Egland scores Teddy Bear Toss goal but Pats lose in OT
3h ago
Over 3,000 stuffed animals were tossed onto the ice.
SGI is eyeing a requirement for truckers to get mandatory driver training before being licensed.
Right now, anyone can challenge the test to get a Class 1 licence in Saskatchewan, regardless of how much experience they might have beforehand.
An SGI memo circulated to all driving instructors on April 25 indicated the company was planning a move to make anyone applying for a Class 1 licence complete a 70-hour curriculum of in-class, in-yard and behind-the-wheel training from a recognized driver training school.
The memo referenced the scrutiny that’s come following the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy, which saw 16 people killed and 13 injured when the SJHL’s team bus was involved in a collision with a semi truck on April 6.
SGI memo about mandatory training for truck drivers circulated April 25, 2018.
“As you know, a lot has been in the media following the Humboldt tragedy and there is a spotlight on Class 1 testing and Class 1 driver training and that’s OK. We are all united in wanting to make our roads as safe as possible,” read the opening paragraph of the memo.
The memo suggested the move to mandatory driver training was due to be put in place by early 2019.
If enacted, the plan would line up with calls from trucking industry groups for provinces to impose training standards.
While the SGI memo would seem to indicate the driver training change was already in the works, the provincial government issued a statement Friday morning saying a final decision was yet to be made.
Trucking associating supporting move to mandatory training
The Saskatchewan Trucking Association (STA) has been working with SGI since 2017 and is supporting SGI and the province on the issue.
Nicole Sinclair, director of police and communications with STA, said mandatory training has been something provinces across the country have been pushing for.
“Ontario was the first province to institute this and they have a standardized mandatory curriculum at 103.5 hours,” Sinclair said.
While there was no mandatory training is required to apply for a Class 1 licence, Sinclair said many companies would provide their own training to drivers they would hire.
“The idea that there’s a bunch of untrained people operating trucks across Canada isn’t exactly accurate,” she said.
Sinclair anticipates companies will still need to do their own training because of the many different items drivers need to haul and the types of equipment involved.
She said their organization, along with the province, haven’t established exactly what the Saskatchewan curriculum would look like.
“We’ve been working on it to ensure the curriculum developed works for everyone, it’s in the best interests of the drivers, it’s in the best interests of the employers and the industry and it’s fitting everyone’s needs.”