Canada To Require ELDs In 2021

Canada will require the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) beginning in June 2021, making official a long-sought regulation of the commercial transportation industry.

Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced the implementation date and the finalized regulations governing ELDs on June 13 outside the headquarters of the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the Ontario Trucking Association in Toronto.

"This is a significant step toward safer roads, and I am proud of the work that was accomplished with the industry. We have consulted extensively with them and listened to their concerns," Garneau said.

The mandate, which also applies to commercial buses, includes third-party certification of all ELDs in Canada. Garneau said the addition came in response to industry concerns.

Third-party certification stands in contrast to the U.S., where manufacturers self-certify devices. Members of the Canadian industry have expressed concerns that self-certified devices could be more prone to tampering.

Canada's ELD mandate was already in the works when a trucker in Saskatchewan collided with a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team, killing 16 people. Investigators uncovered numerous violations in the driver's paper log.

Stephen Laskowski, president of the Canadian trucking Alliance, said the Humboldt crash blemished Canada's trucking industry. The ELD mandate, he said, would ensure a level playing field for hours of service compliance.

"This will close the door on hours of service violations," Laskowski said.
ELD use is already common in the Canadian trucking industry because of the extensive cross-border business with the U.S. But up to 60,000 trucks engaging in domestic routes will need to make the switch from paper logs.

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