Discover Why Digital Hour-Logging Is Mandatory For Truckers- Explain!

Do you know why Canada is forcing truck drivers to use monitoring devices at the start of the New Year? Well! Here we will show you why commercial drivers use the Canadian ELD mandate to comply with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. Transport Canada has made the use of this device mandatory for certain commercial vehicle drivers, such as long-haul truckers. The regulations are designed to track drivers' hours of service, tracking how much time they are behind the wheel on any given day. 

Employers claim that with ELDs, they are responsible for ensuring truck drivers are safe on the road during their service hours. In addition to recording the number of hours a driver has driven a vehicle, these devices can also track information such as the vehicle's location and speed.

 After reading this blog, you will know how ELD technology can optimize their operations and improve overall fleet performance.

What is the Canadian ELD mandate?

Electronic logging devices (ELDs) automate the recording of commercial driving hours, and hours of service (HOS) to ensure that drivers comply with legal limits to reduce the risk of unsafe or fatigued driving. Canadian ELDs will also make it easier to collect and report the total service hours of drivers.

The ELD mandate rules were published in the United States in December 2015 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and compliance was expected from all drivers using paper logbooks by December 18, 2017. Drivers using automatic on-board recording devices (AORDs) were required to switch to electronic logbooks by December 2019.

When will Canadian ELDs be mandatory?

Canada's new ELD regulations will go into effect on June 12, 2021, which is the date all truck drivers must comply with but the enforcement began on January 1, 2023.

Benefits of ELD

By using Canadian ELD mandate technology and following the rules, drivers can reduce three of the five most important areas of fines:

·         No driver logs or outdated logs

·         Driving hours over daily limit

·         Log errors

This can give drivers peace of mind when arriving for a roadside inspection and can get them in and out quickly without the potential risk of a fine. This can help reduce the cost of violations and save money. By combining Canadian ELD with a full-featured GPS fleet tracking solution, you'll gain additional benefits such as automatic IFTA reporting, DVIR functionality, and more.

Trucking Associations: How they support ELDs transparency?

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), a group representing trucking associations across the country, said it "fully supports" the federal government's ELD mandate.

"This increases transparency, creates a level playing field, saves time for drivers and the company, and increases accountability throughout the process," said Geoff Wood, CTA's senior vice president of communications, according to CBC.

Wood said the upcoming rules are designed to automate the recording of drivers' driving time, which is currently done manually with drivers filling out paper logs. Wood said manual recording is open to abuse by some drivers and companies who manipulate time. Transport Canada estimates that 5 to 10 per cent of drivers regularly exceed their allowed hours of service. The CTA believes digital tracking will help alleviate that.

What is the difference between AOBRD and ELD?

The main difference between ELDs and AOBRDs is that ELDs track information more precisely. For example, an ELD can identify service status changes, system logins and logouts, engine on and off, and system faults. Unlike AOBRDs, ELDs display the log editing history that DOT inspectors require when reviewing logs.

How do ELDs benefit my business?

Any change can be difficult, but there are benefits to moving from paper records to a digital ELD solution. Using an ELD can make it easier for truck drivers to comply with regulations by automating the recording of on-duty, off-duty, and driving activities. Because the equipment is directly connected to the vehicle, it improves the accuracy of HOS logs and can reduce the likelihood of being fined for things like missing or out-of-date logs, exceeding daily limits, and forming and manner errors.

Ending note!

As you can see a certified ELD solution can help give drivers peace of mind during inspections, reducing downtime and minimizing the chance of fines or penalty points that can cost your business thousands of CAD and even require you to shut down operations. With Canadian ELD record keeping and reporting, any DOT audits and Roadside Inspections can be completed quickly, efficiently and with minimal stress.

Therefore, are you ready to take your fleet management to the ultimate level? Choose ELD Mandate. We are the leading ELD provider that offers top-tier Electronic logging devices in Canada as per your business needs.

Therefore to know more about our service, get in touch with us!