Electronic logging devices to be mandatory on commercial trucks, buses by 2021

By News staff and The Canadian Press

The federal transport minister announced Thursday that all commercial drivers will be required to have electronic logging devices on their vehicles by the spring of 2021.

Transport Canada said it will make the tamper-resistant devices mandatory on June 12, 2021, to ensure truck and bus drivers are not on the road for longer than their daily limit.

“Effective June 2021, all drivers of federally-regulated commercial trucks and buses operating in Canada will be required to use electronic logging devices,” Marc Garneau said outside the Ontario Trucking Association in Etobicoke.

The electronic devices, which will replace paper-based logbooks, track when and how long drivers have been behind the wheel.

“These devices log when and for how long a commercial vehicle is in use. They help drivers and employers comply with hours of service regulations and can reduce the potential for driver fatigue,” Garneau said.

An explainer for electronic logging devices on commercial motor vehicles. HANDOUT/Transport Canada

An explainer for electronic logging devices on commercial motor vehicles. HANDOUT/Transport Canada

 

According to Transport Canada, 20 per cent of all fatal collisions on our roads involve driver fatigue.

“This is a significant step towards safer roads,” Garneau said, adding that the change comes after talks with industry partners and all levels of government.

He said the electronic logging devices align with U.S. road safety regulations, in particular for truckers who have to cross the border.

Garneau said the devices also create a level playing field in the trucking industry so that all companies are following the rules.

The new measure also addresses one of the recommendations made by the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service after the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in April 2018. The collision between the junior hockey team’s bus and a semi-truck left 16 people dead and 13 injured.

Watch the entire announcement below:

Transport Minister Marc Garneau examines an electronic logging device in a truck in Toronto on June 13, 2019. CITYNEWS/Jason MacLellan

Transport Minister Marc Garneau examines an electronic logging device in a truck in Toronto on June 13, 2019. CITYNEWS/Jason MacLellan

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