For Canadians driving into the United States, use the American rules for you logbook.
Log books | Canadians Driving into the US
Updated Jan 2021
Canadian commercial drivers operating in the United States and keeping a logbook, must keep it according to American rules.
Canadian Drivers transporting Freight, People or Services into the United States and Keeping a Log book
14 US states run along the Canadian border, including Alaska.
Most Canadians live within proximity of the 49th parallel, to end up in the United States as a bus driver or truck driver.
If you're running into the States as a the Canadian driver and are required to keep a log book, you need to keep a log book according to US rules: driving time is less; off-duty requirement times are different.
Canadian drivers need to know the rules for the United States of America—if you are transporting freight into the United States and bringing freight back out, you have to run according to the US rule, because the driving time in the US is the less and the off-duty requirements are different than they are in Canada.
- 11 hours maximum driving time;
- 10 house consecutive off-duty;
- 30 minute break, at or before the 8 hour point of driving.
- 60hrs/7days or 70hrs/8 days work cycles
In Canada, you have to have an 8-hour consecutive block, in the United States you have to have a 10-hour consecutive block.
Canadian drivers running into the States have to stay on America rules.
You cannot drive into Canada switch to Canadian rules and then go back into the States a couple of days later.
If you go back into the States and get pulled over by authorities are into a scale you are going to get a violation for violating hours of service in the United States of America.
So you have to stay on America rules as you move in and out of that country.
Don't Work the Day for Free:: DOT Weigh Scale Checklist |
||
• DID YOU KNOW? :: Bus & truck drivers are the only drivers that have their own police force (DOT, CVSE, MTO, etc.);• SMART :: There's a lot of paperwork you must produce for authorities at the weigh scale;• SELF-CONFIDENCE :: Bring all paperwork in one hit & impress the diesel bears! |
||
Because in most cases, it's you that gets the fine...NOT the company! |
Interstating
If you're pulling freight into the US, you can only pull freight into the US, drop the freight, pick up freight that is coming back into Canada.
You cannot interstate in the US.
You can’t pick a load up and California take it to Nevada and drop it off.
You have to come back to Canada.
It’s called interstating and its illegal, and you can be put in jail by US immigration and authorities.
So know that you need to take a load into the States and come back out as a Canadian driver.
If you like everything you see here, the full course is available here: USA Log Book Course
All of the videos, all of the rules and regulations for driving in the United States of America.
They're all written down.
There's two exercises for you to fill out.
There's questions related specifically to the exercises to help you understand and comprehend filling out a log book, so if you get pulled into a scale, get pulled over by authorities and they look at your logbook you're not gonna get a fine.
As well, there's a free calculator for figuring out the 70 hours in 8 days - the work cycle - rolling work cycle, which you also need to understand.
And finally there's a certificate of completion that you can take to your employer if you're looking to get hired.
It gives you a leg up from everybody else because you have a certificate that says you took a certified logbook course.
