While federal laws do not require truckers to complete the monthly summary sheet in their log book, doing so can make it easier for a driver to maintain compliance with the hours of service regulations. Drivers must complete a log sheet for each working day. Because the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) does not require that drivers keep weekly recaps or monthly summaries, it is up to the driver to determine the best way to complete the sheet if he chooses to do so.

Enter your daily work hours for the last seven days of the previous month in the spaces provided on the sheet.

Add the hours from the end of the previous month, and enter the total in the first row of Column A.

Subtract the total from 70 -- if you operate using the "70 hours in eight days" rule -- and enter the total in the first row of Column B.

Enter your total hours worked on the first day of the month in the "1" row on the "Hours Worked Today" Column.

Add your "Hours Worked Today" Column to the number of hours in Column A.

Subtract the hours in Column A, row 1, from 70, and enter the total in Column B.

Add the number of hours you worked in the past eight days, and put the total in Column C.

Enter your information daily following the above steps.

Tip

Make sure you use the correct side of the sheet for the hours of service regulations you use in your operation. The "70 hours in eight days" operations typically use the left side of the summary page and the "60 hours in seven days" operations use the right side.

Add lines 3 and 4 from your daily logs to calculate the number of hours you work each day.

If you are off work for 34 continuous hours, federal regulations allow you to reset your total hours on duty within the last eight days to zero.

Warning

If at anytime the total of Column C exceeds 70, you cannot legally drive again until enough days pass that your hours on duty drop below 70.