On June 13, 2019, Transport Canada published Canada’s long-awaited ELD (electronic logging device) rule in an effort to increase safety and compliance in the trucking industry. In 2 years (by June 2021), ELDs will have to be used by all drivers that are currently required to maintain a logbook. The rules themselves will not be changed, but will simply have to be recorded electronically and automatically.
While a similar mandate has already taken effect in the U.S., there are two notable differences that the Canadian mandate has:
- The ELD-compliant devices that will be used in Canada will require third-party device certification; a rule put in place to reduce modification or tampering of the devices.
- Existing automatic onboard recording devices will not be grandfathered, meaning existing devices will need to be third-party-certified or replaced with new devices.
“The two-year implementation period may seem quick for some truck owners,” Transport Minister Marc Garneau said, “but I want to reassure you that this period will allow them enough time to set up and install the devices. In doing this we are looking to reduce truck and bus crashes due to fatigue.”
While the industry awaits the government to work with ELD suppliers to identify a third-party certification institution, there are current suppliers that are already ELD compliant in the U.S. such as Geotab that can be explored.
Read more about the mandate here.
