Nothing states show me your logs than a good accident on a clear stretch of road

Nothing about a pro trucker’s job will bring about more impassioned responses than the unfairness of log book rules and enforcement. I could go on for a couple of pages about how good or bad log books are. I think it is unreasonable to expect a driver to have to keep track of his life in 15 minute segments but part of my responsibility as the person responsible for the national safety code at our company requires me to enforce those laws. And listening to years of log book arguments has never changed the fact that driver’s daily logs are simply required.

Transport Canada Drivers' Hours of Service Regulations apply to:

• vehicles owned by the Your company (company decals and unit # on the side)
• actual or registered Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) exceeding 4500 kg.
• vans and buses designed to carry 10 or more passengers, including the driver. The regulations are not applicable to vehicles rented from an external commercial source such as Budget or Enterprise.

examples of Your company vehicles in this range include:

• a 3/4 ton pick-up truck carrying heavy cargo or pulling a utility trailer with an ATV on it.
• most 1 ton trucks
• trucks rated at 3 ton or more
• 12 to 15 passenger vans, 24 and 37 passenger buses
  (12 - 15 passenger van are buses by definition in the Traffic Safety Act)

Exceptions:

• Drivers of vehicles rented by the Your company from a commercial source such as Budget or Enterprise.

• Drivers of decalled Your company are exempt from completing log books when all of the following four requirements are met:

1. The radius of the trip does not exceed 160 km
2. The driver is returning to the original departure location within 13 hours
3. Daily records of the drivers' start and end or work times (Duty Status), including days off are maintained
4. The driver is not driving under a permit or other restriction issued by Transport Canada or another commercial vehicle regulation.

Enforcement/Non-Compliance:

Commercial Vehicle Inspection Stations (scales) post signs directing "Commercial vehicles weighing more than 4,500 kg and non-scheduled buses to report"

Drivers of vehicles weighing more than 4500 kg, who are unable to produce properly completed log books and trip inspection reports may be subject to:

• search a vehicle, without a warrant, for driver log books, trip inspection reports and vehicle documentation
• seizure of the vehicle, trailer and equipment
• "out of service" declaration (suspended driver's license)
• a fine (summons to appear in court at the local jurisdiction)

Federal Carriers

Carriers who operate a commercial truck that is registered for a gross vehicle weight of more than 4,500 kilograms or a commercial passenger vehicle with a manufactured seating capacity of 11 or more persons, including the driver, and that:

• have operated/or intend to operate outside of Alberta with such a vehicle (after January 1, 2006) are regulated under the Federal legislation.

This applies to all of the carrier’s drivers of those commercial vehicles, even those who have never personally operated the vehicles outside of Alberta. These carriers must have an Alberta Safety Fitness Certificate (SFC) displaying a “Federal” Operating Status or an equivalent certificate issued by another jurisdiction.

Provincial Carriers

Carriers who operate a commercial truck registered for a weight of 11,794 kilograms or more, or a commercial passenger vehicle with a manufactured seating capacity of 11 or more persons, including the driver, and that:

• have not operated outside of Alberta with such a vehicle since January 1, 2006;
  and
• do not intend to operate outside of Alberta in the future,

are regulated under the provincial regulations. Such carriers must have an Alberta SFC displaying a “Provincial” Operating Status.

On January 1, 2007 new federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers’ Hours of Service Regulation were implemented. A great deal of research and stakeholder consultation, including Alberta's involvement went into the development of this regulation.

The following information is offered to assist you with identifying and understanding the regulations: