Effective Jan. 1, 2023, truck carriers operating in Canada must use electronic logging devices (ELDs) certified by Transport Canada, as the country’s grace period allowing the transition from paper to electronic logs has ended. Drivers operating Canadian or American trucks in Canada must use devices from the country’s certified list of ELDs if they wish to avoid receiving citations, according to a press release from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).
However, each Canadian province and territory has its own regulations for applying the ELD mandate, so CVSA recommends drivers and carriers check ahead for ELD requirements in any areas they might travel. The mandate will not be enacted in Quebec until June 1 due to administrative delays.
Not all ELDs certified in America will meet Canadian technical and HOS requirements. The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators has published a Canadian ELD Technical Standard FAQ.
See also: Industry reacts to proposed ELD revisions
Current ELDs will require a software update to meet certification requirements. While in the U.S., ELDs are self-certified by the manufacturer, ELDs in Canada are certified by three independent certifying bodies, then recertified annually. Approximately 60 ELDs are certified in Canada.
Canada published a draft version of its ELD mandate in December 2017, the requirement to log hours of service (HOS) electronically coming into force on June 12, 2021. However, from June 2021 until Jan. 1, 2023, the mandate was supported with soft enforcement, meaning that ELDs were required, but the government would not issue citations for violations. This was to allow carriers more time to install certified ELDs—of which there were none as of June 2021. Canadian Minister of Transportation Omar Alghabra said that soft enforcement measures would “consist of education and awareness.”
