Updated November 2021
Heather Ness - DOT Editor - J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc.
November 04 , 2021
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With the Encompass® Fleet Management Platform, you can track driver’s hours of service for every log type – electronic logs, paper logs, exempt logs, and time cards – always in accordance with DOT regulations.
Canada’s electronic logging device (ELD) mandate has been in the making for at least six years, and it was finally adopted on June 12, 2019. The mandate is effective for all federally-regulated carriers starting on June 12, 2021. Read this blog for more details on the difference between the U.S. and Canadian mandate rules.
A. The mandate was effective on June 12, 2021. An educational/progressive enforcement period started on June 12, 2021, and is currently running through June 12, 2022. This means that federally-regulated carriers will need to equip their vehicles with ELDs by that date.
There are two provinces — Alberta and Manitoba — that may start issuing warnings in December 2021.
A. Federally regulated carriers based in Canada that are not exempt must comply with the ELD mandate.
U.S.-based carriers operating into Canada are also subject to Canada's ELD mandate. As a result, U.S.-based carriers must use certified ELDs when operating into Canada.
A. A person or an entity can apply to Canada's Minister of Transport for accreditation as an ELD certification entity. The person or entity must:
Accreditations are valid for five years.
ELD providers submit their devices to the person or entity for testing and certification. A list of certified ELD providers will be posted on Transport Canada's website. There are currently three certification bodies: FPInnovations, CSA Group, and COM Driver Tech.
A. No. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires ELD providers to self-certify that their devices meet U.S. regulations. This is not the same as a third-party certification and is not accepted in Canada.
A. No. The hours-of-service limits remain the same. Transport Canada made technical amendments to the regulation, which involved clarifying the on-duty time definition, loosening up the 160-km log exemption recordkeeping requirements (although the individual jurisdictions can require more detailed recordkeeping), and updating the definition of a commercial motor vehicle. Transport Canada also more clearly defined what constitutes a supporting document under the regulation, but none of these updates affect hours-of-service limits.
A. Yes. While many of Canada's technical specifications are nearly identical to the U.S. ELD specifications, Canada differs in a few areas. This means that U.S. carriers operating into Canada will need to comply with those differences. For example, U.S. carriers into Canada will need to ensure their ELD providers have secured third-party certification of their ELDs, and again, that drivers are using only certified ELDs when operating into Canada.
A. Many carriers operating into Canada from the U.S. choose the 70 hour/7 day cycle because it is closest to the cycles in the United States. Generally, U.S. drivers operating into Canada under the 70 hour/7 day rule will be in compliance if they are in compliance with either the 60 hour/7 day or 70 hour/8 day cycles in the United States, as these cycles are more restrictive.
A. The Canadian hours of service regulations do not differentiate between property-carrying and passenger-carrying carriers.
A. Yes. Upon entering Canada, a U.S. driver should be prepared to show at least 24 consecutive hours of off-duty time at some point within the previous 14 days.
A. Yes. U.S. drivers must carry or display 14 days' worth of logs while in Canada.
A. Yes, while in Canada, Canada's personal use provisions apply. Drivers are limited to 75 kilometers of personal use travel per day, the vehicle must be empty, and trailers must be unhitched. The starting/ending odometer readings of the personal use must also be recorded on the daily log.
Upon entering Canada from the U.S., if the driver's use of personal conveyance in the U.S. does not meet Canada's requirements, it will result in the time being changed to on-duty time or driving time and the on-duty time/driving time/cycle and will be recalculated accordingly. Enforcement will not consider the log falsified due to the change, as the record was true and correct when the driver was in the United States. Learn more about Canada's personal conveyance rule here.
This article was initially published in July 2019 and was updated on 12/11/2020 and 10/25/2021.
compliance
Canadian Mandate and Hours of Service FAQs
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Intrastate ELD Requirements
States are adopting the federal ELD rules for intrastate commerce. Updated December 2020.
Drug and Alcohol Program Management & Recordkeeping