Canadian truckers have faith in ELDs, not hours of service: Poll

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ELD survey results

TORONTO, Ont. – The majority of Canadian truckers believe electronic logging devices (ELDs) will monitor hours of service better than paper logbooks, but question whether the equipment will make a difference in driver fatigue.

The findings emerged through a monthly survey of Today’s Trucking readers.

About 77% of respondents said ELDs will monitor hours of service more effectively than paper logbooks, and 72% said drivers will not be able to manipulate the information recorded by ELDs.

The devices will be mandated for Canada’s federally regulated carriers by June 2021, and Canadian regulators will require the equipment to be certified by a third party to ensure that it is less prone to tampering.

Fifty-eight per cent of the survey group already work for a fleet that uses ELDs.

Still, just 52% believe existing hours of service rules help to reduce driver fatigue, and only 44% believe the ELDs will actually help to reduce fatigue-related crashes. Fifty-one per cent said existing hours of service rules offer drivers and fleets enough flexibility to operate.

With ELDs tracking hours of service by the minute, 53% believe the technology will cause drivers to make less than they do today. Thirty-eight per cent of those surveyed do not believe that ELDs will affect driver pay.

The good news is that 69% believe ELDs will force shippers to address issues like extended dwell times and other delays.

 

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John G. Smith is Newcom Media's vice-president - editorial, and the editorial director of its trucking publications -- including Today's Trucking, trucknews.com, and Transport Routier. The award-winning journalist has covered the trucking industry since 1995.


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