The 12-month countdown\u00a0towards full enforcement of Canada\u2019s electronic logging device\u00a0(ELD)\u00a0rule for federally regulated\u00a0trucking companies will start on June 12, 2021. After a year, the educational enforcement period will end and give way to full enforcement \u2013 which, says the Canadian Trucking Alliance, cannot come soon enough.<\/p>\n
In light of circumstances related to COVID-19 over 2020 and into 2021, and the pandemic\u2019s impact on governments and industry in introducing third-party\u00a0certified\u00a0ELDs, the provinces\u00a0and territories\u00a0have agreed to begin the mandate\u00a0with\u00a012-months of\u00a0progressive educational enforcement.<\/p>\n
As CCMTA noted in a\u00a0message to industry<\/a>\u00a0on May 5\u00a0on the subject of ongoing enforcement,\u00a0trucking companies\u00a0are encouraged to check with each province over the next 12 months to educate themselves on how progressive educational enforcement will be implemented in each jurisdiction.\u00a0Starting on June 12,\u00a0CTA expects\u00a0the education and awareness from government officials to start with\u00a0verbal\u00a0or written messages about the mandate\u00a0and its requirements.<\/p>\n \u201cCTA wanted to see\u00a0Transport Canada\u2019s\u00a0ELD\u00a0rule\u00a0fully enforced\u00a0starting on\u00a0day-one\u00a0for all\u00a0federally regulated\u00a0trucking companies, but unforeseen circumstances over the last year has altered those plans,\u201d said CTA Chair, Jean Claude Fortin. \u201cProgressive enforcement announced by Transport Canada and CCMTA\u00a0over the next 12-months\u00a0will allow compliant\u00a0companies\u00a0to effectively transition\u00a0from paper logbooks to third party ELDs. CTA believes that progressive enforcement over the next 12 months should\u00a0not\u00a0be limited solely to\u00a0education, but\u00a0that\u00a0written warnings and, eventually, penalties be strongly considered as we get closer to June 2022 to ensure non-compliant carriers\u00a0in\u00a0our industry, such as those based on the\u00a0Driver Inc. model<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0who also perform\u00a0poorly on safety<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0are closely scrutinized throughout the next year and\u00a0are compelled to fully\u00a0comply with all the ELD requirements\u00a0not a day after June 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEither way, CTA\u2019s position is simple: In June 2022, there will be no excuses for a\u00a0driver, a trucking company\u00a0or anyone in the supply chain\u00a0to misunderstand the requirements of compliance and no reason for provincial and territorial governments not to enforce the full extent of the ELD rule on federally regulated carriers,\u201d added Fortin.<\/p>\n Close to 70 percent of long-haul\u00a0trucking\u00a0sector in Canada currently have ELDs\u00a0in their trucks. Over the coming weeks, ELDs are expected to be certified\u00a0through Transport Canada\u2019s process. Fleets in Canada and those based in the U.S. operating in Canada, will quickly come into compliance with the mandate.<\/p>\n Compliant fleets who\u00a0still use paper logbooks\u00a0are already doing their due diligence with ELD vendors, and as soon as the devices are certified, these fleets will be able to purchase and install the devices well in advance of June 2022 hard enforcement deadline.<\/p>\n