Starting this summer, provincially regulated commercial vehicle operators will be required to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) to track drivers’ time behind the wheel, reducing the likelihood of driving while tired.
ELDs automatically record driving time, helping to ensure commercial drivers do not drive longer each day than regulations allow. ELDs accurately track hours of service and reduce the risk of incidents due to driver fatigue.
“Using technology to ensure that commercial drivers aren’t on the road longer than they should be on a given day will protect their safety and the safety of others on B.C. highways,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “It will also support a more efficient trucking industry, which is critical to keeping supplies moving across the province.”
The requirement will take effect on Aug. 1, 2023, giving B.C. carriers six months to install ELDs across their fleets and to complete driver and dispatcher training.
Dave Earle, president and CEO of the BC Trucking Association, has long supported a provincial ELD mandate.
“The BC Trucking Association is pleased that the Province will bring into force a provincial ELD mandate, which will improve safety for all road users by increasing compliance with hours-of-service regulations,” Earle said. “While there is no single fix for improved safety performance, a widespread requirement for technology that automates compliance and helps to promote effective safety programs will transform the industry for the better.”
ELDs will assist the trucking industry by reducing paperwork, improving management of driver hours of service and reducing costs.
This shift follows federal ELD regulations, which Transport Canada established for the inter-provincial trucking sector in 2021 and have been committed to by all provinces and territories. Enforcement of the federal regulations began on Jan. 1, 2023.