The Saskatchewan Trucking Association says truck drivers are aging out and young people aren’t lining up to replace them due to financial barriers.

In a news release, the Association says the average cost of training required to obtain a class 1A driver’s license in Saskatchewan is approximately $14,000 but students in the 1A driver training cannot apply for student loans to enroll. As well they say the small tax rebate promised by the provincial government to support them hasn’t been launched yet.

The STA says according to government data, currently, over 50 per cent of truckers in the province are age 45 years and older.

The STA is calling on the provincial Government to create a loan program that can ease the financial burden for those wanting to get the training which is supplied by private companies who meet SGI requirements.

Susan Ewart, Executive Director of the STA expressed her concern saying, “The trucking and transport sector is crucial to driving Saskatchewan’s economy forward and due to inaction from government, fewer young people can afford to get into the trucking industry putting the future of the entire industry at stake.”