Canada’s ELD Mandate Educational Enforcement Period Extended: 3 Things to Keep in Mind
On March 7, 2022, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) announced that the so-called soft enforcement period has been extended to January 1, 2023.
As shared previously, this enforcement window is centered on “elevated education and awareness” intended to help fleets gain an understanding of the rule and how to comply with its technical requirements.
“Jurisdictions have been monitoring progress and determined that an extension of the transition period is required,” noted the CCMTA in their announcement. “This will allow sufficient time for industry to purchase and install certified ELD devices, and conduct training to be compliant.”
As a provider of a certified-compliant ELD solution, Trimble is here to help you make the move to ELDs, regardless of how you monitor your driver’s Hours of Service (HOS) today. And, although January 2023 seems like a ways off, migrating to ELDs is a change you need to manage within your business.
No matter where you are in your ELD migration, here are three reasons why you shouldn’t wait to make the transition to compliant technology:
1. Preparing Your Drivers and Back Office Personnel
Whether you are on paper logs today or utilize a legacy electronic logging solution like an Automatic Onboard Recording Device (AOBRD), the move to ELDs requires more than just a flip of a switch. An important aspect to consider is allowing your drivers and back office personnel time to get familiar with this new technology.
When it comes to drivers, it is essential that they are trained on how to use their ELD in-cab so they can easily manage their hours and navigate roadside inspections with enforcement officers. Likewise, back office personnel will need to be familiar with how your ELD platform works so that they feel empowered to monitor driver hours, edit and annotate records (if needed) and build reports.
Similar to the U.S. ELD mandate, the Canadian regulation also allows for two special driving categories: yard moves and personal conveyance (although how personal conveyance is defined is different in each country’s ELD regulation). If these driving categories can be applied to your fleet, making the move now gives drivers more time to familiarize themselves with how they work and when to utilize them in their workflows.
2. Installing New Equipment in Your Fleet
Training your fleet is an essential part of the ELD migration but so, too, is rolling out compliant hardware across your vehicle base. Each fleet’s situation is unique but you may require new displays, new vehicle gateways or a combination of both.
Considering a comprehensive installation strategy is something you should do immediately. The process of uninstalling old equipment and implementing new hardware will take time and will likely require close collaboration with either your fleet’s maintenance team or a third-party installer. Creating a plan now will help ensure you can roll out any necessary equipment well ahead of January 2023 and minimize vehicle downtime inherent to the process.
With ongoing macroeconomic trends such as the microchip shortage and other supply chain-related challenges, it is crucial that you work with your ELD provider to also ensure you have the hardware you need to successfully migrate before the deadline.
3. Realizing the Benefits of ELDs in Your Business
While the use of ELDs may be mandated, operating on this technology can provide more benefit than solely ensuring your fleet’s compliance.
Utilizing ELDs can enable you to more readily manage your drivers’ collective hours, helping to pinpoint potential violations before they may occur. The rich amount of driver data can also allow you to make more informed decisions about the utilization of drivers and vehicles, helping you to maximize your fleet’s uptime and boost your bottom line.
The data generated by ELDs can also be beneficial to integrate into other key back office platforms such as payroll software, transportation management systems (TMS) and maintenance solutions. By creating a seamless flow of information, you can break down silos within your business and optimize all parts of your organization.
Ensure Your Canada ELD Compliance with Trimble
Whether you are based in Canada or have cross-border operations, Trimble is here to help you maintain compliance with ELD regulations in both the U.S. and Canada. As mentioned above, our ELD solution is certified for both rule sets and we can help take the guesswork out of migrating to compliant technology.
Ready to get on the road to ELD compliance with Trimble? Reach out to us today to learn more about our ELD and other fleet management solutions ‒ each designed to maximize the safety, compliance and productivity of your fleet.