Plain-language guides for busy carriers.

Hours of service at a glance: Canada vs U.S.

Drivers running cross-border trips must follow the rules of the country they are driving in. The main limits for property-carrying drivers south of latitude 60°N:

Ontario’s own rules (O. Reg. 555/06) apply to trips that stay inside Ontario and closely follow the federal limits. Exemptions and special permits exist. Check the full text before applying any rule to a specific trip.

Official sources: SOR/2005-313 (Justice Laws) · O. Reg. 555/06 (ontario.ca) · 49 CFR Part 395 (eCFR)

Driver qualification file checklist

For drivers operating in the U.S., FMCSA sets out what a driver qualification file must contain. Canadian auditors look at similar records. Use this list to check a file, then fill the gaps.

U.S. operation (FMCSA)

• Employment application, signed49 CFR 391.21
• Motor vehicle record from each state or province licensed in the past 3 years49 CFR 391.23
• Safety performance history from previous employers49 CFR 391.23
• Road test certificate, or accepted equivalent49 CFR 391.31 / 391.33
• Medical examiner’s certificate, current49 CFR 391.43
• Annual driving record inquiry and review49 CFR 391.25
• Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse queries: pre-employment and annual49 CFR 382.701

Records Canadian auditors commonly review

• Copy of the driver’s licence, with class and expiry dateLicence
• Recent driver abstractAbstract
• Employment history and reference checksHiring
• Training records, including load security and hours of serviceTraining
• Record of convictions, inspections and collisionsHistory

Requirements vary by jurisdiction, vehicle and type of operation. This list is a starting point for a review, not a legal definition of a complete file.

Official source: 49 CFR Part 391 (eCFR) · FMCSA Clearinghouse

Understanding your CVOR record

Ontario’s Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) program tracks an operator’s safety performance. Your record brings together collisions, convictions and inspection results, along with audit results, and the Ministry of Transportation uses it to decide when to step in.

When performance does not meet Ontario’s standards, the Ministry can respond with warning letters, interviews, audits, fleet-size limits, plate seizure, suspension or cancellation. An “Unsatisfactory” rating can suspend or cancel operating privileges across Canada.

What we look at first

• Which events are driving your record, and how recent they are
• Patterns by driver, unit, route or inspection type
• Whether any entries are wrong and can be challenged
• What changes will stop the same events from repeating

Ontario updated its CVOR safety-rating guidance in 2026. We work from the Ministry’s current reference guide rather than older rules of thumb.

Official sources: CVOR (ontario.ca) · MTO CVOR Carrier Safety Module reference guide (PDF, April 2026)

Getting ready for a facility audit

An audit is a review of your records. The single most useful thing you can do is find the records before the auditor asks for them.

1. Read the audit letter carefully. Note the date, the period covered and the records requested.
2. Pull a sample of driver files and check each against a checklist.
3. Pull hours-of-service records for the audit period, with supporting documents.
4. Collect maintenance and inspection records for each unit.
5. Gather collision and incident records and any follow-up taken.
6. Write down the gaps you find and what you have done to fix them. Corrective action you can show matters.

Short on time? Ask us about a mock audit.

Electronic logging devices in Ontario

Federally regulated carriers in Canada must use third-party certified electronic logging devices, unless an exemption applies. Ontario enforces the requirement for commercial motor vehicles, and the U.S. has its own ELD rule for carriers operating there.

Common ELD problems we find

• Unassigned driving time nobody has reviewed
• Frequent edits without a documented reason
• Personal conveyance used outside the rules
• Devices that are not on the certified list

Official source: Electronic logging devices for commercial motor vehicles (ontario.ca)