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YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANADA'S ELD MANDATE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE EDITORS OF TODAY’S TRUCKING

CRUNCH TIME: The ELD Guide 1

AN ELD YOUR

DRIVERS WILL LOVE! Take Your First Steps Towards Compliance! www.isaac.ca/canadian-eld-rule

IN THIS ISSUE

5

Parallel Experiences

Carriers using ELDs in the U.S. are taking advantage of lessons already learned

6 Tracking Timelines

Canada continues steady march toward June 2021 ELD mandate

8 Time Stamp of Approval Canada’s third-party certification aims to ensure ELD compliance

10

9 Trained Operators

Drivers will adapt to ELDs, says CN supervisor

8

10 8 Benefits of ELDS

The shift from paper logbooks to ELDs is more than a paper shuffle

12

12 Disrupting Disruption

How can fleets minimize the impact of ELDs on drivers?

Crunch Time is a special supplement published by Newcom Media Inc. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher.

CRUNCH TIME: The ELD Guide 3

PREPARE NOW. PREVENT PENALTIES LATER. New regulations are looming. Cross-border logistics are complicating. Navigating electronic logging device compliance in Canada can be confounding.

We can help. Get the guidance and resources from the compliance experts at Omnitracs, and learn about our regulation-ready devices and applications.

Find out how you can prepare your fleet and keep drivers on the road at Omnitracs.com/everythingeld.

Š2020 Omnitracs, LLC. All rights reserved.

LESSONS

Photo: Bison Transport

PARALLEL EXPERIENCES

CROSS-BORDER CARRIERS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF LESSONS ALREADY LEARNED

BY DEREK CLOUTHIER

C

anadian carriers hauling south of the border have gained valuable experience with electronic logging devices (ELDs) over the last couple of years.

With that experience, it will be business as usual come June 2021.

Here are a few of the key lessons that some Canadian carriers learned after introducing ELDs on both sides of the border.

to understand how to read the systems when the devices were first launched.

This, Stepto said, underscores the importance of choosing a device that will apply Canadian and U.S. regulations where needed.

“There are a lot of providers, but that does not mean they are user-friendly or apply rules properly.”

Ensure the ELD seamlessly recognizes different HoS rules

One of the most significant lessons that Canadian regulators learned from the U.S. ELD rollout was the need to take a different approach to certification.

While the U.S. elected to go with self-certification – leaving suppliers to confirm that their devices complied with technical specifications – Canada will require devices to be certified by an approved third party.

This will result in a much smaller number of ELDs being certified, since some suppliers may not pursue the extra approval.

Because the U.S. ELD mandate was the first to become law, many ELD providers tailored their products to comply with American Hours of Service (HoS) regulations, creating some confusion when drivers were operating in Canada.

“The Canadian rules would not work properly because the machine was trying to apply more U.S. rules in Canada,” said Chris Stepto, safety manager for Berry and Smith Trucking.

Even enforcement teams struggled

Confirm the device is certified for the jurisdiction

“The reason a majority of our industry wanted ELDs was to ensure that everyone operated on the same level playing field and operate within the HoS regulations,” said Stephanie Fensom, safety manager for Bison Transport.

Berry and Smith’s Stepto agrees, saying there are several ELD providers that should not be in the marketplace.

“It does not matter what system you make, there are people out there figuring out how to beat it,” he said. “Companies looking for an ELD provider, it is important that they do reference checks with actual companies that are already using it. Ask lots of questions.”

Learn added ELD capabilities through experience

The longer you use a device, the more you’re going to learn about what it can do. Carriers that made the switch to ELDs years ago are now reaping the benefits of that experience, which underscores the importance of making the transition sooner rather than later.

Instead of focusing on transitioning to ELDs and training drivers and staff how to use them, Payne Transportation is now tapping into all the benefits the new technology offers.

“With our telematics provider, we now have the ability to compile information and data immediately at our fingertips,” said Thomas McKee, vice-president of driver services for Payne Transportation.

From a liability standpoint, Payne Transportation is using data to identify drivers who would benefit from coaching to correct specific driving behaviors.

