Canadian authorities are moving forward with an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) enforcement date in spite of challenges presented by the pandemic and device certification requirements.
On March 2, Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra confirmed June 12, 2021, as the compliance date for truckers to comply with ELD requirements.
Alghabra indicated that there would be a “soft” enforcement period following the June 12 compliance date.
“As Minister of Transport, I am firmly committed to this timeline – these devices will further strengthen road safety in Canada. At the same time, the impact of COVID-19 on commercial vehicle operations has been unprecedented and must be acknowledged. As such, with the support of provinces and territories, and in consultation with industry, we will work together on the successful and effective implementation of a progressive enforcement period. This will give sufficient time for industry to obtain and install certified electronic logging devices without penalty as of June 12, 2021. Early enforcement measures will consist of education and awareness,” Alghabra said.
Canadian authorities are requiring truckers to use ELD devices that are certified by an accredited third party certification body (the U.S. did not have this requirement). A government website exists to provide drivers with a list of approved devices; however, there are no approved devices currently listed on the site.
As the compliance date inches closer, cross border truckers are raising concerns about whether they’ll be able to comply with the Canadian mandate. U.S.-based ELD manufacturer Zonar said in a company blog post that “there’s no indication the Canadian ELD mandate will accept all devices that currently only comply with the U.S. ELD mandate. “
A rule requiring the use of ELD devices by federally regulated commercial vehicle operators was announced on June 13, 2019. For more on Canadian ELD requirements, please click here.
The U.S. ELD Mandate went into effect on December 18, 2017.