Driver qualification files - Saskatchewan

Carriers are required to maintain files on drivers operating commercial vehicles that are defined as:

• A vehicle that:
  • Is registered in Class A, C, or D or that would be registered in Class A, C, or D if that vehicle was registered in Saskatchewan; and
  • Has a registered gross vehicle weight of 5,000 kilograms or greater;
• A vehicle that:
  • Is registered in Class LV or that would be registered in Class LV if that vehicle was registered in Saskatchewan;
  • Is being used for a commercial use and is not a farm vehicle; and
  • Has a registered gross vehicle weight of:
    • 11,794 kilograms or greater; or
    • If operated outside Saskatchewan, 5,000 kilograms or greater;
• A vehicle that is registered in Class PB, PC or PS, or would be registered in Class PB, PC, or PS if that vehicle was registered in Saskatchewan.

The files are required to contain the following:

• Records of convictions, such as traffic convictions and criminal offenses, that the driver committed while operating the carrier’s commercial motor vehicles, of the following enactments:
  • The Alcohol and Gaming Regulation Act, 1997;
  • The Animal Products Act;
  • The Criminal Code;
  • The Dangerous Goods Transportation Act ;
  • The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, 1992 (Canada);
  • The Highways and Transportation Act, 1997;
  • The Traffic Safety Act;
  • The Motor Vehicle Transport Act (Canada);
  • Any regulations made under the above Acts;
  • Any enactment of any other jurisdiction in Canada or the United States similar to an Act or regulation mentioned above; and
  • Any enactment, including a regulation or bylaw, of any other jurisdiction of Canada or the United States that deals with motor vehicle and road safety other than enactment or provision related to a parking violation;
• A copy of a valid driver’s licence, including all documents deemed to be part of the driver’s licence;
• A copy of the driver’s commercial vehicle driving abstract that contains records for at least the previous 12 months;
• A written record for each driver who operates the carrier’s commercial vehicles of all accidents involving the carrier’s commercial vehicles (these records must include the driver’s name, date and circumstances of the accident, nature and amount of damages, and the commercial vehicle involved); and
• Written records of all training or upgrading respecting the transportation of dangerous goods.

Drivers are required to submit to the carrier, within 14 days, reports of any accidents, convictions, or on-road inspections.

Saskatchewan Government Insurance recommends that carriers also keep items, including but not limited to the following, in the driver’s file:

• Driver’s application for employment;
• Any training or other qualifications the driver has obtained;
• Any awards, discipline, or corrective action the driver received while employed with the carrier;
• A copy of the driver’s annual review; or
• Records related to dangerous goods incidents, spills, or accidents.

The carrier should also have an established procedure by which the driver’s file is reviewed and updated.

For more information on obtaining commercial driver abstracts, visit http://tinyurl.com/SKabstracts. Commercial driver abstracts can be requested by carriers by using the form provided at www.sgi.sk.ca/pdf/employer_abstract_authorization.pdf.

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