“Accident investigations now provide us details, such as real-time speed, which lane we were traveling in, seat belt usage, idle data, and the list go on,” said McKee. “We would never want to revert back to the way things were prior to electronic logs.”

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TIMELINES

TRACKING TIMELINES CANADA CONTINUES STEADY MARCH TOWARD JUNE 2021 ELD MANDATES

BY DEREK CLOUTHIER (WITH FILES FROM JAMES MENZIES)

T

here was a time when Canada was on track to have an electronic logging device (ELD) mandate established before our neighbors to the south. So why is Canada now nearly four years behind the U.S. on ELDs? The U.S. first proposed the use of electronic logs in 2007, and by 2010 they had finalized a rule, which went into effect seven years later.

After a two-year grandfather clause, the U.S. ELD mandate took full effect in December 2019.

Mike Millian, president of the Private Motor Transport Council of Canada (PMTC), said Canada first started consulting on a possible ELD mandate around the same time as the U.S., about 13 years ago.

“It was a pretty broad-based consultation. It was more to get people’s opinions and thoughts,” said Millian. “I think Canada had it in their head first, and then the U.S. started consulting fairly shortly after that. And rightly, after the U.S. started consulting about it, Transport Canada and the U.S. realized there was no point in (Canada) jumping out and doing something on their own when so many of our members go south of the border. So, they were still going to consult on it but they weren’t going to put a rule or regulation in place until they worked with the U.S. to see what their rule was going to be.”

Millian points out that though there are Hours of Service (HoS) differences between Canada and the U.S., the rules and regulations had to be similar 6 CRUNCH TIME: The ELD Guide

enough so that a particular ELD manufacturer could have their device certified on both sides of the border.

“I think that’s the reason why Canada slowed down,” he said. “Once the U.S. got its technical specifications done, Canada finalized its technical specification.”

Slowing the process even more was the fact that the U.S.’s first technical specification was thrown out due to various issues, such as privacy concerns. This little hiccup forced Canada to delay its own rule until the U.S. completed theirs.

“Stuff with governments moves at a snail’s pace,” said Millian, “and when you have governments on two sides of the border that are trying to make sure whatever regulation they come up with is going to be workable on both sides, it can slow things down quite a bit.”

Transport Canada told Today’s Trucking that that process to implement an ELD mandate began with an informal pre-consultation survey sent to industry stakeholders, ELD providers, and provincial and territorial governments in the summer of 2016. Early 2017 saw additional consultations to address policy issues, as well as a cost-benefit analysis conducted by Transport Canada to measure the impact of the proposed mandate.

“For the federal government to make a new rule or regulation, the department must follow the process outlined in Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management,” a Transport Canada representative said. “This includes, for instance, pre-publishing proposed

regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part I, along with a comment period, and other outreach activities, such as consultations.”

More than 60 comments were collected from trucking and freight associations, unions, motor carriers, and drivers.

“Transport Canada learned from these consultations that the provinces and territories, and a significant number of industry stakeholders, supported creating a third-party certification requirement for ELDs,” the spokesman added.

“They expressed particular concerns in the effectiveness and reliability of a self-certification process as implemented in the U.S. Based on these observations, Transport Canada decided to create a third-party certification process that requires all ELD models used by motor carriers and drivers to be certified.”

Geoffrey Wood, senior vice-president of policy for the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), agrees that Canada’s harmonization with the U.S. ELD mandate is vital, and that third-party certification is the way to go.

“The intent from Day 1 was to ensure as much consistency as possible between the U.S. and Canada with respect to ELDs,” said Wood. “Substantial collaboration between U.S. and Canadian officials has taken place and will continue. Since the U.S. rule was established, third-party certification has been identified as an important item to address in the Canadian context.”

Despite widespread approval of a third-party certification process, there

Canada continues push forward

Wood said the Canadian government has no intention of delaying the ELD mandate’s rollout.

This October marked the commercial release of the first Canadian compliance features, with the ELD mandate taking effect June 12, 2021.

