CTA News Release ~ ELD Mandate Set in Stone: Teamsters Canada and Canadian Trucking Alliance
ELD Mandate Set in Stone: Teamsters Canada and Canadian Trucking Alliance
(OTTAWA, July 14, 2020) — With less than a year to go for the implementation of the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate, federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau is once again displaying leadership on road safety by reminding the trucking industry and the Canadian public the much needed regulation is well on its way to being delivered.
“Electronic logging devices can help reduce driver fatigue and collisions. These safety benefits are important to Canadians and improve road safety. For these reasons, we worked with industry to mandate the use of these devices by June 12, 2021. We remain on schedule for this timeline, and we will continue working with stakeholders and industry to help them meet this goal,” said the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport.
Building upon this message from the federal transport minister, Teamsters Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) are advising the industry the mandate date is set and that Transport Canada is not only on schedule to deliver the third-party system to certify ELDs but also firmly committed to the June 2021 implementation date.
“The June 2021 date to make electronic logging devices mandatory in commercial vehicles will finally make hours of service regulations enforceable. It will go a long way to reduce driver fatigue, prevent accidents and ultimately save lives,” said the national president of Teamsters Canada, François Laporte.
Over the last year, Transport Canada has worked diligently through the many issues to implement and construct a third-party certification regime. Transport Canada expects ELD vendors will be able to certify equipment over the summer, giving ample time for individual trucking companies who have not yet invested in ELDs for their trucks to get ready for implementation. CTA estimates that over 70 per cent of commercial trucks already have ELD capabilities.
“The ELD mandate date is set in stone for June 2021 and CTA looks forward to the dawn of a new era in hours of service compliance,” said CTA president, Stephen Laskowski.
Although most carriers are steadfastly committed to all matters related to commercial vehicle and operator compliance, too many carriers still do not make safety a top priority. This was the case in the collision between a tractor-trailer and the Humboldt Broncos hockey team, where the owner of the transport truck involved in the deadly crash admitted he did not follow provincial and federal safety rules in the months leading up to the collision.
“Third‑party certified ELDs will ensure that bad actors cannot tamper with the ELDs, thereby jeopardizing public safety,” said Laporte and Laskowski. “The third-party regime is critical to the integrity and safety performance of the ELD mandate. Forcing trucking companies like the one involved in the Humboldt Broncos collision to follow rules designed to make highways safer is an absolute necessity.”
Teamsters represent close to 125,000 workers across Canada. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated, has 1.4 million members in North America. Visit teamsters.ca for more information. Follow us on Twitter @TeamstersCanada and “like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/TeamstersCanada.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance is made up of the seven largest trucking associations in Canada. In total, 4500 trucking fleets are members of the Canadian Trucking Alliance.
Marco Beghetto
VP, Communications & New Media
555 Dixon Rd. Toronto
416-249-7401 ext 238
Marco.beghetto@ontruck.org