Canadian RV Assoc. to Lobby for Tow-Away ELD Exemption

RV Business

Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association (CRVA) announce that its representatives will be attending the upcoming Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) Annual General Meeting, scheduled for July 17-19 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, to advocate for the Canadian RV tow-away industry’s Electronic Logging Device (ELD) exemption request.

The CCMTA is a non-profit organization comprising representatives from provincial, territorial, and federal governments of Canada. CCMTA’s role in relation to Transport Canada, the federal government body responsible for transportation policies and programs, is crucial.

As a key partner, CCMTA helps Transport Canada in the administration and coordination of various policies, regulatory changes, and procedures related to the motor transport industry. Its goal is to ensure efficiency, safety, and security on Canada’s roads and highways.

CCMTA works in close collaboration with Transport Canada on many issues, including the implementation and interpretation of national safety code standards, vehicle weights and dimensions policy, the regulation of dangerous goods transportation, and road safety research.

The CCMTA’s role in promoting road safety across Canada is indispensable, and CRVA officials are attending this meeting with a critical goal: to discuss the importance of approving the Canadian RV Industry’s Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Exemption Request for the RV Tow-Away Industry.

The primary argument supporting CRVA’s ELD exemption request is the unique characteristics of the industry. However, officials also want to bring to the attention of the CCMTA that the request aligns with precedents set by the Department of Transportation in the U.S. The United States granted a similar ELD exemption to the RV tow-away industry back in 2015.

Shane Devenish

By adopting an exemption akin to the one established in the United States, the release continued, it can ensure best practice reciprocity between Canadian and U.S. transportation sectors. This mutual practice allows for seamless operational alignment, facilitating more efficient cross-border industry operations mainly targeted at U.S. delivery-based contractors. It also serves as an endorsement of the practicality and viability of CRVA’s request.

Here are the key points CRVA officials will emphasize at the meeting:

Canada’s RV industry doesn’t operate under typical commercial transportation conditions. The RV tow-away jobs usually involve irregular, shorter duration drives that do not justify the strict ELD requirements.
Commercial vehicles used to deliver RVs by the contractor are usually their personal vehicles owned or leased and who are either self-employed or employed by a small- to medium-sized transportation business.
Once the RV is delivered to the dealer, the tow vehicle is no longer being utilized commercially and becomes the driver’s personal vehicle. It is not customary to have the driver haul another unit returning home. Because the vehicle is in commercial use for such limited circumstances, the ELD requirement is particularly burdensome. ELD provisions should be mainly focused on commercial trucking, not single trip RV delivery.
The individual owner operators in the business of providing driving services would have to bear the (not inexpensive) cost of the ELD which, as CRVA has pointed out, is not required nor a necessary financial burden on the driver for U.S.-based deliveries.
Statistics for the drive-away/tow-away companies providing these types of operations demonstrate a low accident frequency.

“We are hopeful for productive conversations with CCMTA Provinces and Transport Canada Officials during the Meetings” said Shane Devenish, CRVA president. Our goal is to establish an understanding with CCMTA that the RV Industry in Canada wishes to maintain high safety standards on the roads while coming to an agreement that recognizes the unique needs of the RV Tow-Away industry”

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to share your thoughts, please reach out. We promise to keep you updated on our advocacy progress.

We remain committed to building a sustainable, safe, and thriving RV industry in Canada for everyone involved.

About the CRVA

The Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association (CRVA) is a Canadian not-for-profit organization in existence for over 45 years. CRVA works closely with the RV Industry Association and accredited companies to develop the standards and codes designed specifically for Recreational Vehicles with a mandate to ensure that professional standards are maintained in the best interests of the consumer.

CRVA works hand-in-hand with its industry partners the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association of Canada, Go RVing Canada and the Canadian Camping and RV Council along with Transport Canada, the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Branch and Departments of Travel and Tourism to provide advocacy on behalf of its stakeholders.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/canadian-rv-assoc-to-lobby-for-tow-away-eld-exemption/