In the lead-up to the implementation date, Wood said the CTA will continue to help carriers prepare for the mandated use of ELDs with education and awareness initiatives, planning for provincial adoption of ELD regulations,

Photo: Omnitracs

is a ways to go until it comes to fruition.

During the PMTC’s annual conference this year – held virtually in early September – Millian urged the federal government to delay the implementation of the ELD mandate for six months because of the time it was taking to establish a third-party certifier.

Millian believes industry needs more time to certify compliant ELDs, and that some fleets will need more time to roll out a compliant system before it takes effect in June 2021.

He believes it will take four to six weeks for the manufacturers to have devices certified.

“So, the first devices we’re going to see in the marketplace will be at the end of November,” he said. “That leaves carriers 6-1/2 months to comply with the regulation.”

Trimble, a large ELD provider, indicated during its virtual in.sight User Conference Aug. 25 that it would be ready to comply with Canada’s ELD mandate, and is planning to release its first set of product features required by the Canadian ELD mandate starting in the fourth quarter of this year.

“What we discovered is more Trimble Transportation mobility customers than not have at least some level of operation in Canada, whether it is your entire fleet or just occasionally a truck or two,” said product manager Denise Grove.

Trimble plans to submit its ELD for third-party certification in the first quarter of 2021.

and continued enforcement of devices that are designed for the sole purpose of skirting HoS rules.

Once ELDs are off and running, the CTA’s work will be far from complete.

“We need to ensure speeds don’t creep up to compensate for inefficiencies in the supply chain,” said Wood. “An efficient supply chain that keeps drivers and equipment moving needs to be front and center.”

He added that strict regulations with respect to manufacturing, solicitation, sale, and operation of non-third-party certified ELDs will also be key.

“New rules for electronic logging devices are already feasible for industry, as they align with those in place in the U.S., and they will support economic growth, trade, and transportation on both sides of the border,” Transport Canada’s representative said. “Mandatory use of these devices in Canada, beginning in June 2021, will help ensure that commercial drivers will drive within their limit and accurately log their working hours, making roads safer for industry workers and all other Canadians.”

“We need to ensure speeds don’t creep up to compensate for inefficiencies in the supply chain. An efficient supply chain that keeps drivers and equipment moving needs to be front and center.”

— Geoffrey Wood, senior vice-president of policy, Canadian Trucking Alliance

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CERTIFICATION

TIME STAMP OF APPROVAL CANADA’S THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION AIMS TO ENSURE ELD COMPLIANCE

BY DEREK CLOUTHIER

Geoffrey Wood, senior vicepresident of policy, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) TT: Why is self-certification for ELDs

not the way to go for Canada, and what are your thoughts on establishing a third-party certifying body?

Wood: Self-certification has shown

there are opportunities for the improper use of ELDs and opportunities for non-compliance.

Transport Canada and (Transport Minister Marc Garneau) have indicated they are committed to moving forward 8 CRUNCH TIME: The ELD Guide

of Canada and Transport Canada to be accredited.

Mike Millian, president, Private Motor Truck Council of Canada

TT: Why did FPInnovations apply to be-

TT: Who is checking to ensure the

self-certified devices are on the up and up in the U.S., and what issues would this cause in Canada if we had adopted the same system?

Millian: There are testing procedures

that manufacturers have to follow, and you do have to download the testing procedures, which are on the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration) website. And then they have to submit the document that certifies they have run all these testing procedures.

But all they’re doing is submitting paperwork. Nobody actually checks. For the most part, the checking is happening by an officer at the roadside if he sees something that doesn’t look right, or when complaints are phoned in.

Transport Canada TT: How does an organization become

accredited to be a third-party certifier of ELDs in Canada?

TC: As of March 18, 2020, interested par-

ties can apply to the Standards Council

Adime Kofi Bonsi, senior researcher, FPInnovations

come a third-party certifier for ELD devices in Canada?

Bonsi: FPInnovations has a strong

background and expertise in vehicle telematics, on-board equipment, and fleet management solutions for commercial vehicle fleets based on a vast portfolio of technical testing capabilities. We also have a thorough understanding of the ELD regulatory context and on the functional specifications and fleet operational requirements.

