Farmers will have to take mandatory training to drive semis in Saskatchewan after all.
The province announced today that beginning March 1, 2020, those wishing to get an F endorsement on their drivers’ licences will have to take 40 hours of commercial driver training.
These drivers will be restricted to driving semis within a 100-kilometre radius of the address to which the semi is registered. They also must stay within the provincial boundaries.
Then, effective March 1, 2021, the F endorsement will be eliminated and all semi drivers will need a Class 1 licence and the mandatory 121.5 hours of training.
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Farmers were exempted from mandatory training when the current program was implemented in March. At the time, the government said farmers generally drove shorter distances and weren’t on the road as much.
Joe Hargrave, minister responsible for SGI, said the government wanted more time to examine the impacts of mandatory training on agriculture.
“That consultation work is now complete,” he said. “The majority of people we consulted in the agriculture sector agreed training was necessary to improve safety for everyone traveling on our roads.”
Anyone who already had a Class 1 licence before the mandatory training requirements were announced is allowed to continue to drive a semi.
Contact karen.briere@producer.com
