Canadian rules

I took my 10, so why am I still over for the day in Canada?

Canada counts work by the day as well as by the shift. A driver must have at least 10 hours off in each day, and no more than 13 hours of driving or 14 hours on duty. A full rest in the middle of the day does not clear the day's hours.

What drivers say

“I took my 10, so I've got a fresh 13.”

What the rules say

A fresh shift, yes. A fresh day, no. Driving done earlier the same day still counts toward the day's 13. The day only starts over at the carrier's day start, usually midnight.

Run a free checkTry this example

How it works

At least 2 of the 10 daily hours off must fall outside the 8 hours off in a row that end a shift.

BorderHOS checks this rule through the day's limits. Keeping on-duty time to 14 hours in a day leaves the 10 hours off, so the result names the driving or on-duty limit when a day runs out.

Canada lets a driver defer some daily off-duty time to the next day in some cases. BorderHOS does not model that, so its answer is the safe one.

The rule

Sources: SOR/2005-313 s. 14.

Rule values checked against the regulations and verified by CVORReady Inc.

A worked example

A northbound run after a full rest, for a driver who already drove earlier the same day.

Direction
US to Canada
Hours read at
15:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5
Came on duty at
15:00, after 10 h off
This shift so far
0 m driving, 0 m on duty, 0 m driving since the last break
Earlier today
5 h driving and 5 h on duty, before the rest that started this shift
Canadian cycle
Cycle 1 (70 hours in 7 days)
US cycle
70 hours in 8 days
On-duty hours
40 h in the last 7 days, 40 h in the last 8 days
24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days
Yes
The run
Leaves at 15:00, drives 30 m to the border, then 8 h 30 m after it

This is the answer the free check gives for these hours.

NO-GO

Not legal as planned. The run breaks the Canadian 13-hour driving limit.

Why

Binding limit: Canadian 13-hour driving limit (SOR/2005-313 s. 12(1)). This is the daily limit. The carrier's day starts at 00:00. Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.

Read how this limit works

What makes this a GO

1 h off duty from 15:00, then depart at 16:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.

At the border, under Canadian rules

Driving left7 h 30 m
On-duty time left8 h 30 m
16-hour window left15 h 30 m
Cycle 1 left29 h 30 m

Where the hours came from

Hours entered by hand.

BorderHOS is a planning aid. It does not replace your ELD, the driver's judgment, or the regulations. Results depend on the hours used.

How this was worked out
  1. Hours read at 15:00 on Mon Oct 5: 0 m driving and 0 m on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
  2. Earlier today, before the rest that started this shift: 5 h driving and 5 h on duty. Canada counts them toward the day's 13 hours of driving and 14 hours on duty.
  3. Departs 15:00, drives 30 m in the US, crosses at 15:30, then 8 h 30 m in Canada.
  4. At the border under Canadian rules: 7 h 30 m of driving left, 8 h 30 m of on-duty time left, 15 h 30 m of the 16-hour window left, 29 h 30 m of Cycle 1 left.
  5. First limit broken: the Canadian 13-hour driving limit at 23:00, in Canada.
  6. Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 15:00: 16:00 on Mon Oct 5.
What this check does not cover
  • Sleeper-berth splits are not modeled.
  • Canadian deferral of daily off-duty time is not modeled.
  • Adverse driving conditions are not modeled.
  • Team drivers, north of 60, oil-well permits and short-haul exemptions are not modeled.
  • Border wait is not added. Time waiting in line counts as on duty.
  • The date of the driver's last 24 hours off was not given. It is assumed to fall within the last 14 days for the whole run.
  • Canada requires records of duty status for the current day and the preceding 14 days on board. Confirm before crossing.

Engine 1.0.1. Rule values 1.1.0, verified by CVORReady Inc.

Open this example in the free check and change the hours

What fixes it

  • Wait for the carrier's next day to start, or plan the northbound run for a day with fewer hours already worked.

Related

The rules in full