How to Start a Trucking Company in Saskatchewan (2026 Guide)

Quick answer: A new Saskatchewan carrier registers its business with the Corporate Registry run by Information Services Corporation (ISC), which also brings a CRA business number, and gets an NSC number and Certificate of Safety Fitness from SGI. SGI plates the trucks with compulsory basic insurance, a private insurer adds commercial liability and cargo cover, and a carrier running outside the province adds IRP plates from SGI and an IFTA licence from the Ministry of Finance. Trucks and trailers need PMVI inspections at SGI-certified stations, employers register with the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board within 30 days of hiring, and semi drivers need a Class 1 licence, which requires mandatory entry-level training.

This guide takes those steps in order. For the national picture see starting a trucking company in Canada, for budgets see trucking startup costs, and for neighbouring provinces see our Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia guides.

Step 1: Register the business with ISC and CRA

ISC's Corporate Registry registers sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited partnerships and business corporations, and almost every filing can be made online. Registering in Saskatchewan gives you a CRA business number automatically, and the same process lets you register with the Ministry of Finance and ask WCB to contact you. Use one legal name throughout: the IFTA application says the applicant's name must match the name the vehicles are registered in.

GST/HST is a separate CRA program account. CRA says you must register once you are no longer a small supplier, which happens when your taxable revenue passes the small supplier threshold in one calendar quarter or over four consecutive quarters; check the current threshold on CRA's page. Below it, registration is voluntary.

Step 2: Get an NSC number and Certificate of Safety Fitness from SGI

SGI's Carrier and Vehicle Safety Services department runs the National Safety Code program. The Certificate of Safety Fitness carries your NSC number, and SGI requires it to licence:

• Class A, C, D or commercial LV vehicles registered at 11,794 kg or more that operate only within Saskatchewan.
• Class A, C, D, F or commercial LV vehicles registered at 5,000 kg or more that travel outside Saskatchewan.
• Passenger vehicles in Classes PB, PS and PC, whatever their seating capacity.

Registered gross vehicle weight is the combined weight of the truck or power unit, its trailers and the maximum load. Our safety fitness certificate guide compares the certificate across provinces.

How to apply

Apply online, or leave a paper individual, group or corporate form with a motor licence issuer. Have ready a lease or mortgage for your business or vehicle storage location, incorporation papers for a company, a driver list and a certificate of commercial third party liability insurance. Anyone registering more than 10 vehicles must phone SGI instead. A non-refundable application fee applies; check the current amount on SGI's page.

You then write the NSC knowledge exam in person at an SGI test office. Processing can take up to 15 business days and may include a site visit, and the certificate is not issued until SGI has proof of commercial liability insurance. SGI says first-time applicants are either intra-provincial carriers or carriers that operate outside Saskatchewan under another jurisdiction's permit; a Class A carrier that wants IRP plates applies through Branch and IRP Issuing Services, which issues an NSC number if the carrier has none.

Keep a copy of the certificate in every NSC vehicle and the original at your office. SGI cancels it if no NSC-required vehicle has been registered for 12 consecutive months.

Safety rating and carrier profile

New carriers start at Satisfactory – Unaudited and stay there until SGI audits them. SGI's Compliance Review Program scores your carrier profile, a 12-month record of convictions, at-fault collisions and CVSA roadside inspections, against limits set for your fleet size. At 40 percent of a limit you get a first notice, at 65 percent a second, and at 85 percent your rating becomes Conditional and SGI conducts a facility audit. An audit can lead to fines, a safety directive or, for major non-compliance, suspension, and passing with all three measures under 85 percent earns Satisfactory – Audited. SGI also runs random safety reviews. You can request your profile in writing on company letterhead or ask SGI for online access.

Step 3: Plate your trucks and arrange insurance

Commercial vehicles are registered through SGI's motor licence issuers, and heavy trucks used for business need commercial plates:

• Class A has no distance or goods restrictions and is the class that can be prorated under IRP.
• Class C is the cheapest and most restricted, used for loads such as grain, livestock and gravel, or for a company's own goods within 55 km of the registered address.
• Class D allows the Class C uses plus own goods, lumber, scrap metal and crude oil from a well, with some cargo limits.

Business trailers go in Class TS and share the towing unit's hauling authority. Confirm the class with an issuer before you buy plates. Grain, fertilizer and livestock haulers should also read our Super B grain and fertilizer and livestock transport guides. Oversize or overweight moves will likely need a provincial permit, and for long combination vehicles see our Saskatchewan LCV permit guide.

Insurance

Basic plate insurance is compulsory, provided by SGI and paid with the registration. It covers damage to your vehicle subject to a deductible, personal injury and liability, and extra cover comes on a separate policy from the insurer of your choice. SGI has announced higher basic deductibles from January 1, 2027.

Plates alone are not enough for a carrier. SGI needs proof of commercial third party liability before it issues the certificate, and its carrier manual sets minimum public liability for freight carriers, a higher minimum for dangerous goods, and minimum cargo cover for for-hire Class A carriers, scaled by weight. The liability limit that comes with plate insurance is lower than those minimums, so confirm the current figures with SGI and your broker.

