This past year has been unprecedented, with COVID-19 impacting all aspects of the trucking industry. Despite these circumstances, the Canadian ELD Mandate still went into effect on June 12, 2021, which means that all long haul trucking companies in Canada were expected to have transitioned fully to using3rd party certified ELDs(electronic logging devices).
However at this time, the accredited 3rd party certification body, FPInnovations, has yet to announce any certified ELDs in Canada, which means by definition it is not possible for any fleet or owner operator to be compliant under the original guidelines. This is where the Canadian ELD Mandate grace period comes in.
The minister of transport Omar Alghabra issued a statement earlier this year acknowledging the impact of the pandemic on companies across the country, and said that Transport Canada will work with the provinces and territories on implementing a ‘progressive enforcement period’.
“With the support of provinces and territories, and in consultation with industry, we will work together on the successful and effective implementation of a progressive enforcement period. This will give sufficient time for industry to obtain and install certified electronic logging devices without penalty as of June 12, 2021. Early enforcement measures will consist of education and awareness.”What's the catch?Unfortunately, he did not specify how long this ‘grace period’ will last, and still expects that trucking companies “outfit as many of their commercial vehicles with electronic logging devices as soon as reasonably possible.”
What this means for you
The simple answer? Stay up to date with any updates on the enforcement period, but more importantly, the certification status of ELD providers, so you can transition you and/or your fleet to a full adoption of certified ELDs to remain compliant. Unfortunately at this point in time, not a single ELD provider has been 3rd party certified in Canada, so even if you transitioned your fleet to using ELDs before June 12th, 2021, you could be considered non-compliant.
This puts trucking companies in a difficult situation because despite there being a progressive enforcement period, no one knows when that sentiment will switch and when companies may start getting fined.
What we're doing about it
Our team at Switchboard has been working hard to make progress in the certification process - and we are currently in the last phases of testing! We are confident that we’ll be one of the first providers to get certified, which is why we’re offering new fleets a 14-day free trial of Switchboard - and if we don’t get certified by September 30th, 2021, you can cancel your subscription and get your money back no questions asked. Book a demo with ushere.
It’s also important to stay up to date with any changes to the implementation of the Canadian Mandate - if you’d like to be the first to know when more details come out on the deadline for the progressive enforcement period, sign up for our newsletter below.Stay up to date with the latest updates to the Canadian Mandate so you can keep your trucking business compliant.
