SGI says training for semi drivers may not be mandatory

On April 25, an internal Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) memo outlined plans for “mandatory Class 1 training,” the license required to drive a semi-truck, but as of Friday, April 27, SGI walked back those remarks in a second release.

“We’ve decided that there is going to be something different, and something better than what is currently in place. Now, what that will look like, especially on the question of mandatory training before somebody challenges a test, has not been determined yet.” SGI communications manager Tyler McMurchy said

The original memo proposed a minimum 70 hours of in-class and practical training, but that could climb to over 100 hours similar to the training mandated in Ontario.

Currently, as long as the driver passes the Class 1 test, they’re able to head out on the roads. While some companies offer in-house training, it’s not always enough.

“It just seems like they’re training them to pass them,” former truck driver Delbert Britton said.

Britton sat behind the wheel of a semi-truck in the Pas, Manitoba for five years. Despite being trained in advance, when he started he felt inexperienced; unsure of his abilities.

“I was on a four-week program there, and this is what I experienced, and today I just don’t have any respect for those four-week, two-week programs. That’s just not enough time,” Britton added.

The province hopes to have a plan in place by early 2019, with implementation shortly thereafter, but what that looks like has yet to be determined.

Despite the uncertainty, the move is being heralded by the industry.

“I think it’s huge it’s all about safety and making sure our commercial drivers have that basic, standardized training when they come into the industry,” Susan Ewart, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association added.

“People should have an understanding of what they’re going to be dealing with, you know, it might alleviate some of the stress that’s out there for the driver, and for the general public, if you have more faith in the person beside you,” Anthony Lotman, a truck driver with 30 years-experience said.

Plans for standardized training have been in the works since June of 2017.