Heavy vehicle operators must make sure that drivers comply with the requirements concerning the number of hours of driving and off-duty time and that they fill out their daily log.
The rules governing driving time, on-duty time and off-duty time allow drivers to have a minimum number of hours of rest before getting back on the road and to abide by the maximum number of hours of driving time.
Abiding by the hours of drivingThe period of time during which a driver operates a heavy vehicle while the engine is running. and off-duty timeAny period of time other than a driver's hours of service. reduces the risk of driver fatigue.
Drivers who are tired pose a higher risk for their own safety and that of other road users.
Drivers must comply with the rules governing driving time and off-duty time if they drive one of the following vehicles:
Drivers of buses or minibuses (other than those used for urban transit) must abide by the rules governing driving time and off-duty time, as thoses vehicles are considered heavy vehicles.
Drivers and operators of the following heavy vehicles are exempted from the regulatory requirements governing hours of driving and off-duty time.
A heavy vehicle used for an entire day by an individual for personal purposes (other than commercial or professional ones). Examples:
A heavy vehicle used during part of the day by an individual for personal purposes (other than commercial or professional ones) is exempted for the first 75 kilometres travelled in a day, where the following conditions have been met:
For instance, in the case of a driver who leaves the home terminal (establishment) at the wheel of a road tractor to return home, this driving time is considered to be off-duty for the first 75 kilometres travelled.
If the distance exceeds 75 kilometres, the time to cover this additional distance will be deemed driving hours.
Examples of emergency vehicles:
A road vehicle, other than a vehicle mounted on a truck chassis, manufactured to perform work, the work station of which is an integral part of the driver’s cab. Examples of tool vehicles:
The farm tractorA tractor that is equipped with tires and is generally used for agricultural purposes, whether or not it is authorized for use on public roads. The tractor must belong to an individual or company that owns or leases a farm and whose principal occupation is farming, or that is a member of an association certified under the Farm Producers Act. and farm machinery may be owned by:
The farm trailerA trailer with a net weight of 2,300 kg or less owned by a farmer and used primarily to carry farm produce or the equipment required to produce it. must be owned by a farmerA person holding a registration card for an agricultural operation issued by the Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec, or a person who is a member of an association certified under the Farm Producers Act..
For the vehicle to be exempted, urban transit must be provided by a public transit corporation or under a contract with a public transit body, an inter-municipal commission or board, a municipality or group of municipalities.
The combination of vehicles is exempted, except for a vehicle combination transporting dangerous substances requiring the display of safety marks.
To be exempted, the vehicle must not require the display of safety marks, and cannot be a minibus or a tow truck.
The truck must be used to transport the primary products of a farm, forest or fishery, if the operator of the truck is the producer of the products. For example, this person could be a potato grower who makes deliveries.
This exemption also applies to a vehicle that is used to return to a producer’s place of business; in which case the vehicle must be unladen or must only be carrying goods that go into operating the farm, forest or fishery.
When planning a schedule, a driver must comply with several requirements.
A driver must have taken at least 24 hours of off-duty time during the preceding 14 days.
A driver may choose to calculate his or her hours of driving and off-duty time based on a cycle of:
| Cycle 1 (7 days) | Cycle 2 (14 days) |
|---|---|
No driving is allowed after the driver has accumulated 70 hours of on-duty time over a period of 7 consecutive days. | No driving is allowed after the driver has accumulated:
|
To reset a current cycle, to begin a new one or to switch cycles, the driver must take:
After having taken this off-duty time, the driver begins a new cycle. The cycle is therefore reset to zero and the hours of on-duty time begin to accumulate again.
A work shift is the time between 2 periods of at least 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time.
No driving is allowed if…
A day is a period of 24 hours that begins at the time designated by the operator.
| Daily requirements | No driving is allowed after… |
|---|---|
A driver must take at least 10 hours of off-duty time in a day as follows:
|
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Consult the publication entitled Driving and Off-Duty Time for Heavy Vehicle Drivers (PDF, 2.1 Mo) to learn about the rules to follow in the event of:
A driver must fill out a daily log listing all hours of driving, on-duty time other than driving, and off-duty time.
The starting time of the log is also the beginning of the day.
Drivers who meet all of the following conditions are not required to fill out a daily log:
If the driver fills out a daily log, the following documents must be kept in the vehicle:
Drivers are required to sumbit the daily logs and trip-related documents to their operator. They have up to 20 days after their return to do so.
Operators are required to keep the daily logs for 6 months after the dated indicated by the driver on each log.
Last update: May 17, 2022
