CVSA Inspection Bulletin 2026-02 False Records of Duty Status and Electronic Logging Device Tampering
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has released Inspection Bulletin 2026-02 addressing enforcement distinctions between false Records of Duty Status (RODS) and Electronic Logging Device (ELD) tampering.
In North America’s regulatory structure:
This bulletin is important because it provides structured enforcement interpretation in an area that has historically lacked consistency — distinguishing between ordinary falsification and data integrity compromise.
False Record of Duty Status
§ 395.8(e)(1) (U.S.) and 86(2) – Canada
A false RODS occurs when the recorded duty status does not reflect actual activity, but the timeline can still be reconstructed.
Personal conveyance misuse is one example — but not the only one.
Common falsification scenarios include:
If the inspector can determine when the driving occurred and correct the record:
The key factor is whether compliance can be reconstructed.
Reengineered, Reprogrammed, or Tampered RODS
§ 395.8(e)(2) (U.S.) and 86(3) – Canada
Tampering is fundamentally different.
Here, the issue is not an incorrect duty status selection — it is compromised data integrity.
Examples include:
The bulletin provides an example where fuel receipts proved activity in one state while the RODS reflected off-duty status in another, with approximately 21 hours of driving unaccounted for.
When required ELD data has been altered or cannot be relied upon, enforcement escalates.
If the inspector cannot determine actual driving and rest periods:
At that point, the question is no longer whether a driver exceeded hours — it becomes whether compliance can be verified at all.
Context Within the Broader ELD Discussion
This bulletin does not arise in isolation.
In a previous article, “Late to the Party: The U.S. Wakes Up to Widespread ELD Tampering,” I examined how ELD manipulation practices had already been identified across the industry before formal enforcement clarification was issued.
https://raventransportationsafetyconsulting.com/late-to-the-party-the-u-s-wakes-up-to-widespread-eld-tampering/
That analysis identified recurring indicators such as improper unidentified driving reassignment, credential sharing, manual driving entries where automatic capture should occur, and discrepancies between supporting documents and recorded duty status.
The CVSA bulletin now formalizes the enforcement distinction between:
That distinction is significant for both carriers and enforcement.
Interpretation and Guidance Gaps
The CCMTA and Transport Canada have previously issued technical guidance relating to Data Diagnostic Events in Table 4 of the Canadian ELD Technical Standard. However, that guidance has not consistently filtered through to industry stakeholders in Alberta.
As a result, carriers have faced ELD violations for several years without a comprehensive interpretation framework clarifying how enforcement should evaluate data structure, transmission methods, and Technical Standard compliance.
Inspection Bulletin 2026-02 provides a foundation that Canadian jurisdictions can use in developing consistent interpretation guidance.
Final Observations
Full U.S. ELD enforcement began in 2019.
Full Canadian enforcement followed in 2023.
Structured regulatory interpretation of falsification versus tampering is only now being clarified.
This bulletin signals a shift toward evaluating not only hours compliance, but the integrity of the underlying ELD dataset itself.
For carriers, that distinction matters.
The Alberta government has introduced a new funding model for municipalities with respect to policing services. Rural and municipal policing have inherent pain points that will never be resolved: there are only so many officers for remote regions, only so much money to go around, and that reality isn’t changing.
In my September 2024 blog, STOP Treating Tickets as a Cost of Doing Business, I talked about Alberta’s shifting enforcement landscape. Between the RCMP, sheriffs, bylaw officers, peace officers, the new Border Interdiction Team, and independent city police services, Alberta is crawling with new enforcement. Edmonton and Calgary both have dedicated commercial vehicle divisions with fully trained CVSA officers. The Interdiction Patrol Team has helicopters, drones, dogs, and guns.
All of this is very expensive. Calgary and Edmonton are tens of millions of dollars short in their policing budgets because of lost photo radar revenue — thanks for that, Maple MAGA Dreeshen.
How Police in Alberta Are Currently Funded
Short answer: It’s complicated.
1. Municipal Police Services (e.g., Calgary Police, Edmonton Police)
Funded primarily by municipal taxes, not the province or feds.
Main sources:
👉 Bottom line: Calgary Police and Edmonton Police are paid for by their cities, not by higher levels of government.
2. Provincial Police (RCMP contract policing in rural Alberta)
Funding split:
RCMP covers rural areas, small towns, and provincial highways.
3. Federal RCMP Units
Entirely funded by the federal government.
They handle national security, organized crime, border integrity, and financial crimes.
Municipalities do not pay for this.
The New Alberta Funding Model (April 2026)
Beginning April 1 2026, municipalities will pay a larger share of their own policing — without raising property taxes.
And how exactly do you think they’ll pull that off?
Commercial vehicles.
Because commercial vehicle enforcement is the most reliable revenue generator in the game.
Violations are endless:
And remember, if a driver is overweight on multiple axles, an officer can ticket each axle separately, plus the overall weight. LinkedIn is full of officers proudly posting ticket stats adding up to thousands of dollars.
Throw in a few ELD violations and your town might finally be able to afford the armoured vehicle or tactical team the chief has been dreaming about.
Most carriers don’t fight tickets because:
The government knows this.
It’s one reason some officers like to “pile on” violations — issuing multiple tickets for essentially the same offence under different regulations.
And when that well starts to dry up, there’s always the “chicken tickets”: tint, exhaust, and the Wetaskiwin special — obscured or faded licence plate under TSA AR320/2002 s.71(1).
Alberta had an entire bad batch of plates for a decade. Instead of issuing a warning and a notice to replace the plate, the province quietly posted a notice on its website… and let enforcement go wild writing tickets for it.
