Apr 1, 2003 12:00 PM

Transport Canada is proposing to repeal and replace Canada's current hours-of-service (HOS) regulation, according to information published Feb 15, 2003, in the Canada Gazette.

Central changes in the proposed regulations include:

• Increasing the minimum daily off-duty period by 25% from eight hours to 10.

• Requiring that no fewer than eight of the hours of off-duty time be taken consecutively, with the additional two hours to be taken in increments of no less than a half hour.

• Reducing the daily maximum driving time by 18.8% from 16 to 13 hours.

• Reducing the daily maximum on-duty time by 12.5% from 16 hours to 14, of which no more than 13 hours can be on-duty driving time.

• Eliminating the option to reduce the off-duty time from eight hours to four.

• Increasing the minimum rest period for co-drivers using a sleeper berth from two hours to four consecutive hours.

• Permitting, within defined parameters, the averaging of on-duty and off-duty time over a 48-hour period.

• Reducing the number of available work/rest cycles from three to two: a maximum 70-hour cycle over seven days and a maximum 120-hour cycle over 14 days.

• For drivers who wish to switch or reset cycles, requiring a minimum of 36 consecutive hours off-duty before “resetting the clock to zero” for the 70-hour cycle and a minimum of 72 consecutive hours off-duty for the 120-hour cycle.

• Requiring a minimum 24-hour off-duty period, at least once every 14 days for all drivers.