Farm equipment highway safety

Quick Facts

• Farm registered motor vehicles must comply with the same standards as any other motor vehicle used on a public road which includes lights, reflectors, steering, suspension, brakes, exhaust system, frame, body and all other safety items.
• Heavy farm trucks, trucks with air brakes and air brake equipped trailers registered in Class “F” and operating in Saskatchewan only are not subject to annual or semi-annual inspections. However, they must be maintained to specific standards to operate on Saskatchewan highways.
• Registered or non-registered trailers pulled by a farm-registered motor vehicle must comply with the trailer standards which includes lights, brakes, suspension and safety chains.
• Registered farm trucks wider than 2060 mm (80 inches) must be quipped with clearance lamps at the widest part of the vehicle, amber to the front and red to the rear. Red reflectors are required at rear extremities of the vehicle. A cluster of three centre-mounted identification lamps are also required, amber to the front and red to the rear.
• Registered or non-registered farm trailers wider than 2060 mm (80 inches) must be equipped with clearance lamps at the widest part of the vehicle, amber to the front and red to the rear. Red reflectors are required at rear extremities of the trailers. A cluster of three red identification lamps is also required, at the rear centre of the trailer.
• Registered farm trucks and registered or non-registered farm trailers 1.8 metres (5.9 ft.) or greater in length must be equipped with side marker lamps and reflectors, amber at the front and red at the rear. If the vehicle is longer than 9.1 metres (30 ft.) intermediate amber side marker lamps must be installed.

Nighttime restrictions for farm equipment operating on a public highway or roadway

Certain farm equipment is subject to nighttime restrictions:

• Farm equipment operated or towed behind a farm tractor or a truck where the vehicle or equipment is over 2.6 metres (8 ft 6 in.) wide is not permitted to travel on a provincial highway at night.
• When exceeding 3.7 m (12 ft) wide, no night travel is permitted on provincial highways.
• Farm machinery loaded on a carrying devise, truck or trailer requires a permit for travel on a provincial highway when exceeding 2.6 metres (8ft 6 in.) wide.

Brakes

When operating on a public highway or roadway, trailers with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 1,360 kg (3,000 lbs) or greater must be equipped with brakes on all axles if manufactured on or after January 1, 1985 and at least one axle if manufactured before 1985. All trailers with brakes must be equipped with a break-away system.

Safety chains and couplers

In order to reduce the risk of serious accidents, all trailers must be equipped with two safety chains whose combined rating is 1.4 times the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the trailer. The safety chains should be fastened so that they cross under the tongue to prevent it from dropping to the road surface if the trailer becomes disconnected from the towing vehicle. This also helps maintain directional stability in the event of disconnection.

Safety chains should be equipped with a secondary device to prevent the chain from disconnecting from the towing vehicle.

Registered truck towing a farm implement

There are a series of rules you must follow if you plan on towing a farm implement with a registered truck on a public highway or roadway:

• The farm implement should not be towed at a speed exceeding the speed range as marked on the implement tires.
• If operating or required to operate at 40kph or less, you must have a slow moving vehicle sign attached in the rear-centre of the towed vehicle.
• If the towed implement is wider than 4 metres (13ft.) it should be equipped with flashing amber lamps or orange, amber or red flags measuring at least 0.2 square metres (320 square inches) at the extremities of the towed vehicle.
• If the implement is not equipped with rear lamps then portable brake, signal and tail lamps must be mounted on the rear of the towed implement mounted as close to the extremities as practical.
• If the truck or implement is less than 2.6 metres (8ft. 6 in.) wide and towed at night, it must be equipped with two red tail lamps mounted as close to the extremities as practical.
• A towed implement that extends more than 1.2 metres (4ft.) to either side of the centre of the towing vehicle should be equipped with reflective devices at the extremities of the towed vehicle, amber to the front and red to the rear.
• The farm implement hitch should be equipped with a secondary locking device. For example, a draw pin should have a lock pin inserted to prevent the pin from bouncing out of the hitch.

