“Do not delay, start implementing electronic logging devices and get drivers trained,” urged Scott Stofer, director, safety and compliance at Orbcomm. Canada has set June 12 as the date for the switch from paper logs to ELDs, so carriers must get drivers used to the changes, he said at a webinar on Wednesday.

Canada has implemented a third-party certification system for ELDs, but there is only one organization providing the service – FPInnovations. The process is extensive and thorough, with a six-week timeline for a certification. The U.S. has a self-certification system, thus flooding the market with 670 ELDs and 430 providers. About 5 to 15% of these will likely make the Canadian list, Stofer warns.

He says companies and owner-operators making the change should ascertain which providers will attempt certification. Also check if they mention the Canadian mandate in their literature and website. Lack of acknowledgment of the mandate is a red flag, he warns.

For those upgrading their existing ELD, find out if the provider will attempt certification in Canada and when, says Stofer. Also check how many ELDs or systems the provider has, because certification is being limited to three ELDs per application at present. Make sure you know where your ELD is prioritized against the company’s other systems.

Compliance is top in the mind of the trucking industry and when the ELD works, it is a simple system, noted Joe Glionna, president, Newcom Media, who moderated the webinar.

A driver is responsible for logs, and when a vehicle moves faster than 8 km/h, the status changes to Driving. Drivers must get used to this and it cannot be edited and the time reassigned, except for when team driving, Stofer says.

Drivers must certify logs every 24 hours and support personnel can only suggest edits. Companies should have policies in place as there is shared responsibility for use of personal conveyance and yard moves, Stofer added.

Personal use is limited to 75 km per day and automatically switches to Drive when the distance is exceeded. Yard move status changes to Driving when the speed exceeds 32 km/h.

If the ELD malfunctions, it must be repaired or replaced in 14 days and the driver must produce paper logs. For inspections in the U.S., transfer of records will be done by email and in Canada PDFs will be used.

Carriers and fleets can expect progressive enforcement once the June 12 deadline passes, which is intended to provide relief to the trucking industry and not delay implementation, Stofer says. The province of Quebec has said it can only implement the mandate by June 12, 2022. The situation is evolving and there is no word yet on any grace period, he added.

For more information visit https://www.orbcomm.com/en/industries/transportation-and-distribution/canadian-eld