LAVAL, Quebec, June 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Teamsters Canada is welcoming today’s announcement from Transport Canada mandating the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) by federally regulated trucking and bussing companies. The new rules come into force on June 21, 2021.
“While today’s announcement does not fully address the issue of fatigue in the trucking industry, it at least levels the playing field for companies by finally making drivers’ hours of service rules enforceable. It is a welcome development,” said the president of Teamsters Canada, François Laporte.
Electronic logging devices monitor drivers’ hours of service and are tamper-proof. Currently, hours of service are tracked in paper-based daily logbooks. Because paper logbooks can easily be falsified, they are not effective at stopping drivers from being forced to work dangerously long hours.
In fact, the traditional paper-based daily logbooks were falsified so often that they came to be known as ‘lie books’ or ‘cheat sheets.’
“As the largest union in the trucking industry, Teamsters Canada has been working on this file for over twenty years with the government and our industry partners. Overall, we are pleased with the result,” said the national director of the Teamsters Canada Freight Division, John McCann.
Teamsters represent 125,000 members in Canada in all industries, including 15,000 long-haul truck drivers. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated, represents 1.4 million workers in North America.
Media requests:
Christopher Monette
Director of Public Affairs
Teamsters Canada
Cell: 514-226-6002
cmonette@teamsters.ca
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0a7293bd-28f2-4a87-8aff-9dc97f3f1cb4