IRP apportioned plates

SGI's Branch and IRP Issuing Services issues apportioned plates and cab cards and collects registration fees for the other IRP jurisdictions. You need an active Saskatchewan NSC, an established place of business in Saskatchewan or Saskatchewan residency and, for a company, Saskatchewan incorporation; companies new to the province have a site visit before registration. A first-time carrier pays fees based on SGI's average carrier distance chart and gets a cab card listing every jurisdiction. Our IRP registration guide explains apportioned fees.

Interjurisdictional trucks also pay Saskatchewan's Prorated Vehicle Tax at registration, and a cab card showing Saskatchewan lets you buy or lease those vehicles, trailers and most repair parts and labour exempt from provincial sales tax.

Step 4: Get an IFTA licence and decals

The Ministry of Finance, Revenue Division, licenses interjurisdictional trucking firms that run commercial vehicles of 11,797 kg or more gross vehicle weight in Saskatchewan. The application, sent by mail or email, cannot be processed without a copy of a valid IRP cab card, so finish IRP first. Decals are charged per vehicle; check the form for current amounts.

The licence expires every December 31 and renews through Saskatchewan eTax Services (SETS), where quarterly returns are filed by the last day of the month after each quarter. Keep trip records with odometer readings at each jurisdiction line, and fuel receipts, for the current year and four prior years. Our IFTA filing guide walks through the return.

Step 5: Book PMVI inspections

Saskatchewan's Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI) program is based on NSC Standard 11B and The Vehicle Inspection Regulations. SGI's terms for trucking are:

• Power units registered at 11,794 kg or more that travel outside Saskatchewan: every 6 months.
• Power units registered at 22,000 kg or more that stay in Saskatchewan: every 6 months, or 12 months on application if driven under 25,000 km.
• Trucks in those same weight bands: every 12 months.
• Commercial trailers, dollies, jeeps and boosters with air brakes: every 12 months.

Power unit inspections under the Preventative Maintenance Inspection Program (PMP) are valid for 12 months. Only SGI-certified shops may inspect; SGI's station finder lists those certified for heavy trucks, power units and semi-trailers. File every report, because a facility audit checks them.

Step 6: Register with the Saskatchewan WCB

The WCB classifies general, interprovincial and US-based trucking under rate code T42. An employer must register within 30 calendar days of hiring a worker or contractor, and must file an Employer's Payroll Statement by February 28 each year.

Sole proprietors, partners, their spouses and corporate directors are not automatically covered, but can buy optional personal coverage; since January 1, 2025, directors paid on a T4 are no longer workers. An equipment owner who is not an employer or has no WCB coverage is treated as the worker of the principal it contracts with, and the principal pays premiums on the labour portion. Get a clearance through your WCB online account before paying any contractor: Cleared means pay, Hold means wait, and Demand means you pay the requested sum to the WCB from what you owe the contractor.

Step 7: Qualify your drivers

A Class 1 licence covers power units with semi-trailers and trucks towing more than 4,600 kg. SGI requires the driver to be at least 18 and not a novice, medically fit, and to pass the knowledge and vision tests, a trip inspection demonstration and a Class 1 road test; air brakes need the A endorsement. Mandatory entry-level training is at least 121.5 hours (47 classroom or online, 17.5 in the yard, 57 behind the wheel) and must be finished before the road test.

A Commercial Driver's Licence Medical Report is due before testing, then every five years to age 45, every three years from 46 to 65, and yearly from 66. Keep a driver abstract from the last 12 months in each driver file.

Drivers who stay in Saskatchewan follow the provincial hours of service rules, and those who cross provincial or international borders follow the federal rules; see Canada's hours of service rules. Transport Canada requires federally regulated drivers who must keep a record of duty status to use a certified ELD, with limited exceptions; see our ELD mandate update.

Step 8: Keep the records an SGI audit checks

SGI's facility audits, the subject of NSC Standard 15, look at records kept at your Saskatchewan office, and SGI's carrier manual says driver and vehicle files are kept for the current year plus four years. An audit may be booked or unannounced.

• Drivers: licence copy, an abstract from the last 12 months, dangerous goods certificates where needed, and convictions and collisions in your vehicles, which drivers must report at least every 14 days.
• Hours of service: six months of logs with fuel, toll and lodging receipts, payroll records and proof you monitor logs, which drivers hand in within 20 days.
• Maintenance: monthly maintenance records, six months of trip inspections, roadside and terminal inspection reports, PMVI reports and manufacturer defect notices with repairs.
• Insurance: a record of public liability cover for each commercial vehicle.

Trip inspections are due every 24 hours of use on trucks over 11,794 kg and their trailers, using Schedule 1, and a major defect parks the vehicle until it is repaired.

If you haul into the United States

FMCSA requires a USDOT number for vehicles of 4,536 kg (10,001 pounds) or more carrying cargo in interstate commerce, which includes trips between a US state and a place outside the United States. A carrier hauling federally regulated goods owned by others for pay usually also needs operating authority, often an MC number. See how to get a DOT number and how to get an MC number.

