Earlier we used to sleep till we wanted to sleep and left. We can probably save up to 24 hours a week and in some cases more
Benoît Therrien, president of the specialized information site Truck Stop Quebec, said in an interview. There, we will do the hours we are supposed to do, according to the rules laid down.
As of April 30, the Quebec government has required truckers carrying goods more than 160 kilometers from their home port to have an electronic logging device in their vehicle, or DCE, This electronic tablet, which replaces paper logbooks, automatically calculates their hours of work, driving and rest.
Its entry into force has been postponed several times by Quebec. It was eventually to be done at the beginning of the month, before being postponed for administrative reasons.
Under Quebec law, truck drivers cannot drive more than 13 hours a day. They must take rest for at least 8 consecutive hours before walking on the road.
The trucking industry is facing an acute shortage of drivers, while the economy still needs road transport.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Together DCE On board, if the driver exceeds the limit, he immediately receives an alert message summoning him to stop. Exceptions are provided for when a truck driver is stuck in traffic or in a snowstorm, for example.
no one can cheat anymore
, says Patrick Gagnon, vice president of road management for Trans-West, a transportation company based in Montreal, with a smile in his voice. the latter drove their trucks DCE Already five years ago.
The number of criminals across Quebec has been on the rise in recent years. According to statistics from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), in 2017, authorities issued 2,620 statements of offense to truck drivers who exceeded the legal number of working hours. This is more than double as compared to 2007.
According to Transport Canada, provincial and territorial governments recorded an annual average of 9,400 violations of the hours of service rules by drivers between 2010 and 2015.
more security
By adopting these new rules, Quebec is finally following in the footsteps of most Canadian provinces, including Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick, where the device has been mandatory since 1Is January. It will be available in British Columbia from 1Is august.
Fact Worth Noting: Truckers who regularly cross the US border already comply DCE Compulsory for them from 2019. In the United States, electronic logbooks have been mandatory since 2017.
With this device, Quebec hopes to reduce the risk of fatigue at the wheel and improve safety on the road. Especially since the number of fatal accidents involving a heavy truck is set to increase by 6.9% between 2016 and 2021, according to the data. sock, As far as serious accidents are concerned, there was an increase of 6.3%.
In fact, one of the Saskatchewan coroner’s recommendations after the accident that devastated the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team in 2018 was to switch to electronic recording devices. Sixteen people were killed when their team bus collided with a transport truck.
Such a regulation was long awaited by the Quebec Trucking Association, its president and general manager, Marc Cadieux, underlined. It is important that our employees have the tools to protect themselves and this is one of them.
he argues.
, It’s also a protection for the worker, for the driver, for the truck, and it’s also a protection from any kind of unfair competition. ,
traffic controller of sock shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the mandatory use of DCE on respective heavy trucks.
Transport Canada has approved 55 electronic logging devices. Although these devices do not represent a technological innovation, not all companies have yet chosen to use them.
With information from Gabriel Proulx
