A Canadian regulation mandating the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) can\u2019t come \u201csoon enough,\u201d according to prominent trucking representatives.<\/p>\n
Truck News reported on a webinar hosted by Omnitracs where One For Freight CEO David Carruth said he would like to see Canada move more quickly to pass similar regulation as the U.S., which is implementing a ELD mandate this December.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of the data is there for us to make the right decision,\u201d he said. \u201cAll the case studies have been done\u2026My question is, why would we not want to do this and do this sooner rather than later?\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposed Canadian rule is expected to be published in Canada Gazette 1<\/em> in the coming weeks. After a comment review period, a final rule could be published in Canada Gazette 2, <\/em>sometime in mid-2018, with hard enforcement unlikely to begin before late 2019.<\/p>\n But Stephen Laskowski, president of the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA), said the industry should welcome the mandate.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ELD regulation is bringing to head the inefficiencies in the supply chain, especially those the drivers bear the brunt of,\u201d he said. \u201cInefficiencies at loading docks, inefficient loading times themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Carruth said his company has seen many benefits since adopting electronic logs. They\u2019ve given him hard data he can use to raise shipper awareness about inefficiencies, One For Freight\u2019s CVOR violation rate has been cut in half, and drivers are now more productive.<\/p>\n Mike Ham, vice-president and general manager of Omnitracs Canada, said customers who switch to e-logs typically free up two to 2.5 hours of drive time per week for drivers, which was previously spent filling paper logs.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s an additional, maybe 100 miles a week a driver may get,\u201d he said, adding time-consuming internal logbook audits are also automated.<\/p>\n Laskowski said an ELD mandate will be \u201cthe great cleansing of our industry,\u201d and will force carriers to compete based on sound business practices and innovation rather than ignoring hours-of-service rules.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ELD mandate will bring a lot of great things for drivers,\u201d Laskowski added. \u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful opportunity for the carriers who do it the right way to thrive, and for those who have not been doing it (right), to change or to exit the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n