REGINA-The Saskatchewan Trucking Association (STA) announced Monday that there will be no provincial truck-driving championships in 2017. Other provinces were ahead of the STA in pulling back from the event, and the national competition was also canceled this year.

Many factors are expected to have contributed to this, including the driver shortage.

According to a statement from STA, “after many months of promotion attempts to engage industry employees the support in both registration and sponsorship for the event did not reflect an industry with a desire to see the event continue.”

“The provincial driving championships were a fantastic event that many people were very passionate about over the years,” explained STA Executive Director Susan Ewart. “It was a great promotion for the trucking industry and a place for people to come together and celebrate the importance of trucking. The demographics have changed and the reality is that there is no longer sufficient demand for this event.” 

Fans of the trucking industry need not fret, the STA stated. Driver appreciation and celebration is still an important movement for the association, the form it takes will simply change.

The STA hosts an annual Truck Driver Appreciation BBQ events, which is very well received and is held during National Trucking Week (second week of September).