Fleet compliance guide
Canada ELD Standard version 1.3
The CCMTA ELD Technical Standard version 1.3 was published on September 29, 2025 and replaces version 1.2. Transport Canada is leading implementation and coming-into-force planning. Fleet operators should verify certification status, vendor transition plans, hardware compatibility, data transfer, driver training, and record retention before changing devices.
Current published technical-standard version
Certified devices shown when this guide was researched
Certification model required in Canada
What changed and what has not
Version 1.3 replaces the technical standard document used for certification. It does not make every telematics unit a compliant ELD. Canadian ELD hardware and software still need third-party certification by an accredited certification body and must appear on the federal list.
A fleet should ask its vendor for the device identifier, certification number, current status, affected hardware models, software release, deployment dates, and a written transition plan.
A practical fleet transition plan
Inventory every truck, device model, firmware or app version, cable, assigned driver, jurisdiction, and operating pattern. Match that inventory to the vendor transition notice and the Transport Canada certification record. Pilot the change on a representative group before a fleet-wide rollout.
Test sign-in, duty-status edits, malfunction events, roadside transfer, diagnostics, cellular buffering, supervisor review, and record export. Preserve evidence of the test and training.
For equipment already installed or changed, use the ELD evidence inventory worksheet to record observed identifiers, source dates and unresolved differences. It compares supplied records, not legal compliance.
Procurement questions
Ask who owns the records, how data can be exported, what happens after contract termination, how replacements are handled, what cellular coverage is used, and whether GPS, maintenance, fuel, dispatch, and camera services can operate independently.
Keep compliance requirements separate from optional productivity features so the fleet can compare products without losing sight of the regulated function.
Primary sources
This page separates sourced facts from North Star's operational guidance. Check the current source before relying on a changing price, rule, list, or technical standard.
Questions businesses ask
Is every fleet GPS device a certified ELD?
No. A device used as an ELD in Canada must meet the applicable requirements and be listed as certified by Transport Canada.
Should a fleet replace every device immediately?
Use the official implementation timeline and the vendor's certified transition plan. Test before a fleet-wide change.
Can North Star help install fleet technology?
North Star can scope device, connectivity, account, installation, testing, security, and support requirements. Regulatory interpretation should be confirmed with the applicable authority.
Turn the research into an operating plan
North Star can help assess the environment, define scope, document ownership, implement controls, and verify the result.
Discuss fleet and ELD deployment