The announcement, made Jan. 23, comes after deadlines shifted multiple times.

Provincial Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel said last April that the rules would be enforced Jan. 1 — aligning with plans elsewhere in Canada — while current Transport and Sustainable Mobility Minister Genevieve Guilbault told some of Quebec’s largest fleets late last year that the rules would be postponed to June 1.

More than 20 carriers, Teamsters Canada, and Northbridge Insurance had previously written the transport minister, asking for the rules to be adopted Jan. 1.

It is not the first time plans to enforce the rules have been delayed. Nor have the delays been limited to Quebec. The mandate for federally regulated carriers, originally scheduled to be in place in June 2021, was first enforced in other Canadian jurisdictions this month as regulators waited for devices to be certified.

“The use of this device will promote better compliance with drivers’ hours of driving and rest, and by the same token, help reduce the risk of fatigue at the wheel. It is a necessary tool that will contribute to better safety on the roads of Quebec,” Guilbault said in a press release.

“In addition to being a technological advance expected by the Quebec trucking industry, the use of the ELD will further promote road safety. The device will also facilitate the daily work of heavy vehicle drivers,” said Denis Marsolais, president and CEO of the SAAQ (Societe de l’assurance automobile du Quebec.