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What You Need to Know About National Safety Code Logbooks

These days, regulations and standardized licensing and permits involved with operating a commercial trucking vehicle is the norm. All reputable drivers and owner/operators in the province of British Columbia have had to adhere to the national standards supported by provincial regulations as part of the updated  National Safety Code Program since April of 2013, when the code was reviewed to improve commercial vehicle safety in BC.

In this post,  we’ll give an overview of the safety code program, and just how important all paper and electronic logbooks are these days for commercial drivers and movers.

 

Logbooks

New Information (August 1, 2023) - Commercial vehicles in BC are now required to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) to track hours of service. The requirement in BC was announced in February of 2023 to allow carriers 6 months to install ELDs and complete training for drivers and dispatchers. This will reduce the chances of driving while tired making the roads safer for everyone. ELDs automatically track a driver's hours which will also reduce time spent calculating and doing paperwork. This change follows federal ELD regulations established by Transport Canada and has been committed to by all provinces and territories.  For more information view the National Safety Code Bulletin from the BC Ministry of Transportation & Infastructure.

 

Every driver of a commercial transport vehicle is required to keep track of their time using a log book.  A log book is simply a notebook with each page divided into a 24-hour time frame, and further divided into 15 minute increments for the purpose of documenting drive times and employee hours. Each page is recorded onto a carbon copy to be given to the driver's employer for a record of each day of vehicle operation.

 

Paper

For decades, logbooks were simply that - books. These paper logbooks were a daily, and/or hourly staple of commercial transport because they were presented to a Ministry of Transportation inspector, and were also supplied to a driver's employer for validation and tracking.

Typically, these logs included a time grid, applicable drop-off points and arrival points/times that the driver had reached, driver info, load information, and information about the pre-trip check, vehicle safety check, and even refueling times and amounts.  Paper logs have recently been phased out, replaced by Electronic Loggind Devices or (ELDs).

 

Electronic

Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are more often than not, referred to as automatic logging technologies. They record the same information as a standard paper logbook, but require much less manual input from the driver of the vehicle. ELD’s do this independently, only leaving the driver responsible to enter on-duty and off-duty times for transfer back to an employer.

Typically, an employer will ask that a driver record a paper logbook as a concrete backup plan should anything happen to the ELD. A paper logbook could also be considered superior to the hands-off ELD because it ensures that drivers actively partake in the process of logging, checking, and assessing the state of their loads, their vehicles, and therefore, the safety of themselves and others on the road.

ELD requirements

In June of 2019, Transport Canada made some amendments to the Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations, which noted that ELD's are allowed to be used in place of paper logs, as long as it meets certain requirements, and that ELD's will be mandatory across Canada by June 12, 2021. Among other reqirements, the device must be capable of displaying:

(i) the driving time and other on-duty time for each day on which the device is used,

(ii) the total on-duty time remaining and the total on-duty time accumulated in the cycle being followed by the driver, and

(iii) the sequential changes in duty status and the time at which each change occurred for each day on which the device is used;

The implementation period for ELD's to be supplied, installed, tested, and certified is already in place, with the June 2021 deadline approaching quickly. 

Always IMPROVING THE CODE

In 2011, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure assembled a number of individuals from differing commercial transportation industries to combine their expertise and experiences to recommend improvements to the existing National Safety Code Program. Some of these industries included logging, highway transport, coach lines, commercial trucking, and bulk transport.

Over the next six scheduled meetings that spanned throughout 2011, the group focused on how to streamline and improve a number of aspects to commercial trucking and transport including:

  • Education and enforcement
  • Trucking Company Safety profiles
  • NSC applications
  • NSC Facility audits

Given time restraints, the group agreed to limit its recommendations, especially to include more of those that would not involve legislative amendments. Primary changes were made to address and “improve the effectiveness of the province's National Safety Code as a tool to monitor, rate carriers, and improve overall safety of the trucking industry.”

Any and all groups, companies, individuals and operators that conduct business and/or operate a commercial trucking aspect within their organization were affected by these welcome changes to the safety code.  This includes mining operations, hydro, oil/gas trucking, logging industries, moving industries, trucking and bulk transport, coach lines and public transport, and all other forms of trucking and transport operations.

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National Safety Code Logbooks are not only valuable to a Ministry of Transportation Inspector or a trucking company dispatcher or manager – they’re also valuable resources for drivers themselves. Logbooks help to ensure a regimented cycle of safety checks and evaluations happen daily, in turn keeping drivers and their loads safe, efficient, and on-time.

The logs help drivers to see and feel confident that their truck is is tip-top shape, and that they’re only on the road for as long as they need to be to maintain a good work/life balance. Further, these safety checks and log in/out times help to keep other drivers on the road safe as well. In the beginning, constant organizing and logging your every action may seem like it impedes progress every morning, but over time it becomes a habitual instinct that every driver knows, respects, and appreciates.

 

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