Canada’s Hours-of-Service Proposal Moves at Its Own Pace

May 3, 2000 10:36 AM, EDT

Somewhere in Canada’s governmental bureaucracy, lawyers are massaging the anxiously awaited hours-of-service reforms for trucking in that country.

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Asked when he thought the recommendations would finally hit the streets, Barrie Montague, manager of safety and operations at the Ontario Trucking Association, replied, “If I knew that, I’d be on the David Letterman show every night.” He noted his disappointment “that it is taking as long as it is.”

Even though the 270-page American proposal has been revealed at last, the Canadians are not yet ready to jump on the regulatory bandwagon. Their own revisions are still being meticulously scribed by attorneys for Transport Canada, the agency that regulates the hours that a truck driver can remain behind the wheel in Canada.

Since 1989, Canadian regulations have been based on a 23-hour clock, permitting truckers to work 15 hours on duty — 13 hours driving and two hours for other work — with a minimum of eight hours off duty. Drivers may choose from three cycles: 60 hours in seven days, 70 hours in eight days or 120 hours in 14 days. Also, they may switch cycles at any time to be in compliance and maximize available work time.

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