Trucks must have electronic logging devices to track driving hours

Trucks and buses that travel between Canada's provinces and territories have been required since Jan. 1 to be equipped with electronic devices that log the number of hours drivers spend on the road.

Ottawa changed federal regulations to require electronic logging in 2019 and ordered provinces and territories to comply with the change by mid-June of 2021, then extended the deadline to the end of 2022. The electronic devices are to replace paper log books, a move officials say is safer and more efficient in preventing drivers from being on the road for dangerous stretches of time.

“It is critically important that drivers in the trucking sector have accurate logs to help avoid fatigue-related incidents,”

Nova Scotia Public Works Minister Kim Masland said in a recent news release.

In Nova Scotia, drivers who travel within the province or within a 160-kilometre radius from their base will not be required to install one of the more than 55 types of certified electronic logging devices. Drivers who cross provincial boundaries; however, will have to comply with the new rule.

Nova Scotia says that Canadian truckers and bus drivers have been required since 2019 to use the devices when travelling in the United States.

Chris McKee, executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, said in a recent interview that the majority of his organization's 320 members are ready for the change.

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