Continuing to support electronic on-board computers for trucks, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) said the latest United States proposal "as currently outlined may have a relatively minor impact on Canadian carriers."
However, CTA added that Transport Canada and the provinces may well take their lead from the US in terms of an on-board recorder policy for Canada.
"Clearly the continued use of paper logbooks to ensure adherence with the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations in today’s high tech trucks is not supportable in the longer term," David Bradley, CTA chief executive officer, stated in a news release. "The sooner governments provide carriers that are already using electronic on-board recorders, or those who would be willing to adopt them, with meaningful incentives, the better will be compliance with hours-of-service rules and the more level the playing field will be for all. "
The US Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) last week proposed that certain carriers be required to install electronic on-board recorders in all of their commercial vehicles, and others will be given incentives for voluntary use.
"It comes as no surprise to CTA that the US government has elected not to mandate the electronic on-board recorders on all trucks, although the alliance hopes that the yet-to-be announced incentives for voluntary compliance will be the start of an industry trend away from paper logbooks," CTA stated in the news release.
CTA has argued for mandatory recorders on all trucks, with the technology choice left to carriers. A key component of CTA’s position is that government policies on recorders must be fully harmonized between Canada and the United States.