Mandatory training for drivers of semis in agriculture operations is being phased-in by the Saskatchewan government.
The province said the change follows the implementation of the mandatory 121.5 hours of training for Class 1 commercial drivers and comes after consultation with the agriculture industry.
“We wanted to take some more time to consult with the farm sector on the impacts mandatory training would have on their industry, recognizing that vehicles used in farming operations are – in most cases – not on the roads as much as commercial semis; they also tend to travel shorter distances, and through areas with lower traffic volumes,” Joe Hargrave, the minister responsible for SGI, said Wednesday in a statement.
“That consultation work is now complete. The majority of people we consulted in the agriculture sector agreed training was necessary to improve safety for everyone travelling on our roads.”
WATCH: Saskatchewan’s mandatory truck training takes effect
Starting March 1, 2020, anyone wanting to obtain an “F” endorsement on their existing license will be required to take 40 hours of commercial driving training, officials said.
It will include a restriction that the holder can only drive a farm vehicle normally requiring a Class 1 license within a 100-kilometre radius of the registered address of the vehicle, and only in Saskatchewan.
The “F” endorsement will be eliminated on March 1, 2021. Anyone wanting to operate a semi after this date, including current “F” endorsement holders, will be required to take the mandatory 121.5 hours of training.
Drivers who previously took the 40 hours of training towards the “F” endorsement will be given credit for those hours.
Anyone who obtained a Class 1 licence before mandatory training was implemented can continue to drive a semi, the province said.
Hargrave said there are two main factors for why the roll-out is being staggered.
The first is to get through a backlog of people trying to get take their Class 1. The other is to allow farmers enough time to get the necessary training in between busy seeding and harvest seasons.
“It’s a multibillion-dollar industry and we don’t want to have a negative impact on their business. Most of their people are trained and they understand about the training,” Hargrave said.
According to SGI, only 33 individuals have the “F” endorsement, and farm-plated semis make up 50 per cent of the semis registered in the province.
Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Todd Lewis says he hires a trained driver to haul his crop. He added the changes are not unexpected, given the increased focus on road safety in the wake of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.
“The transition period is welcome here, and it’s just part of modern agriculture. The public expects safety on their roads, and farmers and producers will do their part to be safe,” Lewis said.
Between 2010 and 2017, SGI says farm-plated semis account for only about seven per cent of collisions involving semis. Saskatchewan plated semis account for 56 per cent of big truck collisions, and out of province vehicles are involved in 37 per cent of collisions.