is checked? Fix that wording in setup. Do not assume a same-day setting calculates legal hours or knows which truck can take the stop.
What should we check before launch?
Use dispatch’s actual records when you review the same-day offer:
- Have your fleet compliance lead identify the rules and exceptions that apply to the operation.
- Write down what same-day means in your customer offer and office procedure.
- Review available driver time and service needs before confirming the window.
- Agree on who can decline or reschedule a request when capacity is unavailable.
- Rehearse the revised-window message with dispatch and the office before launch.
Questions owners ask
Does a customer’s urgent request create an exemption?
Do not treat urgent order notes as proof of an exemption. Have your fleet lead check any claimed relief against the work, place and dates it covers. Dispatch still needs to decide if the stop fits. Tell the customer what the office can confirm once that review is done.
Does short-haul mean there is no driving limit?
No. Short-haul status is not permission to drive without limits. Have your fleet lead check the actual route and duty pattern. Keep the basis for the exception with the records it needs. Office staff should not have to decide that a local address makes every part of the day exempt.
Can the ordering app calculate remaining legal hours?
Do not assume it can from a same-day button. Ask which route details the office sees and which hours records stay in your fleet tools. Have dispatch explain how it checks a stop. Keep that process clear before staff rely on an order screen to promise a delivery.
What happens if the route is full?
Decide who can offer a later window and how the office will contact the customer. Record the change so the next staff member can explain it. Ask the provider to show the message the customer gets. Receipt of a request should not look like a firm dispatch promise.
What should we show in the demo?
Bring a made-up route example with no real customer details. Fill the route, then walk a new request through the screens. Check the office review and reply. Let the dispatcher judge whether the wording fits the work. Resolve open questions about time and capacity before you enable the offer.
Primary sources
Bring your dispatch review process to a Custom Fuel App demo. Related reading: Existing same-day setup guide, Scheduling fuel deliveries. Find more on the answer hub.
Planning guidance for the office. Check the rules for your work with the agency, your lawyer or a qualified reviewer. A product setting does not prove compliance.
Last updated: 2026-10-17
Author: The Custom Fuel App team