Paper log book grid generator
Fill in the log header, pick your status at midnight, then add each duty status change with its time and location. The generator draws the 24-hour grid with all four duty statuses, adds up the hours in each, and prints a clean driver's daily log with a signature line. Use it as a backup or where paper logs are allowed.
LOG HEADER
DUTY STATUS CHANGES
Driving 07:30 · On duty 02:00 · Off 14:30 · Sleeper 00:00 · 6 changes
A printable aid in the record of duty status format. Paper logs replace an ELD only where an exception applies; check the rules and your carrier's policy.
07:30 of driving on this day. We plan loads around your hours, so you're never pushed past a legal day.
Get loads that fit my hoursBy Evan DavidsonUpdated Sources checked
How the generator works
The rules set out what a paper record of duty status must show 49 CFR 395.8 Driver's record of duty statuseCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source, and the generator builds the log from those pieces.
- Header. Driver name, date, carrier name and main office, truck and trailer numbers, total miles for the day, and the shipping document number or the shipper and commodity.
- Status at midnight. The duty status you were in when the day began, usually off duty or sleeper berth.
- Each change. The time, the new duty status and the city and state where it happened. Add, edit or remove changes in any order; the generator sorts them by time.
- The grid. It draws one continuous line through the 24 hours, moving between the four rows at each change, with quarter-hour marks to read against.
- Totals. Hours in each status appear at the end of the row, and the overall total checks that the day adds up to 24 hours.
The printed page includes the header, the grid, the changes as remarks and a line for your signature and certification.
A worked example
A driver starts the day off duty. They go on duty at 5:30 AM in Springfield, MO for a pre-trip inspection, drive from 6:00 to 10:30, take a 30-minute on-duty stop in Joplin, MO, drive again until 2:00 PM, and spend an hour unloading in Tulsa, OK before going off duty at 3:00 PM.
- Off duty
- 14 h 30 min
- Sleeper berth
- 0 h
- Driving (4 h 30 + 3 h)
- 7 h 30 min
- On duty not driving
- 2 h
- Total
- 24 h
The 30-minute stop in Joplin also counts as the break due after 8 hours of driving.
This is the example loaded when you first open the tool. Change any line to see the grid redraw.
When paper logs are allowed
Most drivers who must keep records of duty status have to use an ELD. Paper logs are allowed for drivers who keep records no more than 8 days in any 30-day period, in certain driveaway-towaway operations, and in trucks made before model year 2000 49 CFR 395.8(a) Methods of recordingeCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source. Paper is also the fallback when an ELD fails, until the device is fixed or replaced.
Even if you run an ELD every day, it's worth keeping a few blank grids in the cab and knowing how to fill one in. An ELD failure on the road is a bad time to learn.
Tips for a clean log
- Draw straight, continuous lines. No gaps and no overlaps. The day must total 24 hours.
- Note every change. City and state for each duty status change, in the remarks.
- Fill in the header completely. Missing carrier details or shipping document numbers are easy findings for an inspector.
- Sign it. An unsigned log isn't certified.
- Keep the last 7 days with you. Records for the previous 7 consecutive days must be available on request, plus today's.
Logs, hours and planning
A log records the hours; planning keeps them legal. The hours of service calculator shows how much driving time you have left on your 11, 14 and 70-hour clocks. Our guide to the truck driver schedule explains how those limits shape a day, and the guide to a truck driver file management system covers keeping logs, permits and receipts organized.
Hauling heavy or hazmat freight? The truck weight limit checker and the hazmat endorsement cost and timeline calculator cover the other rules that come with those loads.
Loads that fit your hours
A good load plan starts from the hours you actually have left. Ours do: pickups, deliveries and reloads are lined up so nobody asks you to stretch a legal day. Here's how that works for owner-operators, and the free trucking tools include an hours of service calculator.
Sources: eCFR, 49 CFR 395.8 Driver's record of duty status (2026); eCFR, 49 CFR 395.8(a) Methods of recording (2026).
Questions about this tool
CH 01Can I still use a paper log book?
Only where an exception allows it. Most drivers who must keep records of duty status have to use an electronic logging device. Paper logs are allowed for drivers who keep records no more than 8 days in any 30-day period, in certain driveaway-towaway operations, and in vehicles made before model year 2000. Paper is also the backup when an ELD fails.
CH 02What are the four lines on a log book grid?
Off duty, sleeper berth, driving, and on duty not driving. You draw one continuous line across the 24-hour grid, moving it to the right row each time your duty status changes, and note the city and state where each change happened. The hours on each line are totaled at the end of the row and must add up to 24.
CH 03What do I do if my ELD stops working?
Note the malfunction and tell your carrier promptly, then keep paper records of duty status for the current day and reconstruct the past days you need to carry. Federal rules set how long the carrier has to fix or replace the device. Keep blank grids in the cab so you're ready, and check your carrier's procedure for ELD failures.
CH 04How many days of logs must I keep in the truck?
Drivers must have records of duty status for the previous 7 consecutive days available for inspection, plus the current day. Carriers keep their own copies for longer. If you're on paper, keep the week's logs in order in the cab, and send copies to your carrier as its procedures require.
CH 05Is a log from this generator accepted at inspections?
It follows the record of duty status format, with the 24-hour grid, the four duty statuses and the header information the rules list, and it prints with a signature line. Whether paper logs are acceptable at all depends on whether an exception applies to you. Fill it in accurately and completely, and sign it, like any log.
Loads planned around your logbook
We plan pickups and deliveries around your hours, so a load never needs time you don't have. Every load waits for your yes.