TORONTO, Ont. – The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) believes it’s in the home stretch in a bid to see electronic logging devices (ELDs) mandated in Canada — and expects a final rule to be published this summer.

The comments come following an internal review of draft technical requirements, leading senior vice-president of policy Geoff Wood to report there are “no roadblocks” to finalizing a standard.

The trucking alliance has been working alongside technology providers within its membership to help expedite the creation of a technical standard, which is needed before a final rule is published in Canada Gazette Part 2. The published rule would be accompanied by timelines for any rollout.

Transport Canada has published a first draft of ELD rules, but has yet to indicate when final regulations would come. Its regulations would apply to federally regulated carriers. Provinces would need to adopt the rules before they are applied to other carriers.

The most recent federal work has focused on the third-party certification of ELD devices, which in Canada would require an independent organization to confirm whether a product complies with specific safety and performance standards. In the U.S., product manufacturers are responsible for self-certifying the devices they produce.

Independent reviews, says CTA, would include a cross reference to specifications, hands-on tests, and live verification.

“CTA will continue the collaborative approach with ELD suppliers and governments to ensure ELD standards and regulations keep pace with the evolving nature of technology and that we have an hours of service regime that is based on a level-playing field and certified equipment,” said Wood.