Self-propelled farm equipment

A series of rules must be followed when operating self-propelled farm equipment on a public highway or roadway:

• When operating at 40 kph or less, you must have attached, rear-centred, a slow moving vehicle sign.
• A self-propelled implement that extends more than 1.2 metres (4ft.) to either side of the centre of the vehicle should be equipped with reflective devices at the vehicle extremities, amber to the front and red to the rear.
• A self-propelled implement should be equipped with flashing amber lamps facing forward and to the rear mounted as close to the extremities as practical.
• A self-propelled implement wider than 4 metres (13ft.) should be equipped with flashing amber lamps or orange, amber or red flags measuring at least 0.2 square metres (320 square inches) at the extremities of the vehicle.
• A self-propelled implement less than 2.6 metres (8ft. 6in.) wide on provincial or municipal highways operating at night or in adverse weather conditions must be equipped with two white headlamps and at least one red tail lamp mounted to the left of the centre of the vehicle.
• If equipped with a white implement lamp to the rear and operating at night, the lamp should be extinguished or turned down to the road surface.
• If a self-propelled implement is equipped with brakes or a retarding device, the brakes or retarding device should be operational.

Self-propelled farm equipment towing farm implement

There are a series of rules you must follow if you plan on using self-propelled farm equipment to tow farm equipment on a public highway or roadway:

• If you plan on going 40 kph or less you must have attached, rear-centred, a slow moving vehicle sign.
• If the self-propelled or towed implement extends more than 1.2 metres (4ft.) to either side of the centre of the vehicle it should be equipped with reflective devises at the vehicle extremities, amber to the front and red to the rear.
• The self-propelled or towed implement should be equipped with flashing amber lamps facing forward and to the rear mounted as close to the extremities as practical.
• If your self-propelled or towed implement is wider than 4 metres (13ft.), it should be equipped with flashing amber lamps or orange, amber or red flags measuring at least 0.2 square metres (320 square inches) at the extremities of the towed vehicle.
• If your implement is not equipped with lamps, then portable tail, signal and brake lamps should be mounted on the rear of the towed implement mounted as close to the extremities as practical.
• Towed implements operating on provincial or municipal highways at night must be equipped with two red taillights mounted as close to the extremities as practicable. Towed implements more than 2.6 (8ft. 6 in.) wide operating on provincial or municipal highways are restricted to daylight travel.

Transporting farm equipment

• If farm machinery is loaded on a transport device designed specifically for the machine or on any truck or trailer and exceeds 2.6 metres (8ft. 6 in.) wide, a permit is required on provincial highways. For further information on transporting over dimensional equipment contact Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation at 306-933-5290 or 306-787-5307.
• If the loaded farm equipment is over 3.05 metres (10 ft.) wide, Wide Load or “D” signs are required on the front and rear of the vehicle. If the equipment is over 3.3 metres (10ft. 10 in.), an amber beacon visible from all directions is required on the towing vehicle. If the load is blocking visibility of the amber beacon to the rear, a second amber flashing lamp is required on the rear of the towed vehicle. Contact your local rural municipality for authority if operating or transporting on municipal roads.
• Loaded units exceeding 3.7 metres (12 ft.) wide are restricted to daylight travel.
• Weekend travel is restricted when the vehicle or load exceeds 3.35 metres (11 ft.) wide or 25 metres (82 ft.) in length after 3 p.m. on Fridays during July and August until the Friday following Labour Day, on Sundays and Public Holidays and after 3 p.m. on a day prior to a Public Holiday.
• If the unit measures over 3.05 metres (10 ft.) but less than 3.7 metres (12ft.) in width, then travelling at night requires the rear sign to be illuminated or have a flashing amber light in the centre of the vehicle in addition to the sign.
• Maximum height for a load is 4.15 metres (13ft. 6 in.). Higher loads will require a permit. Permits are available for non-divisible loads exceeding this height.
• Maximum length for power unit and semi-trailer or truck and one or more trailers (or any combination of vehicles) is 23 metres (75ft. 5 in.).
• For A, B and C trains the maximum length is 25 metres (82 ft.). Permits for non-divisible loads are available.
• The maximum length for farm equipment combinations is 23 metres (75 ft. 5 in.). Lengths exceeding this dimension require a permit.

For more information about required permits please call 1-800-667-7575.