Everything You Need to Know About the Canadian ELD Mandate

Mont-Saint-Hilaire, QC, April 6, 2021 – The time has come for Canadian fleets to begin the transition towards electronic logging devices, more commonly known as ELDs, or DCE in French standing for ”dispositif de consignation électronique”.

Why is this mandate important?

The mandate of Transport Canada’s DCE for commercial drivers is intended to improve road safety and reduce driver fatigue. This regulation will alleviate the burden of tracking hours-of-service (HOS) related to paper logs that drivers must complete, as well as improve the data accuracy and precision.

What is an ELD?

Transport Canada defines an ELD as a certified device or technology that automatically records a driver’s driving time and duty status. It is an electronic logbook, also known as an “elog” or electronic log, that automatically captures driver status data that drivers previously reported manually on their paper sheets. An electronic logging device (ELD) automatically records the following data elements at certain intervals:
– Date
– Time of day
– Vehicle location
– Engine hours
– Distance traveled by the vehicle
– Driver, authenticated user, vehicle and motor carrier identification information

How do I use an ELD?

Each driver is responsible for recording their hours of service electronically. In general, here is how it is done:

1 – Login
2 – Login to assets
3 – Check for compliance
4 – Complete Safety Rounds (SRR)
5 – Start the workstation
6 – Indicate rest periods
7 – End of day verification.
8 – Complete disconnection once back at base terminal.

Please note that the steps are not the same for the administrator access.

Are electronic logs mandatory in Canada?

Currently, drivers of heavy vehicles (vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,500 kg or more, such as a bus, minibus or tow truck – according to the SAAQ) in Canada are required to self-report their on-duty, off-duty and daily driving time in accordance with the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations.

At this time, the use of paper logs or electronic recording devices to record hours of service is allowed.

What are the exemptions to the ELD regulations?

Canada has four main exemptions listed in the Canada Gazette, Part 2, Volume 153, Number 12.

Commercial motor vehicles will be exempt if they operate under a specific permit issued, have a statutory exemption, are subject to a lease agreement with terms less than 30 days, or operate a vehicle manufactured before 2000.

What is the effective date of these regulations?

Implementation deadlines have recently been updated. Canada is requesting that transporters install ELDs, be operational and trained by June 12, 2021. This is the implementation deadline. Carriers must switch from daily logs to electronic hours of service/activity reports by this date.

What are some advantages of ELD technology for my fleet?

Even though some people might feel resentful by the significant change electronic logging devices can represent – you must be aware of all the advantages they can bring to the table. Here are some of them:

– Improve the safety of your drivers: The number one reason to use DCEs is for safety purposes. The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) estimates that 1,844 accidents can be prevented and 26 lives saved each year.

– Get more work done: In a careful approximation, let’s say that this driver spends an average of 30 minutes of his day creating his paper logs. Then we take that 30 minutes and multiply it by 260 work days per year (30 minutes x 260 days = 7800 minutes or 130 hours). ELD technology allows your driver to be more efficient.

–  Improve driver coaching: Driver feedback tools like real-time coaching and in-cab alerts are some of the best ways to minimize unnecessary wear and tear on your fleet vehicles. This reduces the overall maintenance required on your vehicle, which translates into lower costs.

A seamless transition to ELDs with AttriX

Do you feel ready for this transition? With our products aimed towards an enhanced driver experience as well as our compliance training programs, AttriX is here to help you make the most of this mandate. Furthermore, always wanting to take the lead on electronic compliance, AttriX has developed an application to its MyGeotab platform. In addition to the many other customized applications (such as the Electronic Security Round and C-TPAT) offered exclusively to our clients, we have recently launched AttriX Compliance.

We are confident that this audit system, which operates in the form of compliance alerts in real-time, will greatly benefit fleet managers by saving them unnecessary costs and focusing on the safety of their drivers.