Canadian rules

My driver took a 34. Why are they out of cycle hours in Canada?

On Cycle 1, Canada stops all driving after 70 hours on duty in any 7 days. Every on-duty hour counts, on both sides of the border, until a Canadian reset.

What drivers say

“I just took my 34, so I've got a fresh 70.”

What the rules say

Fresh in the States, not in Canada. A US restart is 34 hours off in a row. Canada's Cycle 1 only starts over after 36 hours off in a row. Until then, Canada still counts every on-duty hour from the last 7 days.

Run a free checkTry this example

How it works

Every on-duty hour counts: driving, loading, fueling, inspections and border waits, in either country.

BorderHOS works from the totals you enter. It does not drop old days off the count during the run, so its answer is the safe one.

The rule

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

A worked example

A northbound run for a driver close to the Cycle 1 limit. The cycle runs out in Canada.

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
68 h in the last 7 days, 68 h in the last 8 days
24 hours off in a row in the last 14 days
Yes
The run
Leaves at 08:00, drives 30 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 Cycle 1 limit of 70 hours in 7 days.

Why

Binding limit: Canadian Cycle 1 limit of 70 hours in 7 days (SOR/2005-313 s. 26). Hours worked on both sides of the border count toward it.

What makes this a GO

36 h off duty from 08:00, then depart at 20:00 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 left1 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 3 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, 1 h 30 m of Cycle 1 left.
  4. First limit broken: the Canadian Cycle 1, 70 hours in 7 days at 10:00, in Canada.
  5. Earliest legal departure, resting off duty from 08:00: 20:00 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.
  • 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.
  • Cycle hours are entered as totals, so hours that drop off day by day are not counted. With the driver's daily log the earliest time may be sooner.

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 36 hours off in a row. That starts a new Cycle 1.
  • With a day-by-day log, old hours may drop off sooner. Check the driver's log before waiting out a full reset.

Related

The rules in full