Transport Canada, the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon Territory have renewed an optional hours-of-service exemption for extra-provincial truck undertakings to assist in the emergency response to wildfires. The province of Ontario has also signed on to the exemption.
The purpose of this exemption is to support efforts by extra-provincial motor carrier undertakings and their drivers to transport essential supplies, equipment and the transportation of people, in direct assistance to the emergency relief efforts in response to the wildfires in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Yukon.
The exemption comes for temporary relief from the scheduling provisions in sections 12 to 29 and 37 to 54 of the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations.
There are several detailed conditions associated with the exemption that carriers are strongly encouraged to review, some of which include but are not limited to:
- That the carrier must notify in writing the hours-of-service director in their base jurisdiction that they want to utilize the exemption, prior to commencement.
- That the carrier must list all drivers and vehicles to participate under the exemption and provide that to the hours-of-service director prior to commencement.
- That a copy of the exemption must be carried in every vehicle operating under the exemption.
- That the driver must indicate in the remarks section of their daily log if they are operating under the exemption on that day— Tracking Number – ASF-2025-04E
(Numéro de suivi ASF-2025-04F).
- That a carrier cannot have a “conditional” or “unsatisfactory” safety rating.
- That the driver or vehicle cannot be subject to an out-of-service declaration.
Carriers considering using the exemption are strongly encourages to read the details of the exemption requirements in detail. Details of the exemption are available on TC web page here EN / FR
This exemption comes into effect upon the date that it is signed and remains valid until the earliest of the following:
a) August 28, 2025, at 23:59 EST;
b) the date on which the exemption is cancelled in writing by the Minister where she is of the opinion that it is no longer in the public interest, or that it is likely to affect motor carrier safety.