Many of our customers are in the transportation industry, as a result we have been aware of rumblings about Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) for several years. These devices are required in the USA. Thus, there has been long discussion about creating aligning regulations.
The time has finally come. On December 16, 2017, the Government of Canada issued a formal statement to amend the Motor Vehicle Transport Act.
The reasoning for adopting ELD system is tampering and lack of verification safeguards with the current system of recording HOS. Violations are generally to extend drive time, which is noted as a serious health and safety concern, as fatigue is associated with 15% to 20% of crashes in transportation.
Exemptions:
- commercial motor vehicles that are being operated under a permit issued pursuant to the Regulations by a provincial or territorial HOS director or under a statutory exemption,
- commercial motor vehicles that are subject to rental agreements for a term of 30 days or less,
- commercial motor vehicles that were manufactured before the year 2000.
Timing:
The statement discusses the option of a one or two-year phase in. Consultation with the transportation industry suggests a two-year phase in to allow for companies to absorb the costs and train staff.
There is a further note regarding grandfathering of ERD’s. This note states that ERD’s used by existing companies may be excepted for a further 2 years, in addition to the two-year implementation. Thus extending the date to 4 years.
Generally, those in the industry suggest these requirements will become active anywhere in the next two years.
Device Requirements:
The devices have certain specific requirements. The Government has issued proposed standards in a 61 page document.
It will be interesting to see how these changes roll out, and the impact on the transportation industry. As Walco, we are eager to understand changes that impact our customers and their businesses. As always, we are eager to assist with questions and installations!