Truck and trailer rules in Saskatchewan: licence classes, trailer brakes, safety chains, size and weight limits

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The sources are the Government of Saskatchewan Publications Centre consolidation of The Vehicle Weight and Dimension Regulations, 2010 (chapter H-3.01 Reg 8), the Professional Driver's Handbook published by SGI, the provincial licensing and insurance body, and the Government of Saskatchewan page on seasonal trucking weights. The consolidation says it is not official and that the original regulations should be consulted. Federal background and the other places are on the parent page, trucks and trailers for tree work.

At a glance

Item	What the sources say
Class 1	Power units with semi-trailers, and trucks towing more than 4,600 kg; minimum age 18, not a novice driver
Class 3	Trucks with more than two axles, towing no more than 4,600 kg
Class 5	Two-axle trucks, towing no more than 4,600 kg
Air brakes	Endorsement A on the licence for a vehicle with an air brake system
Trailer brakes	Service brakes on a trailer weighing over 1,360 kg (3,000 lb); a device that applies them if the unit disconnects
Chain or cable	Auxiliary chain or metal cable of equal strength to the coupling device, other than for a fifth wheel
Width, height	2.6 metres wide; 4.15 metres high
Length	12.5 metres for a vehicle; 23 metres for a combination, unless Appendix A sets another figure
Axle weight	Single axle 9,100 kg on a primary highway, 8,200 kg on a secondary or municipal highway
Carrier number	Not published on the pages read

Licence classes

The SGI handbook sets out Saskatchewan's classified licence system. A Class 1 licence covers power units and semi-trailers, and trucks that have a trailer or vehicle in tow where the gross weight of the towed unit or units exceeds 4,600 kg. It also covers the vehicles of classes 2, 3, 4 and 5. The minimum age is 18 and the holder cannot be a novice driver. The handbook says anyone seeking a Class 1 licence to drive semi trucks must complete Mandatory Entry-Level Training of at least 121.5 hours before the road test: 47 hours in the classroom or online, 17.5 hours in the yard and 57 hours behind the wheel.

A Class 3 licence covers trucks with more than two axles, and trucks with more than two axles towing a unit whose gross weight does not exceed 4,600 kg. A Class 5 licence covers cars, vans, two-axle trucks, and two-axle vehicles towing a unit whose gross weight does not exceed 4,600 kg. Classes 1, 3 and 5 do not by themselves permit vehicles with air brakes, which need the air brake endorsement, except for Class 3 or 5 vehicles registered as farm trucks. The handbook has a chart for farm plated vehicles, for example a three-axle farm truck towing a trailer over 4,600 kg needs Class 1. The handbook also says that not being paid to drive, or not owning the vehicle, does not exempt a driver from holding the class for the vehicle. See the SGI Professional Driver's Handbook.

Brakes and the coupling

The handbook notes that trailers weighing over 1,360 kg (3,000 lb) must be equipped with service brakes. It adds that all trailers equipped with brakes must have a device to apply the brakes automatically if the unit becomes disconnected. For connecting vehicles it says draw-bars or coupling devices must be in accordance with legislation and be fastened to integral parts of the frames. When a coupling device other than the fifth-wheel coupler of a semi-trailer unit is used, the handbook says an auxiliary chain or metal cable of equal strength to the coupling device should also be used. The draw-bar or other connection should not exceed 1.83 metres (6 feet) in length, except for a motor vehicle pulling a pole trailer. A trailer must not swerve or whip unreasonably when towed. The handbook's trailer check list also names safety chains, which must be properly connected to the truck. The handbook notes that it is accurate as of May 2024.

Size and weight

Section 9 of the regulations bars operating on a provincial highway or provincial road a vehicle that exceeds 2.6 metres in width, 4.15 metres in height or 12.5 metres in length, and a combination of vehicles over 23 metres, unless a permit under section 36 of the Act allows it. A house trailer moved between sunrise and sunset may be 3.05 metres wide. Vehicles and combinations listed in Appendix A follow the dimensions set out there. Section 11 sets sign and light conditions for loads wider than 3.05 metres and an amber beacon on the towing unit for loads wider than 3.3 metres. Section 10 sets minimum track widths and wheelbases for full trailers and semi-trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 kg, for example a wheelbase of at least 6.25 metres for a trailer that is not an end dump semi-trailer.

For weight, the regulations give the maximum for a single axle as 9,100 kg on a primary highway and 8,200 kg on a secondary or municipal highway, and for a tandem axle group 17,000 kg and 14,500 kg. During the winter weight season the figures for those highways are 10,000 kg and 18,000 kg. Section 18 gives the gross vehicle weight of a vehicle or combination not listed in Appendix A as the sum of the axle unit weights up to 53,500 kg on a primary highway and 49,000 kg on a secondary or municipal highway. The regulations were amended by Saskatchewan Regulations 34/2026, which on May 29, 2026 repealed subsections 7 and 7.1 of section 16 and subsections 5 to 7 of section 18, among other changes.

The Government of Saskatchewan page on seasonal trucking weights says the winter weight period typically runs from November 16 through March 14, may be postponed if the weather stays mild, and does not apply in the southwest until December 1. It says spring road restrictions are set by order and that weights can be restricted at any time by a Minister's Order. For the spring weight calculation it gives 10.0 kg per millimetre of tire width on the steering axle, up to 5,500 kg for a single steering axle, and 6.25 kg per millimetre on other axles. The orders in force are listed on the province's seasonal weights page. The pages read do not give the overweight permit fee.