Canadian rules

I thought my driver could drive 13 in Canada. Why the NO-GO?

In Canada a driver may drive 13 hours in a work shift and 13 hours in a day. Hours driven in the States earlier in the same shift or day count toward both.

What drivers say

“I can drive 13 in Canada.”

What the rules say

True per shift, but the day counts too. Canada also caps driving at 13 hours in a day, counted from the hour the carrier's day starts. And the US hours come with the driver: a driver who drove 11 in the States has only what is left of the 13 after crossing.

Run a free checkTry this example

How it works

The work shift ends after 8 hours off in a row. The day ends at the carrier's day start, usually midnight. Both limits apply, and the one that runs out first stops the driving.

The result says which one ran out: the shift, the day, or both at the same time.

Going north, this is the limit drivers miss most. The ELD switches to Canadian rules at the line, but it keeps every hour driven that day in the States.

The rule

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

A worked example

A northbound run where the hours driven in the States leave too little Canadian driving time.

Direction
US to Canada
Hours read at
13:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5
Came on duty at
02:00, after 10 h off
This shift so far
10 h 30 m driving, 11 h on duty, 4 h driving since the last break
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 13:00, drives 15 m to the border, then 3 h 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), SOR/2005-313 s. 13(1)). The daily limit and the work-shift limit run out at the same time. Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.

What makes this a GO

10 h off duty from 13:00, then depart at 23:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.

At the border, under Canadian rules

Driving left2 h 15 m
On-duty time left2 h 45 m
16-hour window left4 h 45 m
Cycle 1 left29 h 45 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 13:00 on Mon Oct 5: 10 h 30 m driving and 11 h on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
  2. Departs 13:00, drives 15 m in the US, crosses at 13:15, then 3 h in Canada.
  3. At the border under Canadian rules: 2 h 15 m of driving left, 2 h 45 m of on-duty time left, 4 h 45 m of the 16-hour window left, 29 h 45 m of Cycle 1 left.
  4. First limit broken: the Canadian 13-hour driving limit at 15:30, in Canada.
  5. Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 13:00: 23:00 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

  • If the shift limit ran out and the day still has room, take 8 hours off in a row.
  • If the day limit ran out, the driver cannot drive again until the carrier's next day starts, however long the rest.
  • The result gives the earliest time that works under both.

Related

The rules in full