Hours of service and fatigue management

Provincial hours of service regulations

The Alberta Drivers' Hours of Service Regulation applies to carriers and drivers who operate the following vehicles only within Alberta:

• commercial vehicles that are registered for a weight of 11,794 kilograms or more;
• commercial vehicles with a manufactured seating capacity of 11 persons or more, including the driver.

For more information, read: Commercial Vehicle Safety Compliance in Alberta: Module 8.

Training material

The following training material is offered to Alberta drivers and carriers. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in these documents is accurate at the time of preparation.

This information may be all that the carrier believes its drivers require to obtain the knowledge in hours of service needed to competently and safely do their jobs. Alternatively, the information may form part of a larger training program delivered over several weeks or months.

The reader is invited to reproduce all or part of these documents. However, at no time should this information be altered nor used in a manner that would change the intended meaning of the material or its accuracy.

Bus information

• Alberta’s Provincial Drivers Hours of Service for School Buses

Truck information

• Alberta's Provincial Drivers Hours of Service for Truck and Tractor Operators

Federal hours of service regulations

Canada's Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations apply to carriers and drivers who operate the following vehicles in multiple provinces, territories or states:

• commercial vehicles (trucks, tractors, trailers or any combination of them) that have a registered gross vehicle weight of more than 4,500 kg
• bus that is designed and constructed to have a designated seating capacity of more than 10 people, including the driver

For more information, see:

• Reference Guide for Hours of Service Training
• Federal Hours-Of-Service Rules pocket guide
• Reviewing New Hours of Service Logs
• Use of Electronic Media to Maintain a Daily Log
• Commercial Vehicle Safety Compliance in Alberta: Module 7

Electronic logging devices

Electronic logging devices (ELDs) help drivers accurately record their driving time.

Carriers that operate only in Alberta and are not federally regulated do not need to install and use ELDs at this time.

ELD definition

The federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations defines an ELD as, “a device or technology that automatically records a driver’s driving time and facilitates the recording of the driver’s record of duty status, and that is certified by an accredited certification body under section 79.1.”

More generally, an ELD connects to the electronic control module of a vehicle. They make it easier and faster to track, manage, share and improve the accuracy of a driver's hours of service.

This helps drivers stay within legally allowed driving hours and reduce fatigue. Transport Canada is responsible for publishing the list of certified ELDs and providing information on the certification process, as well as accrediting third party certification bodies.

ELD exemptions

The following are exempted from the federal ELD mandate requirements:

• All provincially regulated carriers
• Federally registered vehicles with a restricted weight of more than 4,500 kg operating within 160 km radius of the driver’s home terminal
• Buses with 11 passengers, including the driver, operating within 160 km radius of driver’s home terminal
• Vehicles operating under an Oilwell Service Vehicle Cycle Exemption permit
• Farm vehicles with 3 or fewer axles
• Emergency vehicles

For more information, see ELD handout for motor carriers and drivers (Transport Canada).

Certification

Electronic logging device hardware and software must be tested and certified by a third party accredited by Transport Canada.

Resources

• Electronic Logging Devices (Transport Canada)
• Transport Canada on electronic logging devices (ELDs) and certification
• Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) information on the ELD technical standard
• Information on certification of ELDs
• A list of accredited certification bodies

Contact

For more information about ELDs, email: [email protected]

Fatigue management

It is recommended that all carriers create a fatigue management program. This program can be used to address issues related to fatigue in the workplace while reducing risks related to fatigue and decreasing the number of fatigue-related incidents.

For more information, see Fatigue Management Program and Training.