Saskatchewan residents who operate a semi strictly for agriculture operations will soon also have to partake in mandatory driver training.

The announcement comes two-and-a-half months after the province implemented the 121.5 mandatory training hours for those who wish to obtain a Class 1 license. Since March 15, 2019, people who would be driving a semi for farming could get an “F” endorsement, which acted to exempt those drivers from the mandatory training.

Joe Hargrave, Minister Responsible for SGI, said the government wanted to take more time to consult with the farm sector on the impacts of the mandatory training if it were implemented on the industry. He added they recognized farming vehicles are used, in most cases, not on the roads as much as commercial semis and usually travel shorter distances in areas with less traffic volume.

“That consultation work is now complete,” said Hargrave, “The majority of people we consulted in the agriculture sector agreed training was necessary to improve safety for everyone travelling on the roads.”

The changes will come into effect over the next two years. Effective March 1, 2020, those wishing to obtain an “F” endorsement on their existing driver's license will be required to complete 40 hours of commercial driver training. Additionally, the “F” endorsement will only allow drivers to operate semi’s within a 100-km radius of the address on the vehicle registration and is restricted to operating within Saskatchewan.

Furthermore, effective March 1, 2021, the “F” endorsement is set to be eliminated completely. After this time, everyone, regardless of industry or use, will have to undergo the 121.5-hour mandatory training. Drivers who previously competed for the 40 hours of training for the “F” endorsement, will receive credit for those hours when completing the advanced training.

The province stated, the changes mean that in 2021, mandatory training programs across the prairies will be completely aligned.