Ignoring Drive Logs in Geotab

A Drive log in Geotab can't be edited, but it can be marked Ignored

Written By Support Team

A Drive status in Geotab Drive is created automatically when the vehicle moves. It is locked, so it can't be edited, changed to Off Duty or deleted. This catches fleets out when the truck is moved by someone else, or when the driver is still logged in to the truck, and the driver ends up with drive time they didn't do and often a violation.

You can't change or remove a Drive log. You can mark it as Ignored, then correct the On Duty or Off Duty time around it. A fleet administrator can do this in MyGeotab, or Support can help.

Why Drive logs are locked

HOS logs are a legal record. They can't be deleted, and automatic Drive time can't be edited. A Drive status comes straight from vehicle movement, not from the driver. That protects the log during an inspection or audit. It also means a mistaken Drive segment is handled by marking it Ignored and adding a note, not by rewriting it.

What you can do with each status

Log	Can it be edited?	What to do
Drive (automatic)	No. It can't be changed to another status or deleted.	Mark it Ignored and add an annotation.
Other automatic logs	Not directly. MyGeotab asks you to create a new log with the correct status instead.	Create the correct log, or mark the wrong one Ignored.
Statuses the driver entered (On Duty, Off Duty, Sleeper Berth)	Yes	The driver edits it in Geotab Drive, or an administrator suggests an edit in MyGeotab that the driver must accept.

You can add an annotation (a short note, up to 60 characters) to any log, automatic or manual, to explain what happened.

Common situations

Someone else moved the truck. For example, shippers moved it after the driver went off duty. Mark the Drive log Ignored, then fix any On Duty or Off Duty time around it.
The driver forgot to go off duty or log out. The extra On Duty time can be edited by the driver or marked Ignored. To stop it happening again, the driver should log out of Geotab Drive at the end of the shift. While a driver is still logged in, the vehicle stays assigned to them, so any movement (for example, a truck in the shop) lands on their log.
Someone drove without logging in (Unidentified Driving), and the wrong driver claimed it. The claimed time uses up that driver's hours. Reassign the logs to the right driver. Logs can't be moved back to Unidentified, so on the wrong driver's profile mark them Ignored with a note. That driver then accepts the change.
A driver who should be exempt from HOS has drive time. The generated logs can be marked Ignored. An exemption the driver forgot to apply can't be added afterwards; you can only annotate the log.
Drive time appeared when the truck wasn't driving, more than once. Check the GO device. Repeated “Device Unplugged” or “Power Loss” faults can create inaccurate driving segments. Make sure the device is firmly connected to the diagnostic port, check the vehicle's power, and check any connected accessory. Then correct the logs.
The app got stuck in Driving. See If Geotab Drive freezes below.

Before you change anything: is the violation actually wrong?

Some violations we review turn out to be accurate under the driver's ruleset. For example, the driver reached the 16-hour limit or went over the 70-hour cycle. Geotab's guidance in that case is:

leave the log as it is if it's accurate;
add an annotation to give context (for example, an app delay) without changing the status or times;
edit only when a specific status or time is factually wrong.

Also check that a ruleset is applied to the driver. Without one, logs aren't evaluated for violations, and a violation can appear once a ruleset is applied again. See HOS setup (MyGeotab).

How to fix it yourself (fleet administrator, MyGeotab)

Mark a log as Ignored

Go to Compliance > HOS > Logs, click Options, pick the driver and the date, and click Apply changes.
Click the log (or select several and click Edit selected HOS logs).
Set Ignored to Yes. It's the last option on the log edit page.
Add an annotation, for example "Truck moved by shipper", and click Save.

For more details, reference Geotab's guide: Ignoring a duty status.

Suggest an edit to an On Duty or Off Duty log

The driver must first verify that day's logs in Geotab Drive. You can't suggest edits to a day the driver hasn't verified.
In Compliance > HOS > Logs, open the log, change the status, add an annotation and click Save.
The suggested edit shows in yellow in the driver's Geotab Drive. The driver has to accept it (see below).

Reassign Unidentified Driving to the right driver

In Compliance > HOS > Logs, find the unidentified logs for the vehicle and date.
Select them, click Edit selected HOS logs, click Replace With next to Driver and choose the correct driver.
Add an annotation and click Save.

What the driver has to do

To fix their own entry (before the day is verified): in Geotab Drive, go to HOS > Logs, pick the date, tap the log, tap the Pencil icon, choose the correct status, add an annotation and tap Save. Automatic Drive time can't be edited this way.

To accept an administrator's edit: go to HOS > Logs and tap Accept and Verify, or open the highlighted entry and tap Accept.

Until the driver accepts, the edit doesn't apply, the driver's available hours aren't recalculated and any violation it causes stays on the log. Drivers can't verify administrator edits older than 14 days in the app, so ask them to accept promptly. Once a driver has verified a day, they can't edit it themselves; an administrator has to suggest the change.

If Geotab Drive freezes

If the app gets stuck in Driving while the driver is trying to go off duty:

Close the app completely, turn Airplane Mode on for about 5 seconds and off again, then reopen the app.
On Android, set the app's battery use to Unrestricted. On iOS, turn on Background App Refresh and Cellular Data for the app.
When stopped for a few minutes, return to the main dashboard instead of leaving the log screen open.
Keep the app and the phone or tablet up to date.

Then correct the log as above. If it keeps happening, contact Support (see what to include below). For malfunction warnings in the app, see How a driver can remove malfunctions on the Drive app.

When to contact Support

Contact Support if you don't have MyGeotab access, the violation is still showing after the driver has accepted every edit, or you're not sure which log is causing it. Support can review the log with you, mark logs Ignored, make the edit for the driver to accept and tell you which violation is left.

Support can explain how the logs work but can't give legal advice on whether a change is right for your compliance obligations.

What to include

The driver's name, the vehicle and the date.
The status (Drive, On Duty, Off Duty, Sleeper Berth) and the exact time range that is wrong.
What actually happened, for example "the truck was moved by the shipper at about 6 pm" or "the driver was home all weekend".
A screenshot of the log and the violation.
Whether the driver has verified that day, and whether any edit is already waiting for them.
If the app froze: the phone or tablet make and model, the Geotab Drive version, what you've already tried, and which drivers are affected.

What you'll see afterwards

An ignored log isn't deleted. It stays on record, marked Ignored, with your annotation.
A violation can still show after a Drive log is ignored. Often an On Duty or Off Duty edit is still waiting for the driver to accept it.
Once the driver accepts, their available hours recalculate and the violation should clear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Drive time be changed to Off Duty instead?

No. A Drive status can't be changed to another status. It can only be marked Ignored. You can then correct the On Duty or Off Duty time around it.

Can the log be deleted?

No. HOS logs are a legal record and can't be deleted.

Is it only Support who can do this?

No. A fleet administrator with access to HOS logs in MyGeotab can mark logs Ignored and suggest edits. Support can help if you'd rather do it together.

I've ignored the Drive log but the driver is still in violation. Why?

Check which violation is showing. If an On Duty or Off Duty status was edited, the driver must accept that change before the violation clears. Also check whether the violation is accurate on its own, for example a cycle limit reached on other days.

Is it OK to ignore a log?

Use it in line with your company's own HOS compliance process. For questions about what the regulations allow, check with your compliance team or the regulator.

How do I stop this happening when the truck is moved in the yard?

If the driver is moving the truck around the yard, they can use the Yard Move status. Yard Move doesn't count toward daily drive time, but it does count toward on-duty time. See How Yard Move (YM) Works.

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