Safe Trailering: No Longer A Hidden Art

Who taught you how to tow a trailer?

In Saskatchewan, you might hear “My Grandparent”, “My Mom or Dad”, "My Boss”, or the shockingly common answer… “Nobody, I taught myself”. 

​After all, there is no special license required to tow utility trailers, or for that matter, all but some of the largest and most complex trailers. Every day in Saskatchewan, happy retail workers can be seen gladly waving goodbye in the rear-view mirror of fancy new recreational trailer operators. Often, all the happier for the potential repair work that may come from a new owner’s first attempts at backing a camper into a well-treed campsite.

Register for FREE Safe Trailering: https://www.sasksafety.org/online.html​

So then, who takes the responsibility of communicating all the details about hitch types, electrical hookups, load & weight distribution, cornering, and all those other intricacies that might contribute to a mechanical problem, big new dent, or serious traffic incident?
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While coaching from a parent, spouse, sibling, friend, or employer can be very useful (although at time stressful), it cannot replace the most fundamental steps in learning any new skill… training & purposeful practice!

The “Safe Trailering” course brings Saskatchewan residents seeking valuable instruction on safely driving while towing a trailer unencumbered access to a brand new and completely free training program developed by knowledgeable and experienced subject matter experts.

Utilizing closed course demonstrations, multiple detailed camera angles, and digital graphic visualizations, this program covers topics such as:
 

• Selecting the right trailer 
• Load distribution 
• Weight requirements 
• Completing walk-around inspections 

• Types of hitch receivers and electrical adaptors 
• General best practices when pulling a trailer and maneuvering around roadways. 

 
Whether new to towing a small utility trailer with supplies for a landscaping project or navigating a Cabela’s or Walmart parking lot with a new “home on wheels”, everyone can find key takeaways in the Council’s free Safe Trailering program.

​For those requiring driver or operator evaluations, the Council also offers fee-for-service in-vehicle assessments to provide feedback and document competency.

Pictured: Traffic Safety Experts guide a training group through a series of “in-vehicle assessments”

The Council and its free programs are supported by the following multi-year organizational sponsors: CAA Saskatchewan; Crescent Point Energy; Heavy Construction Safety Association of Saskatchewan; K + S Potash; Meridian Surveys; Saskatchewan Association for Safe Workplaces in Health; Saskatchewan Common Ground Alliance; Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association SaskEnergy; and WorkSafe Saskatchewan.

Access Career Safety Education here: https://www.sasksafety.org/career-safety-education.html