What the Canadian ELD mandate mean for carriers crossing the US/Canada border

Transport Canada have announced a new rule stating that all drivers operating in Canada who are currently required to keep a record of duty status will now be required to use an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) from the 12th of June 2021.

The requirements of the Canadian ELD are largely the same as those in the USA, where they have been compulsory since 2017. The major difference in the Canadian ELD regulations is they need to be certified by an accredited third-party entity. These entities will test ELD software to ensure that it meets all the standards outlined by Transport Canada.

There are a few other differences that operators and drivers should familiarize themselves with –

Personal Conveyance

In Canada there is a strict 75km daily limit for personal conveyance. ELDs will automatically work this out for a driver. If they go further than the 75km in a day, the ELD will switch into driving status automatically.

Drivers crossing the border into the US should be informed on US personal conveyance laws and the differences that may occur there – some laws that may be legal in the US will not be the same in Canada.

Roadside inspections

In the event of a roadside inspection, the inspector needs to check that a driver is following Canadian HOS regulations. To do this a driver can show them their ELD screen, which will display their work details from the last 24-hours, as well as the last 14-day period. Inspectors can also request that documents are transferred to them electronically (via email), so drivers should be aware and trained on how to do this.

Data transfer

At a roadside inspection, an inspector may ask for logs to be emailed to them. In Canada the inspector will provide an email address for the logs to be sent to, while in the USA the email address is already programmed into the ELD.

Yard moves

Driving status will automatically be recorded if a driver is driving over 8 km/h. If a driver is in the yard, they will therefore need to select ‘yard move’ before they hit that speed if they want to remain in that status. Organizations should be very clear with their staff about their policies around yard moves and when it is appropriate to use this status.

 

Want to know more? Contact us today to see how Coretex can deliver the Canadian ELD solution that you need.