TT: How will your work in the U.S. help

you on the Canadian side?

Bonsi: After the (U.S. Federal Motor

Carrier Safety Administration) FMCSA issued a final rule requiring motor carriers and commercial drivers to use ELDs in the U.S., industry leaders asked FPInnovations’ testing laboratory (PIT Group) to develop a verification program for ELDs for the U.S. market. This was to ensure that ELD suppliers are accurately meeting complex technical standards.

Answers have been edited for grammar, clarity, and length.

Photo top left: iStock

T

he U.S. requires suppliers to self-certify their devices, in an approach that has resulted in hundreds of available products. Canada will require a third-party to ensure ELDs meet related technical standards — covering things like the way data is shared.

Today’s Trucking asked trucking industry representatives, government officials, and the first third-party certification body some key questions.

with the regulation in June 2021 and are on time. ELD vendors have all had the opportunity to be engaged in the process at a very detailed level since its inception several years ago.

Photo: Isaac Instruments

DRIVER PREP

TRAINED OPERATORS DRIVERS WILL ADAPT TO ELDS, SAYS CN SUPERVISOR

BY DEREK CLOUTHIER

W

hen it comes to implementing an electronic logging device (ELD), it’s time for carriers to have a little more confidence in their drivers’ ability to adapt to the new technology.

That’s the advice of Derek Gaston, supervisor of truck operations for CN Rail, who has rolled out an ELD platform on two occasions.

“A lot of drivers are really smart. They already know what to do. It’s not going to take them that long to do the training,” said Gaston. “When you do see a driver who is having difficulty, concentrate on that one driver.”

With Canada’s ELD mandate set for a June 2021 deadline, carriers still riding the paper log train are encouraged to

make the transition sooner rather than later if they want to avoid unnecessary headaches.

“With a bit more than seven months left, I would start right away,” Gaston said during a recent webinar moderated by Today’s Trucking editor James Menzies. “We took five months of just (demonstrating) stuff, so it’s really important that you evaluate your business needs and compare it to the options that are out there to find what is best suited to your business.”

Jean-Sebastien Bouchard, vice-president of sales for Isaac Instruments, echoed Gaston’s sentiment that fleets not delay the adoption of ELDs. “It’s important for people to remember that implementation takes time, and

you want to make sure that you position your purchase with the moment you will be deploying your solution,” said Bouchard. “You want to be deploying your solution in the low season for your organization and not in the high season.

Between now and June, when is the next best phase or low season for you to implement such a solution?”

Gaston said taking a team approach that includes peer training was one important lesson he learned after implementing ELDs the first time around – an approach that not only sped up the process but also benefitted drivers. “(Drivers) were probably less shy about asking questions, and also receive the criticism or answers from the other driver,” he said.

As for what carriers should be looking for in an ELD solution, Gaston underscored the importance of reliability.

“Reliability was the number one thing that we put as a criteria,” he said. “To be user-friendly, that was very important as well so that drivers can adapt to it as fast as they can. And because of the resurgence of Covid-19, the capability to have remote access to the tablet is a huge advantage for all teams across Canada and the U.S.” In addition to their hours of service benefits, ELDs are also key to tapping into a fleet and driver’s full potential.

CN Rail has seen a 40% decrease in its high-cost accidents with the use of ELDs and related driver coaching tools, something Gaston said was “abso­lutely phenomenal.”

“Because of all the data that’s coming in, you can focus your training on different aspects of the driver’s day, and once you can focus those aspects you can correct the behaviors and actually bring down your accidents,” he said. “There are a lot of analytics we can get out of (an ELD) – driver behaviors and stuff like that.”

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SAFETY

8 BENEFITS OF ELDS THE SHIFT FROM PAPER LOGBOOKSTO ELDS IS MORE THAN A PAPER SHUFFLE

BY DEREK CLOUTHIER

E 1

Photo: Omnitracs

lectronic logging devices (ELDs) offer several driver and operational advantages, reducing Hours of Service (HoS) violations, making trip planning more efficient, and stopping renegade carriers from manipulating the paper log system.

