WINNIPEG, Man. – Federal and provincial transport ministers are meeting in the ‘Peg today to review and vote on proposed changes to trucking’s Hours-of-Service regime.

The proposed changes, which have received the consensus support of government and industry participants, represent a marked improvement over the current outdated regulatory framework, according to both the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and Teamsters Canada.

“The proposed changes have been widely recognized as being safer than the current rules, and the safety of our drivers is of utmost importance to the trucking industry and the unions,” says CTA chief executive officer David Bradley.

"The proposal will reduce daily working hours and provide significantly more opportunity for rest and recovery.”

Under the proposed rules, drivers’ daily hours on-duty would decrease by 12.5 per cent, and driving time would be capped at 13 hours. Daily rest time would increase by 25 per cent, and the possibility of accumulating up to 104 hours per week — allowed under the current regulations — would be eliminated.

“The proposed changes to hours of service will more effectively maintain the balance between highway safety, drivers’ capacity and economic considerations," Teamsters Canada President Robert Bouvier states.

"From my point of view, the new standard is superior to the existing rules in the sense that it provides drivers with appropriate rest periods to avoid fatigue, and does not increase the daily driving limitation.”

Teamsters Canada represents approximately 105,000 workers throughout Canada. The Canadian Trucking Alliance is a federation of the seven provincial and regional trucking associations and represents some 4,000 motor carriers across the country.