Canadian rules

My driver hasn't had a day off in two weeks. Can they drive in Canada?

No. In Canada a driver may not drive unless they have taken at least 24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days. It does not matter how many daily or cycle hours are left.

What drivers say

“I've got hours left on my cycle, so I'm legal.”

What the rules say

Not in Canada. This rule stands apart from every hour limit. The US has no such rule, so a driver running US loads can go two weeks without a full day off and then be out of hours at the line.

Run a free checkTry this example

How it works

It applies to any driving in Canada, including the drive to the border going south.

If you are not sure when the driver's last 24 hours off ended, answer the free check's question as best you can. A yes is taken to cover the whole run, and the result says so.

The rule

  • No driving unless the driver has taken at least 24 consecutive hours off in the preceding 14 days.

    SOR/2005-313 s. 25

  • The 24 consecutive hours off must fall within the preceding 14 days.

    SOR/2005-313 s. 25

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

A worked example

A northbound run with plenty of hours, for a driver with no day off in the last two weeks.

Direction
US to Canada
Hours read at
08:00 EDT on Mon Oct 5
Came on duty at
06:00, after 10 h off
This shift so far
2 h driving, 2 h on duty, 2 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
No
The run
Leaves at 08:00, drives 30 m to the border, then 2 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 rule of 24 hours off in every 14 days.

Why

Binding limit: Canadian rule of 24 hours off in every 14 days (SOR/2005-313 s. 25).

What makes this a GO

24 h off duty from 08:00, then depart at 08:00 EDT on Tue Oct 6 or later. The rest of the run stays the same.

At the border, under Canadian rules

Driving left10 h 30 m
On-duty time left11 h 30 m
16-hour window left13 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 08:00 on Mon Oct 5: 2 h driving and 2 h on duty this shift. Hours count under both countries' rules; only the rules change at the border.
  2. Departs 08:00, drives 30 m in the US, crosses at 08:30, then 2 h in Canada.
  3. At the border under Canadian rules: 10 h 30 m of driving left, 11 h 30 m of on-duty time left, 13 h 30 m of the 16-hour window left, 29 h 30 m of Cycle 1 left.
  4. First limit broken: the Canadian rule of 24 hours off in 14 days at 08:30, in Canada.
  5. Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 08:00: 08:00 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.
  • 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 24 hours off in a row. Driving in Canada is legal again when it ends.

Related

The rules in full