Canadian rules

How late can my driver drive after crossing into Canada?

In Canada no driving is allowed once 16 hours have passed since the end of the last 8 or more hours off in a row. The clock runs through breaks and border waits.

What drivers say

“Canada gives you 16, so I have more time than in the States.”

What the rules say

More than the US 14, yes, but it counts from the same start. A driver who came on duty early in the States brings that start time across the border. The 16 hours end at the same time, wherever the driver is.

Run a free checkTry this example

How it works

Breaks shorter than 8 hours do not pause it or extend it.

It is separate from the 13 hours of driving and the 14 hours on duty. Any of them can stop the run first.

The rule

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

A worked example

A northbound run that leaves in the afternoon after an early start.

Direction
US to Canada
Hours read at
15:30 EDT on Mon Oct 5
Came on duty at
02:00, after 10 h off
This shift so far
7 h driving, 9 h on duty, 3 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 15:30, 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 16-hour window.

Why

Binding limit: Canadian 16-hour window (SOR/2005-313 s. 13(3)). Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.

What makes this a GO

10 h off duty from 15:30, then depart at 01:30 EDT on Tue Oct 6 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.

At the border, under Canadian rules

Driving left5 h 45 m
On-duty time left4 h 45 m
16-hour window left2 h 15 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 15:30 on Mon Oct 5: 7 h driving and 9 h on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
  2. Departs 15:30, drives 15 m in the US, crosses at 15:45, then 3 h in Canada.
  3. At the border under Canadian rules: 5 h 45 m of driving left, 4 h 45 m of on-duty time left, 2 h 15 m of the 16-hour window left, 29 h 45 m of Cycle 1 left.
  4. First limit broken: the Canadian 16-hour window at 18:00, in Canada.
  5. Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 15:30: 01:30 on Tue Oct 6.
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

  • Take 8 hours off in a row. The new 16 hours start when the rest ends.
  • The earliest legal departure on the result already counts the rest both countries need.

Related

The rules in full