Michigan State Police motor carrier officers are focusing their enforcement efforts the rest of this week on Interstate 94 in a coordinated enforcement operation.
The operation is dubbed “Eyes on 94” and seeks to reduce commercial vehicle crashes along the I-94 corridor. This statewide effort started Monday, Nov. 27 and ends Friday, Dec. 1.
During this initiative, motor carrier officers will focus on violations by commercial vehicles that are most likely to contribute to a crash, according to a statement from the MSP. Those include speeding, following too close, improper passing, distracted driving, and improper lane use.
“This enforcement effort is a great example of the commitment by the MSP to reach crash reduction goals while increasing traffic safety,” said Capt. Richard Arnold, commander of the MSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. “We hope to increase awareness by means of high visibility enforcement on the I- 94 corridor, which is prone to weather-related crashes involving interstate commercial vehicle drivers this time of year.”
The “Eyes on 94” initiative is part of the statewide Drive Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety campaign, which is based on the national strategy on highway safety that seeks to reduce the number of traffic deaths nationwide.
North American Van Lines collects food for the hungry
North American Van Lines collected 103,999 pounds of food during its third annual Great North American Food Drive.
Through its partnership with Move For Hunger , the collected food is donated to local food banks and will provide nearly 87,000 meals for families and individuals in need, far exceeding previous drives, according to the company.
“North American launched the Great North American Food Drive in 2021, activating our agent network to collect vital food donations for our local communities,” stated Kevin Murphy, vice president and general manager of North American Van Lines “In addition to the tremendous amount of food our network donated, we also focused on raising funds to help support Move For Hunger and its hunger action initiatives all year long."
More than 44 million Americans face food insecurity every day. Since 2011, North American agents have donated nearly 900,000 pounds to food banks across North America through its partnership with Move For Hunger.
California DMV opens CDL test site in Salinas
The California Department of Motor Vehicles recently announced the opening of a new commercial drive test center in Salinas at 838 Vertin Ave., giving commercial driver’s license applicants another location for commercial drive testing.
The new site consists of three CDL skills test pads, allowing for multiple tests to be conducted simultaneously, according to the DMV.
The DMV’s Salinas office, at 260 E. Laurel Drive, remains open and provides all services aside from commercial drive tests.
The DMV said in a statement the new test site is one of many recent upgrades made by the DMV to make it easier for commercial drivers to apply for an original license, participate in a more efficient driving test, renew a current license and get on the road quickly.
New CDL program opens in Illinois
Midwest Technical Institute opened a new CDL training program in Springfield, Illinois, and the launch of a $2,500 CDL scholarship.
The CDL training course provides students with the training necessary to gain entry-level employment in the trucking industry.
“Right now, the trucking industry offers many opportunities for new drivers to start a career in transportation, especially here in Illinois. We’re honored to be a part of our students' journey toward a career path that can offer competitive pay and opportunity for growth,” said Shelia Wilson, campus president of MTI’s Springfield location.
MTI is also offering a $2,500 CDL scholarship to any student who enrolls and starts class on Dec 18. The course provides students behind-the-wheel, on-the-range, and over-the-road training.
MTI, along with its sister school, Delta Technical College, operates six campuses across the Midwest and Mississippi Delta regions.
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