Canada’s ELD Mandate: First Month In

Canada’s electronic logging device (ELD) deadline of June 12, 2021 has come and gone, but the original requirements for this deadline look a bit different than they did two years ago. There is a slight twist to how you can ensure your fleet is as close to being compliant as possible given the changes.

The Canadian ELD mandate requirements differ from the US mandate that was set back in 2019. To comply to the Canadian mandate fleets must ensure they have a solution that is third-party certified from a list that Transport Canada is set to release. However, with 2020 being the year of many unprecedented events, the mandate has been modified slightly to help companies ensure a strong and fair rollout. That being said it has not been postponed, but instead a 12-month enforcement phase is being allocated. No penalties or fines will be given out until June 12, 2022. This 12-month grace phase will allow companies to understand how an ELD solution works, ensure they implement the right solution for their team and allow providers of ELD some extra time to become certified.

Some tips we have for fleets include:

• Constantly educate your drivers this year. Think of the next 12 months as your qualification round for the Olympics. You need to prepare and ensure you treat this year as if penalties were to be given out but instead each warning acts as one so your fleet can continuously improve.
• Understand your jurisdictions strategy for this year. Check out this note from CCMTA to help you out with this.
• Keep up to date on any changes and information that is released by Transport Canada.
• Follow closely to see which devices become certified within the next few months.
• Try different solutions and implement the one that best works for your fleet and drivers. From price point to ease of use, make ELD a growing opportunity within your fleet for the next year.
• If your fleet travels between Canada and the US, ensure you know the different regulations and have a solution or a plan that can match all your needs to simplify your duties.

Beginning June 2022, companies will need to ensure they have a solution implemented and understand the use of it to avoid hefty compliance fines. In the meantime, fleets need to start preparing their drivers on how to properly use the solution. This grace period will be highly important and a big part in fleet compliance success for next year. Any warnings fleet receive this year need to be taken seriously and as a steppingstone to ensuring these incidents do not happen again as of June 2022 and the years to follow.