Here’s a closer look at eight benefits.

Warnings before drivers violate Hours of Service rules

Chris Stepto, safety manager for Berry and Smith Trucking of Penticton, B.C., said one of the most noticeable benefits to using ELDs has been the decline in Hours of Service violations, and not just when it comes to form-and-manner issues such as the blank field in a logbook.

“Hours of Service violations have dropped substantially, as most ELD systems will notify a driver when they are heading into violation,” said Stepto, adding that many drivers can be confused about the underlying regulations, particularly when it comes to working with a split sleeper berth provision.

“The system knows and understands the regulations and keeps a driver in check.”

Though most of Berry and Smith’s drivers were initially leery about the move from paper logs to ELDs, they changed their minds after realizing the benefits and time savings.

10 CRUNCH TIME: The ELD Guide

2

Peace of mind for fleet operators

With his family’s name plastered on the side of his vehicles, Greg Munden says he’s comforted knowing that drivers are using ELDs and complying with the rules.

“Even if a company intends on operating legally, there are drivers who make their own decisions on the road to ‘fudge the books’, putting both themselves and the company in a risky position,” said Munden, president of Kamloops, B.C.based carrier Munden Ventures. “While some drivers, as well as companies, seem to get away with this practice for what seems like forever, the liability they face would be huge if ever there was a serious accident with a driver out of compliance with Hours of Service.”

There is a link to highway safety as

well. Drivers who continually push their logbooks can become fatigued, and fatigue increases accident risks.

“Reducing the likelihood of fatigue in drivers is one of the main objectives of the transition to ELDs,” said Munden.

“At a minimum, we can now be confident that our drivers are being provided the required time off, both daily and weekly, to rest.”

According to Transport Canada’s regulatory impact analysis leading up to the ELD mandate, there is an international consensus that fatigue is associated with 15-20% of crashes in transportation. As well, drivers with daily log violations are 2.3 times more likely to be involved in a collision.

The study claims, after consulting with industry, that 5-10% of commercial drivers routinely exceed allowable HoS limits.

A level competitive playing field

Drivers and carriers that continually operate beyond legal HoS limits have an unfair competitive advantage over those who follow the rules.

“As these drivers are able to work more hours, they may be paid more than those who are following the rules, thereby making it easier for non-compliant motor carriers to recruit and retain drivers at a time when the industry is dealing with a driver shortage,” Transport Canada’s analysis says.

But that can lead to the increased risk of an incident due to being fatigued.

“When drivers are not violating the HoS limits, there is an increased likelihood of less fatigued driving,” said Mike Ahart, vice-president of regulatory affairs at Omnitracs, citing findings by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

“And while there has been discussion of an increase in truck speeds when paper logs went away, the speeding violations data published by the FMCSA does not support the notion.”

4

Help reduce mental distraction and stress

5

Realize coaching opportunities

A compliant driver is a happy driver, and a happy driver is a safer driver.

Dan Columbus, Westcan Bulk Transport’s vice-president of health, safety and environment, told Today’s Trucking that drivers enjoy a better lifestyle when ELDs are used. “(There is a) reduction in the overall incidents caused by mental distractions and stresses, and of course less physical paperwork with no manipulation,” he said.

One of Canada’s largest carriers, Bison Transport, takes advantage of real-time drivers logs in a variety of ways to help improve safety and operational efficiencies.

“The ability to view a driver’s logs live offers timely opportunities to provide coaching and/or training when it is

Photo: iStock

3

“The ability to view a driver’s logs live offers timely opportunities to provide coaching and/ or training when it is needed versus waiting for paper logs to come in to identify a concern.”

— Stephanie Fensom, safety manager, Bison

needed versus waiting for paper logs to come in to identify a concern,” said Bison safety manager Stephanie Fensom.

6

Improve operational efficiencies

A robust ELD platform can also help streamline a carrier’s operations, making the life of dispatchers, office personnel and managers that much easier.

Munden underscored several ways ELDs have accomplished this for his company, including what he called “exception reporting”.

