Canada publishes federal ELD mandate, effective June 2021

Electronic logging devices will become mandatory in June 2021 for most Canadian motor carriers who are federally regulated.

The new requirement will go into effect on June 12, 2021. Transport Canada, the nation’s top federal transportation agency, says it is “committed to aligning with vehicle regulations in the United States to the fullest extent possible, provided that it is in the best interest of Canadians,” according to a June 13 news release.

The rule is similar to the ELD mandate that went into effect in the United States in December 2017. While the rule applies to federally regulated carriers that operate beyond a 160 km (roughly 100 miles) range from their home terminal. Provincial and territorial regulators will need to adopt the regulations to apply to provincial and interprovincial operations.

Short-term truck rentals of 30 days or less and carriers operating under the 160 km range from their home terminal would still be allowed to use paper logs. Trucks manufactured before model year 2000 also will be exempt from electronic logs.

Transport Canada estimates roughly half of all federally regulated commercial vehicles in Canada are already using electronic rather than paper logs when operating in the United States.

Johanne Couture, an OOIDA board member from Brockville, Ontario, says the Canadian mandate is largely similar to the U.S. mandate, except for a few key differences. One of those differences is the Canadian mandate will require third-party certification of the devices rather than allowing an ELD manufacturer to “self-certify” that their device complies with the regulations as is allowed by the U.S. rule.

Couture also said that she does not expect Canadian truckers to push back against the mandate

“Those who are going to be vocal are going to be very vocal about it but not to the extent that it was in the U.S, just because of the sheer numbers (of drivers already operating with ELDs),” she told Land Line Now’s Terry Scruton. LL