Now is the time for Canadian fleets to start transitioning to electronic logging devices (ELDs) as the Canadian transport ministry has announced the official new regulations. The Transport Canada ELD mandate for commercial drivers is aimed at improving road safety and reducing driver fatigue.

On October 26, 2020, Transport Canada announced that FPI Innovations received accreditation to certify electronic logging devices. This third-party body will help ensure ELDs are safe, reliable, and resistant to tampering.

This independent verification is a key difference to the U.S. process, where ELD manufacturers can self-certify their devices.

Currently, drivers of commercial buses and trucks in Canada are required to self-report their on-duty, off-duty and daily driving time, according to the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations. Drivers must keep a daily log of driving records. Use of paper logs or electronic recording devices (ERD) to record hours of service (HOS) is permitted.

Official Canadian ELD regulations have been in the works for several years. In 2017, Transport Canada announced that it would be making electronic logging mandatory.

On May 5, 2021 the CCMTA released an announcement providing details around the soft enforcement period, specifically highlighting that it will end on June 12, 2022. At the end of this period, it will be mandatory for drivers that are keeping a daily log of their driving records to use an ELD (Electronic Logging Device).

Watch this video to better understand the Canada ELD mandate and learn about:

Transport Canada defines an ELD as a certified device or technology that automatically logs the driver’s driving time and record of duty status.

Benefits of using ELDs, as cited in the announcement, include:

Here is a quick overview of the key dates to be aware of with regard to the Canadian ELD mandate.

December 16, 2017

The Government of Canada published the proposed Regulations Amending the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations (Electronic Logging Devices and Other Amendments), in Canada Gazette Part I: Vol. 151, No. 50.

June 13, 2019

Transport Canada announced that it is mandating the use of ELDs for commercial trucks and bus operators.

June 12, 2022

Enforcement deadline. Carriers must switch from paper daily logs to ELDs before this date.

January 1, 2023

All vehicles manufactured after 2000 for commercial use need an ELD.

The published regulations state that Transport Canada has eliminated the two-year grandfather period for ERDs. As of now, there will not be a grandfather period for the Canadian ELD mandate. This means that fleets already using e-logs will not have extra time allotted and will need to ensure their devices are compliant by 2021 like everyone else.

The reason given is that the process for updating is not as burdensome as initially assumed. The regulations mention that carriers may be able to upgrade their existing devices via over-the-air software updates, instead of needing to replace the whole unit. To confirm upgrade requirements, carriers with ERDs should check with their current providers to see if ELD requirements are needed.

The Canadian ELD regulations are similar in many respects to the current U.S. regulations on electronic logging, which went into effect in December 2017. In the U.S., ELD compliance was phased in with full compliance mandated by December 16, 2019.

The Canadian ELD regulations will mimic U.S. regulations in that the ELD will be required to:

Note: This is not a complete list of eld requirements.

There are some slight differences between the Canadian and U.S. regulations on ELDs.

One key difference is that Canadian ELDs must be third-party certified, not self-certified. In the U.S., ELD devices are self-certified by the manufacturer that they meet requirements, and then registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Also, Canadian drivers will not transfer logs electronically to a federal system like eRODS in the U.S. Drivers will be required to email a specially created transfer file to officers, and officers may have software to convert the file into a readable format. The industry awaits more details on this process.

Canadian ELDs must also meet the Technical Standard for Electronic Logging Devices published by the The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) which outlines the minimum requirements.

The U.S. ELD mandate offers exemptions to the rule in some cases.

Commercial motor vehicles will be exempt from the elogs mandate if they:

Acknowledging incompatibility issues, the regulations allow drivers of commercial motor vehicles manufactured before model year 2000 to continue to keep a paper log to track driving time and on-duty hours.

The Canadian ELD regulations will not change existing hours of service (HOS) regulations, but reinforce compliance. Additional benefits of the rule include reducing fatigued driving and simplifying compliance for long-haul truck drivers who drive in both countries.

The Canadian ELD mandate will require the ELD system to actively warn drivers when they are running close to the hours of service limits. The Canadian hours of service rules are quite different than those in the U.S. so carriers should look at choosing an ELD vendor that 1) supports the Canadian hours of service rules completely, including deferral of OFF duty, and 2) is committed to achieving third-party certification when it becomes available.