What Wetaskiwin Has to Say
Josh Bishop, Reeve of Wetaskiwin County, said:
“We appreciate the government’s commitment to freeze the police funding model rate and consult with municipalities. The proposed five-year transition provides the budget predictability municipalities require. This approach acknowledges the increased costs of policing and allows us time to adjust without forcing immediate, severe tax hikes on our residents.”
Of course he appreciates it — Wetaskiwin has more shitty plates than anywhere else in Alberta from the number of tickets they write. They can ride that revenue wave all the way into the sunset.
And Don’t Forget the Coming Alberta Police Force
The pressure on commercial carriers will only intensify when Alberta moves to its own provincial police service. Hopefully it gets a cool name like Alberta Rapid Force or The A Team.
And yes — Alberta is actively recruiting globally.
The Law Enforcement Pathway under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program is designed to attract police officers from abroad. In 2025, 20 nomination spots were available; 11 were already filled, with more than a hundred candidates waiting.
For the Record…
I’m not anti-enforcement. I’m anti-abuse-of-power.
Commercial vehicle enforcement is necessary in Alberta and across Canada. The industry cannot and does not police itself — and when left alone, it descends into chaos, as we’ve recently seen.
Municipalities need policing revenue. Fine.
But does it really have to come from window tint and plate tickets?
How about focusing on:
But that takes actual work.
And writing 20 chicken tickets in a day is so much easier — and better for bragging rights on Snapchat.
In Alberta's commercial vehicle regulatory landscape, some trucking companies still consider fines, tickets, and administrative penalties as just another expense—like fuel or rent. However, this corporate mindset is not only outdated but also risky, as the regulatory environment becomes more data rich and enforcement technology advances. Compliance is no longer optional, and treating penalties as a cost of doing business is a flawed corporate approach that needs urgent revision.
The Evolving Enforcement Landscape
Alberta's transportation industry has seen significant technological upgrades in recent years, and with them, the opportunity to write more penalties for non-compliance. A prime example is the Weigh2Go system, which allows real-time data sharing across the highway scale network. These scale bypass systems determine if a truck should be stopped and weighed based on historical data, minimizing human error in enforcement.
Travelling In Alberta you may have noticed the highway scales are never open. That is due to a couple of things:
1 The existing scales are old, and some are located in high traffic corridors like Balzac, AB. Having trucks lined up entering and exiting the scale is a safety issue.
2. Commercial vehicle inspectors are now in the Sherriff’s department, and those officers have expanded powers like firearms, detention and handcuffs.
The Sheriff’s mandate is roadside enforcement that focuses on speeding and impaired driving in addition to commercial vehicles. Roadside penalties are more expensive and roadside officers can write more tickets by targeting speeding trucks rather than sitting at the scale waiting for a violation to roll by. Smaller municipalities are starting to hire enforcement officers, by-law officers or their own police departments like in Grande Prairie, AB. Those officers are all trained or are being trained in commercial vehicle enforcement. To further enhance on-going enforcement the Province of Alberta has just announced: The new Law Enforcement Pathway under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) is designed to attract experienced and skilled police officers from abroad, addressing both immediate hiring demands and enhancing community safety. It is clear indication that non-compliant companies will find fewer and fewer loopholes to exploit.
ELD Mandate: A Game Changer
The ELD (Electronic Logging Device) mandate is one of the most significant changes in trucking compliance. ELDs create a real-time, transparent RODS (record of duty status), and vehicle inspection reports. With a single data transfer, enforcement officers can instantly review a driver’s RODS and determine whether a driver was in an out-of-service condition. In a collision a roadside officer can assess penalties to the carrier or the driver before a tow truck even arrives. This level of real-time enforcement and transparency will put additional pressure on carriers to be compliant.
The Future of Compliance: More Data, Less Tolerance
The future of Alberta’s commercial vehicle enforcement will be driven by data and automation. Weigh-in-motion scales are already being used enabling enforcement officers to weigh vehicles while they’re on the move. Jurisdictions are updating regulations to allow for the issuing of automatic penalties for overweight vehicles. This would be similar to receiving a red-light camera ticket. This is just the beginning—the enforcement data exchange integration of ECM (Electronic Control Modules) and ELD data will give enforcement agencies access to even more granular information about a truck’s performance and driver’s compliance status.
Imagine a scenario where a truck’s ECM data, combined with real-time ELD logs, is automatically transmitted to an insurance company following an accident. As private insurance companies leave Alberta’s market due to unsustainable market conditions, those that remain will increasingly seek detailed data to assess liability and avoid paying claims. In the near future, insurance companies may demand ELD and ECM data as part of a claims review, further raising the stakes for non-compliant carriers.
The True Cost of Penalties
For carriers that still see fines and penalties as the price of doing business, it’s time for a reality check. The cost of non-compliance is not just about the fines themselves; it’s about the damage to a company’s reputation, increased scrutiny, higher insurance premiums, and potential lawsuits that could sink a business. Every ticket or penalty raises a red flag, and in Alberta’s data-rich environment, red flags are harder to ignore.
Compliance is Your Competitive Edge
Staying up-to-date on regulations and prioritizing compliance isn’t just about avoiding penalties—it’s about staying in business. As insurance and enforcement environments tighten, only carriers with strong compliance programs will be able to avoid the mounting costs associated with non-compliance. Relying on outdated practices and brushing off penalties as a business expense will leave companies vulnerable to everything from hefty fines to insurance claims denial. Alberta Transportation & Economic Corridors, Traffic Safety Services Division, Monitoring & Compliance Branch, Investigations & Enforcement Section is not going to help you. It’s enforcement, not education! Give me a call or an email for all of your up to date ELD and NSC compliance education.