“Instead of having operations people reviewing hundreds of logbook pages to ensure compliance, now we only look at days that the system flags for out-of-compliance,” he said. “Because the system provides real-time information to both the driver in the cab and our office, those instances are extremely rare and are likely due to some kind of unexpected event on the road, and usually addressed immediately at the time.”

Glenn Williams, vice-president of product management at Trimble, said ELDs help safety managers proactively spot available hours across their driver base to pinpoint violations and eliminate safety risks before they occur.

“With additional components, such as customizable rulesets and exceptions, fleet managers can feel confident

knowing they have full visibility into their drivers’ behavior to help identify any drivers exhibiting risky or potentially fatal actions.”

7

Answer more questions with additional data

ELDs also help eliminate form and manner errors in logbooks, ensuring no data field is overlooked. And the data can be used as ammunition to support difficult conversations with shippers and receivers about challenges such as excessive dwell times.

Some devices can also collect pre- and post-trip inspection reports, offering insights into the equipment itself.

“I would highly recommend ensuring that any system the company chooses does this, thereby eliminating any paperwork needed for driver and company daily compliance for CVSE (Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement),” Munden said.

8

Reduce the time auditing logs

Stepto said ELDs can even help eliminate the need for additional staff that would need to monitor, review, separate, and store paper logs.

“In most cases, dispatch can quickly review drivers’ available hours in order to plan better without putting the driver on the line,” he said.

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DRIVER DISRUPTION

DISRUPTING DISRUPTION HOW CAN FLEETS MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF ELDS ON DRIVERS?

BY DEREK CLOUTHIER

the transition early to ensure drivers have plenty of time to be properly trained and get comfortable using the device.

“We also did a staggered rollout by fleet so we could provide the necessary support to the drivers who needed assistance,” said Stephanie Fensom, safety manager for Bison Transport. “It also allowed us to make adjustments along the way if we found gaps, to make the continued rollout smoother. Every second week we added another fleet.”

Greg Munden, president of Munden Ventures of Kamloops, B.C., agrees that getting an early start is important for a successful transition to ELDs. And, with only months until Canada’s ELD mandate kicks in, Munden said the time is now to make the switch.

Photo: Omnitracs

Identify internal champions

T

o say 2020 has been a year of disruption in the trucking industry would be a gross understatement, particularly when it comes to drivers who have been on the front lines since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s for this reason and many others that carriers and fleet managers want to minimize the number of external factors disrupting their drivers. But with Canada’s electronic logging device (ELD) 12 CRUNCH TIME: The ELD Guide

mandate to be in place this coming June, those who have not already made the switch from paper logs will have to face yet another factor disrupting their livelihoods.

Fleets can take several steps to ensure their drivers experience a seamless transition from paper logs to ELDs. Don’t wait for the mandate

One of the largest carriers in North America says the key to that success is to start

“There is plenty of time to make a smooth transition to ELDs. Switching drivers hastily in May 2021 for a June deadline is going to increase pressure on everyone,” he said, recommending that fleets pick “internal champions” who are tech-savvy or already have experience with ELDs, to help other drivers with the change.

“Switching them over to an ELD right away will allow your other drivers to ask them about the new solution, as well as have in-house, driver-to-driver help once they are rolled out more broadly.”

Chris Stepto, safety manager for Berry and Smith Trucking, echoes this approach.

“Get some of the more technology-savvy drivers involved first. Have

these drivers be a part of the ELD provider selection and testing,” he said. “These drivers will be your best-selling feature to other drivers. These drivers will help in getting something that is better for the company and drivers.”

Take it to your driver group

Munden also advised carriers to be smart with which ELD they select for their fleets, and to have a conversation with their drivers about what they can expect with the transition.

“A big mistake would be surprising drivers with a quick transition without having had discussions with your driver group ahead of time,” he said. “No one likes change, and companies can help the transition by dispelling a lot of the myths that are associated with ELDs.” A big part of the process is education.