Saskatchewan startup requirements at a glance

Your first 90 days

1. Register through ISC, confirm your CRA business number, and decide on GST/HST registration.
2. Get commercial liability and, for for-hire work, cargo insurance, then apply for SGI's Safety Fitness Certificate and book the NSC knowledge exam.
3. Plate each unit in the right class, and apply to Branch and IRP Issuing Services if you will run outside Saskatchewan.
4. Apply for IFTA with a copy of your cab card, and start trip and fuel records by jurisdiction.
5. Book a PMVI for every power unit, truck and air-brake trailer, and note each next due date.
6. Register with the WCB within 30 days of your first hire, and get a clearance before paying any contractor.
7. Build driver, hours of service and maintenance files at your Saskatchewan office, and ask SGI for online access to your carrier profile.

How TruckerPro helps a new Saskatchewan carrier

TruckerPro keeps dispatch, loads, drivers, trucks and trailers in one company account, and its invoicing charges GST/HST. It tracks each truck's and trailer's CVIP (periodic inspection) date and expiry, which is where you record each PMVI, and each driver's licence expiry, so renewals are visible before they lapse. On qualifying plans, IFTA fuel-tax reporting calculates miles by jurisdiction from trip data. It does not read Saskatchewan carrier profile reports automatically yet, so keep the carrier profile you get from SGI on file and review it yourself. TruckerPro does not apply for, renew or file any government registration, permit, IFTA return or insurance for you.

To compare options, see the best TMS for small fleets and the best TMS software in Canada.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an NSC number to run trucks in Saskatchewan?

You do if your trucks meet SGI's weight thresholds. SGI requires a Certificate of Safety Fitness, which carries the NSC number, for Class A, C, D and commercial LV vehicles registered at 11,794 kg or more that stay in Saskatchewan, and for those classes plus Class F at 5,000 kg or more when they travel outside the province.

How do I apply for a Safety Fitness Certificate in Saskatchewan?

Apply to SGI online or through a motor licence issuer, then pass the NSC knowledge exam in person at an SGI test office. SGI needs proof of commercial third party liability insurance before it issues the certificate, and it says processing can take up to 15 business days and may include a site visit.

What safety rating does a new Saskatchewan carrier get?

Every new carrier starts at Satisfactory – Unaudited, and the rating stays there until SGI audits it. Passing a facility audit with all three carrier profile thresholds below 85 percent earns Satisfactory – Audited, while a failed audit or a threshold at or above 85 percent brings a Conditional rating.

How often do trucks need a PMVI in Saskatchewan?

Commercial power units need one every 6 months if they are registered at 11,794 kg or more and travel outside Saskatchewan, or at 22,000 kg or more and stay in the province. Trucks in those weight bands and air-brake trailers are on 12 months, and the inspections are done at SGI-certified stations.

Do owner-operators need WCB coverage in Saskatchewan?

Sole proprietors, partners, their spouses and corporate directors are not automatically covered, but they can buy optional personal coverage. An equipment owner without its own WCB coverage who contracts with a carrier is treated as that carrier's worker, and the carrier pays premiums on the labour portion of the contract.

Sources

• NSC and Safety Fitness Certificate (SGI)
• Safety Fitness Certificate Application (SGI)
• Compliance review program (SGI)
• Carrier profile system (SGI)
• Facility audits (SGI)
• Saskatchewan Commercial Carrier Basic Safety Information, revised November 2021 (SGI)
• Vehicle registration classes (SGI)
• Vehicle registration, Saskatchewan Driver's Handbook (SGI)
• Basic auto damage insurance (SGI)
• International Registration Plan (SGI)
• IRP registration application (SGI)
• Province of Saskatchewan IRP Carrier Information Manual (SGI)
• Periodic inspection program (SGI)
• Certified vehicle inspection stations (SGI)
• Trip inspection standards, Professional Driver's Handbook (SGI)
• Class 1 licence, Professional Driver's Handbook (SGI)
• Class 1-4 medical standards, Professional Driver's Handbook (SGI)
• Endorsements, Professional Driver's Handbook (SGI)
• Corporate Registry (Information Services Corporation)
• Step 1: Choose a business type (Information Services Corporation)
• You need a business number or a program account (Canada Revenue Agency)
• When to register for and start charging the GST/HST (Canada Revenue Agency)
• International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) Licence Application (Government of Saskatchewan)
• IFTA Licence Application form (Ministry of Finance)
• Fuel Tax Returns (Government of Saskatchewan)
• Information Notice IN 2016-02: IFTA and IRP record keeping (Ministry of Finance)
• Prorated Vehicle Tax (Government of Saskatchewan)
• Information for Truckers and Commercial Trucking Companies (Government of Saskatchewan)
• Employer Coverage and Registration, POL 03/2025 (Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board)
• Optional personal coverage (Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board)
• Clearance letters (Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board)
• 2026 Rate Classification of Industries (Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board)
• Electronic logging devices for commercial drivers and motor carriers (Transport Canada)
• National Safety Code standards (CCMTA)
• Do I Need a USDOT Number? (FMCSA)
• Get Operating Authority (FMCSA)