Quebec Sets Mandatory Training for New Class 1 Drivers
Quebec announced in November 2025 that, from December 15, new Class 1 applicants would need a 125-hour SAAQ program or a trucking diploma.
In November 2025, Quebec announced that anyone seeking a Class 1 licence to drive a heavy vehicle would have to complete mandatory training, starting December 15, 2025. The announcement was made on November 7, 2025 by the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) with the office of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Minister Jonatan Julien, according to the Quebec government news release, which was published in French.
Two routes to a Class 1
From December 15, applicants would have to complete one of two programs:
- the new road safety education program for Class 1, known as PESR – classe 1, delivered by a training provider recognized by the SAAQ;
- a diploma of vocational studies (DEP) in trucking from Quebec's Ministry of Education.
The PESR – classe 1 program lasts 125 hours: 75 hours of theory and 50 hours of practical training.
Who was exempt, and who was not
Drivers who already held a valid Class 1 licence did not have to take the training. The release said that drivers with a licence from outside Quebec would, in most situations, have to complete it.
Transitional measures would allow people who had started the process of getting a Class 1 licence before December 15 to finish under the rules in place before that date, subject to certain conditions.
The release noted that a Quebec Class 1 licence covers all types of road vehicles except motorcycles, including tractor-trailers and Class 3 trucks pulling heavy trailers.
Carriers that train their own drivers
From December 15, trucking companies that train their own staff to drive heavy vehicles would have to be recognized by the SAAQ as training providers and deliver PESR – classe 1 to employees seeking a Class 1 licence. The SAAQ invited businesses and organizations interested in becoming providers to apply for recognition and to attend a free webinar on December 18.
The province said up to 280 instructors could be trained in 2026 to meet demand, and that recognition of providers was already under way.
Why Quebec made the change
The release said the mandatory training carried out measure 26 of Quebec's 2023–2028 road safety action plan. It is based on Standard 16 of the National Safety Code, and it lets Quebec meet a reconciliation agreement signed among Canadian jurisdictions.
Minister Julien said the training would improve road safety and help address the problem of "chauffeurs inc.", the French term for the Driver Inc. model, as he had promised the transport industry. The SAAQ's interim president and CEO, Annie Lafond, pointed to the serious consequences of crashes involving heavy vehicles because of their weight and size.
Archive: this article describes rules and events as of November 2025. Regulations may have changed since, so check the current rule before relying on it.