Log Book Question

Yup. The carrier is required to keep the "original" document. The carbon copies are pretty worthless to them.

The yellow (or whatever color) carbon copies are yours to retain for your records. Your employer has no reason to take these from you.

 

In the US, we get to deduct a specified amount per day spent out on the road for meals & entertainment expenses when we do our taxes...and the log book is how we prove we were out on the road. Not sure how it works in Canada.

 

You are right regarding the first quote, and partially right regarding the second. The requirements that apply regarding the second quote are that you must keep the previous 14 day's logs in case you get inspected. After that, you can legally toss them, or may need them for tax purposes if you are claiming meals, etc.

What is the company's reason for asking you to turn in your completed logs, did they not retain their copies?

 

Yeah, yellows are yours white goes to company. You keep duplicate for tax records, etc.

 

Just point them in the direction of:

Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations (SOR/2005-313) - the official consolidated regulations, or
National Safety Code for Motor Carriers: STANDARD 9; HOURS OF SERVICE - the document maintained by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators​

It is Section 85 they need to read:

Distribution and Keeping of Daily Logs

85(1) A driver shall, within 20 days after completing a daily log, forward the original daily log and supporting documents to the home terminal and the motor carrier shall ensure that the driver does so.

(2) A driver who is employed or otherwise engaged by more than one motor carrier in any day shall forward, within 20 days after completing a daily log, and the motor carriers shall ensure that the driver forwards

(a) the original of the daily log to the home terminal of the first motor carrier for which the driver worked and a copy of it to the home terminal of each other carrier for which the driver worked; and

(b) the original supporting documents to the home terminal of the applicable motor carrier.
​

(3) The motor carrier shall

(a) deposit the daily logs and supporting documents at its principal place of business within 30 days after receiving them; and

(b) keep the daily logs and supporting documents in chronological order for each driver for a period of at least 6 months.​

Note that (1) applies to you and which copies you must forward to the carrier, and (3) applies to the carrier and the length of time they must keep their copies. If they don't discard them after six months they are opening themselves to potential issues in the case of an audit.