Canada reportedly planning to mandate ELDs

by Truck News

MONTREAL, Que. — A weekend report from The Canadian Press suggests Transport Canada is planning to introduce legislation requiring electronic logging devices (ELDs).

The US will require ELDs for hours-of-service recording by December 2017, including among Canadian drivers who operate there.

Transport Canada spokeswoman Natasha Gauthier told The Canadian Press any changes will be “operationally feasible for the industry” and aligned as much as possible with the US, the report said.

“The technical specifications and standards for electronic logging device (ELD) technology may differ slightly between the US and Canada, but should not be necessarily inconsistent,” Gauthier said in an e-mail to CP.

Truck News last month asked federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau’s office if his Ministry has taken a position on ELDs, but did not receive a response. His predecessor Lisa Raitt had expressed her desire to mandate ELDs even before the US published its final rule requiring their use.

You can read the CP story here. For more info on the US legislation, see the February cover story from Truck News. You can also read editorial director Lou Smyrlis’ take on ELDs here.


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  • The ELD will work great for large carriers that have terminals every 300 miles but smaller companies will have to make costly adjustments. Ontario based small companies with speed limiters and ELD where most states are increasing speeds will have to shut down as they won’t be abele to compete and matching delivery time. Most companies are finding smaller and smaller profit margins and the industry is over regulated. Trucking became a undesirable business.

  • Something that’s pin to pin, ELD can work fine, but if you have to live load shipment. Then ELD going to up the rate for pickup and deliveries, where the shipper or receiver, does not care long it takes. This is a problem for all involved. Who’s going to pay at the end of the day? You think it’s hard to find drivers now, wait until it’s law.
    This going to be very costly for smaller carriers , changes of big costs will put pressure on the Industry. Like the USA , they can’t park the trucks and loads now, what they doing to do when everyone is on line. When the DOT and Police fining company and driver’s on ramps . When does the safety come into affect then. This way gov wants ELD’s, says it’s safer. I question this.
    I been driving near 30 years now, and been safe and respectable to traffic, that we deal with ever day. I run my log, to work and be safe. Why need someone to fine to be safe on the hwy.

  • I am sorry, but I have to say this is the dumbest implementation I have heard yet from TC. My company has sub-contracted owner operators who haul commodities for us, as we are the Prime Contractor. I am just wondering also* who is going to pay for a ELD for a 100 trucks? With all the cuts in rates (per load) (per Km) already and the price of fuel, wages, repairs & parts still escalating, you might as well brace yourself Canada, on how you will receive your products and their condition upon delivery. Either parcels/cargo will be damaged because the driver or owner now cares less about what he hauls, or parcels/cargo will go missing all together. Also who is going to pay for the installation or the down time to get the ELD installed while the truck waits for this to be installed? I’m pretty much guessing there are only a few companies who manufacture these ELD’s, which must be approved by the Gov, of course, and who probably has a hand in someone’s pocket at the Gov. Someone is profiting hugely on this implementation and it is not the person who is brining you your goods and services. Think of the downside, the cost, the time before you think of HOS. Added stress and a distraction to the driver that is not needed. Honestly check the stats on who is causing heavy vehicle accidents the most. Maybe this should be targeted to those who violate the system the most and where it happens the most. Always something with the government to implement something to profit someone else to shave a hair line percentage in something else. All in all, this system to many is what we will call mediocrity. keeping low-middle class, low middle class, never escaping the rise of costs and mandating new products to those who can’t really afford this to begin with and for what? and for who? Accidents happen, because they are accidents. Cant fix stupid with some people. good one day, terrible the next day. Its human nature. Transport Canada, quit raping the population please. “Trucking: You play with big money but you have very little of it.”