No more delays for Canada’s enforcement of ELD mandate

Electronic logging device enforcement will take effect as scheduled Jan. 1

Canada’s federal ELD mandate will begin Jan. 1, requiring electronic data collection of truck drivers’ hours of service. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Canada’s enforcement of its electronic logging device mandate will begin as planned on Jan. 1, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA).

The ELD mandate requires electronic data collection of truck drivers’ hours of service, similar to the regulation that went into effect in the United States in 2017.

“Based on updates from our government partners at the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) and provincial associations, it is our clear understanding that all jurisdictions will be ready to start enforcement on Jan. 1,” Geoff Wood, CTA’s senior vice president of policy, said in a statement.

CCMTA said that the provinces — Quebec, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland  — and Northwest Territories are committed to enforcing the ELD mandate by January 2023, according to CTA. 

Canada’s ELD mandate went into effect in June 2021, with a period of progressive enforcement set to begin on June 12 of this year. In March, Canada’s transportation regulators agreed to delay enforcement of the mandate until January 2023, but there have been doubts among transportation officials that the timetable would hold. 

The CTA, which represents about 4,500 carriers in Canada, has voiced concerns that the enforcement of the mandate would be pushed back even further past January.

“If there’s unforeseen circumstances that lead to a jurisdiction not being ready to enforce, other jurisdictions that are ready and prepared will not be held back and will go forward,” Wood said. “The industry has been well prepared for this rule for a long time and has waited long enough for enforcement. It’s time enforcement begins.”  

While the U.S. and Canadian ELD regulatory requirements are very similar, the biggest difference is the certification process. While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration allows ELD manufacturers to self-certify their devices to meet regulatory compliance, Canada is requiring third-party certification of devices.

For fleets that cross the border, that means their devices could meet all U.S. laws, but if the companies that produced the ELDs hadn’t sought Canadian third-party certification, they would not be legal in that country.

The lack of ELDs certified for use in Canada has been one of the biggest reasons for the delays. When the mandate took effect in 2021, no ELD had completed Canada’s third-party certification process. There are currently 52 ELDs that have been certified for use in Canada. 

Watch: Navigating capacity challenges in cross-border shipments.

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney.

More articles by Noi Mahoney

Canada extends COVID restrictions to Sept. 30

Tribal aims for Latin America SMBs with blockchain, crypto

Port Houston marks all-time container volume record 

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
AI

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post • Chicago, IL
Register Now
Rail

Future of Rail Symposium

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

July 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga TN
Register Now
FreightTech

F3: Future of Freight Festival

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

October 27, 2026 – October 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
AI Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • The Old Post • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post • Chicago, IL Register Now
Rail Future of Rail Symposium Jul 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga TN

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga TN Register Now
FreightTech F3: Future of Freight Festival Oct 27 – Oct 28 • The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN

Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now

One Comment

Comments are closed.

Noi Mahoney

Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com