Drivers may have become accustomed to using electronic logging devices (ELDs) since there were federal regulations came into force in June 2021.

This replaces paper logs with electronic logs and aims to make roads safer by preventing driver fatigue. This rule applies only to commercial trucks and buses crossing provincial and territorial borders. Drivers who do not leave their federal state do not have to use an electronic driver’s log.

Drivers are not allowed to drive more than 13 hours a day. You must have at least 10 hours of rest per day, of which at least 8 hours must be continuous. Electronic logbooks have been mandatory in the USA since 2017.

For the President ofAlberta Motor Transport Association, Willie Hamelthis change is to be welcomed. This makes it much easier for officials, inspectors, to apply the regulations on logbooks. This reduces driver fatigue and makes our roads safer for travelers, including our professional drivers.

Dan VenoThe former long-distance driver remembers many drivers who forged the hours in their paper logbooks. [C’était] something that happened often […] for money. He remembers that some drivers had a notebook for each province. A driver he knew once drove 42 hours straight from Quebec to Alberta without properly recording his hours.

When guys are tired they don’t stop, they don’t rest enough. They drive more hours than they should. And then tiredness sets in and suddenly they come off the road and fall asleep at the wheel.

Breaks must be organized to optimize driving times

Janet Smithwho works at iHaul in Calgary, has spent the last five months preparing and training drivers on the use of electronic logbooks. She was a truck driver for 30 years before an injury forced her to step down.

In her opinion, the regulations will increase fatigue for some drivers. She considers the time window for driving times to be too narrow to take longer breaks during the day. With the paper logs, drivers could stop and sleep for two hours if necessary, she says, which will no longer be the case because you can’t drive the thirteen hours you’re allowed to.

Janet Smith also worries about older truck drivers struggling with the technology and possible data breaches by hackers.

With information from Karina Zapata