ELD suppliers say their devices will be ready
Several ELD suppliers have issued announcements to assure Canada’s trucking industry that they will have devices ready to comply with a federal mandate scheduled to take effect June 12.
All federally regulated carriers will have to use electronic logging devices certified by a recognized third party, proving the equipment meets underlying technical standards.
While FPInnovations can conduct the required testing, it has yet to certify any equipment. That has led the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) to lead a call for deferred enforcement.
Many suppliers plan to update their existing offerings through over-the-air software changes.
“We will be applying for third-party certification on devices we intend to make compliant, along with providing training and preparation materials to the industry. Rest assured, we will obtain certification and help you ensure you’re ready by the mandate deadline,” Omnitracs said in a recent statement.
“Our past success in the on-time transitioning of over 600,000 drivers to be compliant with the U.S. ELD mandate is a testament to our ability to deliver and succeed,” added CEO Ray Greer.
“Updated technical standards to the Canadian ELD mandate were published in October 2020, and in that time, only one certification body has been approved by Transport Canada. However, Zonar is ready and will be certified by the effective date of June 12,” says Fred Fakkema, Zonar’s vice-president – safety and compliance.
Other concerns
Still, Fakkema says there are concerns to be addressed.
“It is our understanding that law enforcement has not been trained on how to conduct and receive ELD logs during a roadside inspection, which may impact our customers,” he says. “As we’ve seen with the U.S. mandate, this can cause confusion and additional downtime during inspections. We hope to see the further training happen prior to the mandate going into effect.”
Vishal Sharma, head of sales and marketing at B.C.-based Hutch Systems, says several bring-your-own-device ELD suppliers will struggle to certify their equipment to meet the Transport Canada guidelines.
Many apps available in the U.S. are developed by smaller companies that need to balance the certification costs with the market opportunities. Suppliers self-certify their own devices as meeting the American ELD technical standards.
“We have already submitted our application to FPInnovations and feel strongly about getting a certification way before the mandate comes in place,” he stresses.
Isaac Instruments president Jacques DeLarochelliere says all of his company’s earlier questions about the technical standards have been answered.
“All our products are going to be certified and they’re going to be certified on time,” he says. “We’re confident with the process. We’re satisfied with the answers. It’s a serious process. It’s well done.”
He’s also critical of any suppliers who are only now asking questions about the mandate’s technical requirements with just months to go until June 12.
“I see a lot of finger pointing,” he says. “The process was there. The rule was there.”
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Personal conveyance needs to be changed in Canada I sent a email to transport Canada minister never received a come back told them personal conveyance needs to be changed driver has to take his trailer with him this must be changed we cannot be sitting at the customer waiting to get our hours back what are we supposed to do drop our trailer at the customer go over to a truckstop get our sleep and get the hours back. Then go back to the customer pick up the trailer that is if it’s still there if somebody didn’t steal it and customers will not let drivers dropped our trailers there or used their washrooms please change this thank you
What’s all the concern about? Its mandatory in the USA, I’ve used E-logs for 13 years. Yes drivers hate them. But the rules are the rules. Drivers have always fudged their logbooks.
With June 12 fast approaching and not one system is approved, it is unrealistic to think that companies will be able to meet this deadline. Having a functional system in place takes time and with no vendors being approved we as consumers have no accredited companies to choose from. Even if Omnitracs was to be approved within the next couple month, how is the industry expected to compliant with only one vendor to choose from? I truly believe and support the push back of deadline date yet again until Transport Canada can provide a list of approved ELD systems as they promised they would and not put all the hardship on the companies trying to be compliant.
To many questions with no answers from Federal, Provincial and non -existent certified providers. It is so obvious to everyone that a delay is required because nobody is ready from top top bottom. We have been running Omnitracs mixed mode for 5 years now and are ready to change over our drivers still running paper log. If the final mandate were released from my certified provider with any changes to their system completed we would have implemented this in the new year for all drivers so they could be trained and ready for June. Here’s the catch… They are NOT certified yet and even if they will be, will they be certifying our devices ( Bring your own device ). Have yet to have that confirmed by Omnitracs. If they don’t certify that level of platform then we would have to upgrade at the last minute when the mass shortage of any support will be available. This is crazy on so many levels.
The infrastructure is not in place to accommodate the ELD mandate. Commercial truck drivers already struggle to find parking. Let alone a safe area with facilities.
I would like to remind the powers that be, ELD’s do not and will not make our roads safer. Look at the statistics from our cousins to the south.
How can someone say they will have accreditation long before June 21 when we are less then 3 months away absolutely crazy to put the trucking industry in such a predicament.