Dozens of witnesses will give evidence at the trial of a trucking company owner on manslaughter charges.

The owner of Adelaide trucking company Colbert Transport will face trial for manslaughter through gross negligence over claims that he failed fix the brakes on a truck, with tragic results.

Peter Francis Colbert, 55, of Athol Park in Adelaide, has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of driver, Robert Brimson, 45.

Mr Brimson, a father of two, was killed when the truck he was driving crashed into a road sign at Happy Valley on March 7.

Police allege the cause of the crash was brake failure, combined with Mr Brimson's deliberate actions in swerving to avoid a collision.

This, police say, saved the lives of other drivers.

Mr Colbert has already pleaded not guilty to endangering the life of two other drivers, who had driven the same truck as Mr Brimson at an earlier time.

The trial will likely be a long an complex one, with the prosecution applying to have the matter transferred to the Supreme Court.

SA District Court Judge Simon Stretton has heard that the manslaughter through gross negligence charge was very unusual, and was not like anything tried in South Australia before.

Judge Stretton granted the application and adjourned the case to December 15 in the Supreme Court.