Mandatory entry-level training for truck drivers now in effect in Manitoba

New regulations for the trucking industry are now in effect in Manitoba.

Mandatory entry-level training is now required for commercial truck drivers.

The requirements include 121.5 hours of training, which is the equivalent of three weeks.

Earlier this year, the province said anyone who already held a Class 1 licence in Manitoba would be grandfathered in.

Manitoba is the fourth province to make entry-level training for commercial truck drivers mandatory, along with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

WATCH: Manitoba announces mandatory entry-level training for commercial truck drivers

1:10 Manitoba announces mandatory entry-level training for commercial truck drivers

Manitoba Trucking Association executive director Terry Shaw told Global News in March that the industry-accepted standard is 240 hours, or six weeks of training.

“The vast majority of our industry members cannot successfully employ someone with three weeks of training so we endorse a much higher pre-employment training standard,” Shaw said.

There will also be a 12-month safety monitoring program introduced for all new semi-drivers.

In Saskatchewan, people who want to operate a semi-truck have to undergo a minimum of 121.5 hours of training. This includes instruction in a classroom, in the yard and behind the wheel before the road test.

In Ontario, drivers have to take a mandatory entry-level training course that includes at least 103.5 hours of instruction. Applicants also need to submit a medical report and pass a vision test before passing a knowledge and road test.

In Alberta, drivers are required to take a pre-licence training course that takes 113 hours to complete, plus additional air brake training, followed by a knowledge test and a road test before hitting the road.