Quebec will require certain Ontario-licensed Class 1 truck drivers to pass a practical road test before exchanging their licenses for Quebec credentials.
The move follows a series of fatal collisions involving heavy vehicles. The government is targeting inexperienced drivers to reduce road risks and curb dangerous trucking patterns across the province.
The Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) said the measures were announced Thursday, July 9. The new requirements take effect this Thursday, July 11 [2].
Under the new rules, Ontario Class 1 drivers with less than two years of heavy-truck driving experience must complete the practical exam [1]. Drivers who meet or exceed this experience threshold will not be subject to the additional testing requirement.
Provincial officials said the policy aims to address safety gaps. The decision comes after several fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles, specifically those operated by drivers with limited experience who had transferred their licenses from Ontario [3, 5].
By mandating a road test, Quebec intends to verify that drivers possess the necessary skills to operate heavy machinery safely on its roads. This creates a more rigorous verification process for the Class 1 license exchange, which is the standard certification for heavy-truck operation in both provinces [4].
“Quebec will require certain Ontario-licensed Class 1 truck drivers to pass a practical road test”
This policy signals a shift toward stricter provincial autonomy regarding licensing standards. By removing the automatic reciprocity for inexperienced drivers, Quebec is prioritizing localized safety verification over administrative convenience to mitigate the specific risk of fatal heavy-vehicle accidents.