James Mott is the senior instructor for Gennaro Transport Training, which works with Women Building Futures to help teach new Class 1 drivers the ins and outs of ELDs. When it comes to ELDs, Mott said they “educate that there are many apps on your phone and programs that many carriers provide that will satisfy carrier and driver requirements.”

Photo top right: iStock

Maintain backups

Mott also said that even with the advent of new technology to help track a driver’s Hours of Service (HoS), it’s important to not forget to maintain a backup in the event of a malfunction.

“At the end of the day,” said Mott, “I truly believe that every commercial driver, regardless of experience, should understand how to fill out the paper format of a log book in case of technological breakdown.”

Stepto added that those who are training drivers to use ELDs should be well versed in the related platform. They should also have knowledge of HoS regulations in both Canada and the U.S. “Trainers will have to answers questions regarding the new ELD system and why the new system will create violations a driver does not understand,” said Stepto.

Develop education campaigns

Dan Columbus, vice-president of health, safety, and environment for Westcan Bulk Transport, said along with a gradual ELD rollout, education campaigns can include posters, tailgate sessions, safety meetings, and a comprehensive training program with theoretical and practical components.

“Select elite drivers to start testing the new system,” he said. “They will become the ambassadors, and the coaches for other drivers.”

Don’t forget the dispatchers

Dispatchers also have a direct impact on drivers, given the close relationship between the two. And as Fensom points out, it is important for fleets to remember that the use of ELDs does not in any way change HoS regulations.

“What it does is allows a dispatcher to have a live view of a driver’s hours to support the planning process,” she said.

Munden believes carriers that are operating legally with paper logs will see little to no operational impact with the use of ELDs. Dispatchers, however, will see a change for the better.

“ELDs will make their job simpler,” Munden said. “They will have ready access to real-time data about available hours for their drivers and allow them to proactively juggle their load assignments to drivers who have the available hours to match customer needs.”

On the flip side, Munden pointed out that carriers operating outside the legal HoS rules will see a significant impact on their operations, and dispatchers who push drivers further because “the load just has to get there” will need to change the way they operate.

This, he said, is a good thing.

“For those companies and drivers who have long been frustrated by operating legally while they compete with those that do not, ELDs represent the industry’s best opportunity to ‘level the play field,’” said Munden.

“We transitioned to ELDs over six years ago. We don’t have a driver who would switch back to paper logs.”

“ELDs will make (the dispatching) job simpler, as they will have ready access to real-time data about available hours for their drivers and allow them to proactively juggle their load assignments to drivers who have the available hours to match customer needs.”

— Greg Munden, president, Munden Ventures, Kamloops, B.C

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Omnitracs is a technology company whose mission is to empower transportation fleets and drivers to perform at their best.

ISAAC ready for the Canadian ELD and so much more Regulations compliance is your first objective when it comes to choosing your ELD solution. Does your ELD provider have a feature-ready solution that covers the Canadian ELD regulations to take effect in June 2021? The answer to this is yes, for ISAAC Instruments. Be well positioned by choosing a solution that will be approved by a certifying body named by Transport Canada.

For ISAAC and its clients, hours-of-service compliance is just a start. A rugged tablet that drivers quickly adopt because it’s easy to use and saves them time. Loads of features that help streamline operations and put a smile on the faces of dispatchers and managers.

If you’re curious to know more, check out the Case Studies on our website, with organizations such as Trimac and Tandet.

Our clients’ positive experience and what they’re saying is what we work for. It reflects one of ISAAC’s core values: client success.

We started the digital revolution in trucking more than 30 years ago with our pioneering mobile communications device. We know the industry and its challenges better than anyone. Our expertise is one of our compet­ itive advantages. We have leveraged those relationships and understanding to consis­ tently bring new ideas and technology to the market and add value to our custom­ers.

Whether you need a best-in-class vid­ eosafety program or a comprehensive fleet management platform that provides com­ plete visibility into your operations, Omni­ tracs is a one-stop shop for enterprise-grade solutions. Regardless of your fleet size and if you move things down the block or across the country, our technology delivers intelli­ gence that makes your business more effi­ cient, safer and a better place to work.