Canadian HOS

This article provides a foundational understanding of Canadian HOS regulations, their purpose, and the role of the Canadian ELD Mandate in ensuring road safety and compliance across Canadian provinces.

Overview

Canadian HOS regulations set standards for driver work and rest periods to enhance road safety across Canada. The Canadian ELD mandate requires the use of electronic logging devices to automate compliance, making it easier to stay compliant and streamline roadside inspections.

• Enhanced safety: By enforcing required rest periods, the Canadian HOS regulations help minimize driver fatigue and improve overall safety on the roads.
• Automated compliance: Motive’s ELD simplifies adherence to Canadian-specific HOS rules, ensuring accurate record-keeping and minimizing the risk of violations.
• Seamless inspections: The ELD data transfer feature streamlines roadside audits, making it easier for officers to access the required information quickly and securely.
• Adaptability: Motive’s ELD supports both Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 HOS rules, providing flexibility for fleets to operate efficiently under varying conditions.

HOS regulations

Canadian HOS regulations govern the maximum amount of time commercial drivers can be on duty and require regular off-duty periods to prevent fatigue. The Canadian ELD mandate, effective June 12, 2021, requires most federally regulated carriers to use certified ELDs to record and manage HOS data.

The main goals are to promote road safety and reduce fatigue-related accidents. These regulations apply to federally regulated carriers and drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles across Canadian provinces.

Key differences from U.S. HOS:

• Canadian rules allow longer daily driving and on-duty limits.
• Canada mandates different cycle options and unique split sleeper and deferral provisions.

ELD mandate

To comply with the Canadian ELD mandate, ELDs must meet specific requirements to ensure accurate data and regulatory compliance:

• ECM synchronization: The ELD syncs directly with the vehicle’s engine control module (ECM) for accurate data.
• Tamper resistance: The ELD ensures no one can make unauthorized changes to data.
• Automatic recording: The ELD tracks duty status, driving time, and location continuously without manual input.
• Canadian HOS support: Motive’s ELD supports Canadian-specific rules, including split sleeper, deferral, both Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 management, and Alberta cycle.

Cycles and limits

Canadian drivers can switch between two HOS cycles. Adhering to these cycles helps ensure compliance and keeps drivers well-rested.

Cycle 1

• Up to 70 hours on duty within 7 consecutive days.
• Reset with 36 consecutive hours off duty.

Cycle 2

• Up to 120 hours on duty within 14 consecutive days.
• Reset with 72 consecutive hours off duty.

Daily limits (both cycles)

• Maximum 13 hours of driving per day.
• Maximum 14 hours on duty per day.
• At least 10 hours off duty daily, with 2 hours taken in periods of no less than 30 minutes.

Off-duty and rest requirements

Canadian regulations require at least 10 hours of off-duty time each day.

• Split sleeper berth (8/2 split): Drivers may split their 10 hours of mandatory daily off-duty time into two periods, provided that neither period is shorter than 2 hours, and the total combined time is at least 10 hours. Both periods must be spent in the sleeper berth and must meet the 16-hour elapsed time rule.
  • The driver’s shift calculation resets after the first qualifying sleeper berth period
  • Single drivers: The 10 hours of sleeper time can be split into two periods, with each period lasting between 2 and 8 hours.
  • Team drivers: The 10 hours of sleeper time can be split into two periods, and each period must be at least 4 hours long and taken continuously.
• Deferral of hours: Drivers may defer up to 2 hours of their non-consecutive off-duty time to the next day. The deferred time must be added to the mandatory 8 consecutive hours taken on Day 2, resulting in a 10 consecutive-hour rest on Day 2.
• Canada south off-duty clock: This feature tracks and displays remaining off-duty time required for compliance, helping drivers plan rest breaks efficiently.

Alberta

• Federal vs. provincial: Federal HOS apply to interprovincial carriers; Alberta-specific regulations apply to carriers operating within the province.
• Daily limits: Maximum 13 hours driving, 14 hours on duty, and 10 hours off-duty in a day, which must include at least 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time.
• Deferrals & exemptions: Alberta allows limited deferral of off-duty time and has rules for adverse driving conditions and personal conveyance. A key distinction for deferrals is that up to 2 hours of off-duty time (not from the 8 consecutive hours) can be deferred to the next day.

Special duty statuses

Motive’s ELD records these statuses automatically. Proper use prevents violations and avoids unassigned driving events.

• Yard move: Used for vehicle movement within a private yard or terminal, not counted as driving time. Must be selected manually and used according to company policy. Motive automatically switches duty status from yard move to driving as soon as the speed threshold of 20mph or 32 km/h is exceeded.
• Personal conveyance: Allows drivers to operate a vehicle for personal reasons, not work-related. Must be used off-duty and not to advance a load or for business purposes. The vehicle must be unladen and unhitched from a trailer, and the distance is limited to 75 km per day (midnight to midnight).

Roadside inspections

Canadian law requires drivers to provide ELD records during roadside inspections. Motive supports easy data transfer via multiple methods. The ELD output file includes driving hours, duty status changes, vehicle info, and driver data for the inspection period.

To initiate data transfer:

From the Driver App:

1. Log in to the Motive Driver App and connect to a vehicle.

2. Open the hamburger menu > Inspection Mode. 

   

3. Tap Send Output File.

4. Enter the email address and add an Official Comment if required. The Official Comment is a string of letters followed by numbers (e.g., NEWS-194262). 

   

5. The output file (CSV and PDF) will be attached to the email. 

From the Fleet Dashboard:

1. Log in to the Fleet Dashboard and go to Compliance. 

2. Click Send Output File. 

   

3. Under the Groups tab (default view), select the groups to include. 

   

4. Or switch to the Drivers tab and select specific drivers. 

   

5. Switch to the Vehicles tab and select vehicles. 

   

6. To include all entities of the entire fleet, check All Entities. 
7. You can also use the Search bar to find a specific group, driver, or vehicle.

8. Once the required driver(s)/vehicle(s)/group(s) are selected, click Next. 

   

9. Use the Calendar icons to set the Start and End dates. Please note that dates cannot be older than 6 months.  
10. Select an Operating Jurisdiction. 
11. Add any official comments in the Comments textbox.

12. Click Send. 

    

Note: 

• You cannot send another output file until the current request is processed.
• Once processed, you will receive an email with the output files.

Switching cycles

Drivers may switch between Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 under certain conditions. To be eligible, drivers must complete the required reset: 36 hours for Cycle 1, 72 hours for Cycle 2. Switching cycles resets available on-duty hours and affects planning for upcoming trips.

To switch:

Switching cycle rule in the Driver App:

1. Log in to the Driver App and tap Logs. 

   

2. On the Logs screen, select the day you want to switch the cycle for. 

   

3. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner. 

   

4. Tap Cycle Rule. 

   

5. Select the cycle rule you want to use for that day. 

6. Tap Done. 

   

Editing Cycles (Current Day Only)

• If you are on the current day, tap Edit Cycles to update your primary and secondary cycles.

Switching cycle rule in the Fleet Dashboard:

1. Log in to the Fleet Dashboard. Click Admin in the left-hand menu. 

   

2. Select Drivers. 
3. Find the driver you want to update, then click the three-dot menu next to their name.

4. Click Edit Account. 

   

5. Scroll to the Cycles section and make the required changes.

6. Click Save. 

   

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