Canada to Make Electronic Logging Devices Mandatory by 2021

Electronic logging devices (ELDs) will soon replace all paper-based logbooks within Canada’s federally regulated commercial trucks and buses, in a move designed to target driver fatigue concerns.

Transport Canada estimates that the move will reduce the risk of fatigue-related collisions by approximately 10 percent.

Minister of Transport Marc Garneau announced that the new requirement, which comes into force on June 12, 2021, addresses a Coroners recommendation following a 2018 collision between a junior hockey team’s bus and a semi-truck that left 16 people dead and 13 injured.

“These new mandatory logging devices in commercial vehicles will improve safety for drivers and for all Canadians. We know that fatigue increases the risks of accidents and that is why we are taking action across all modes of transportation.”

What are ELDs?

ELDs are tamper-resistant devices that are integrated into commercial vehicle engines. They are intended to ensure that commercial drivers drive within their daily limit and accurately log their working hours. The devices track when and how long drivers have been at the wheel, and ensure they are complying with the Government of Canada’s Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations.

The devices are also designed to reduce administrative burdens, such as eliminating the need for paper daily logs and reducing the time enforcement officers need to verify regulatory compliance.

Canadian Trucking Alliance Chair Scott Smith said the implementation of tamperproof, third-party electronic logging devices would “further enhance safety and help ensure all drivers and companies hold themselves to the highest levels of compliance.”

Transport Canada also said it was committed to aligning Canada’s vehicle regulations with U.S. regulations, in order to better support economic growth, trade, and transportation on both sides of the border. This would enable Canadian and U.S. operators to use the same logging device in both countries.

Private Motor Truck Council of Canada president, Mike Millian, welcomed the regulation, saying it would “help to level the playing field for compliant carriers, and allow them to compete with rates that are achievable in the legal environment they operate in.”