4 • OCTOBER 1-14, 2021 NATION THETRUCKER.COM Federal funds for safety FMCSA GRANTS MORE THAN $76 MILLION TO IMPROVE CMV SAFETY THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) has awarded more than $76 million in grants to states and educational institutions to increase commercial motor vehicle safety. In a Sept. 8 statement, FMCSA announced that all 50 states, along with the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are slated to receive federal funds. The FMCSA grants include: • $45.2 million in high priority (HP) grants to enhance states’ commercial motor vehicle safety efforts and advance technological capabilities within states. The HP grant program consists of HP- Commercial Motor Vehicle (HP-CMV) grants and HP-Innovative Technology Deployment (HP-ITD) grants. HP-CMV grants are designed to provide financial assistance for states’ commercial vehicle safety efforts, while HP-ITD grants provide financial assistance to advance the technological capability and promote the deployment of intelligent transportation system applications for CMV operations. • $29 million in commercial driver’s license program implementation (CDLPI) grants to enhance efforts by states to improve the national commercial driver’s license (CDL) program. The CDLPI grant program provides financial assistance to states to help them achieve compliance with FMCSA regulations concerning driver’s license standards and programs. In addition, the program provides financial assistance to other entities that are capable of executing national projects to aid states in their compliance efforts, which will improve the national CDL program. • $2 million in commercial motor vehicle operator safety training (CMV-OST) grants to 21 educational institutions to help train U.S. military veterans for jobs as commercial drivers. The CMV-OST grant program awards grants to a variety of educational institutions that provide commercial truck- and bus-driving training, including accredited public or private colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools, post-secondary educational institutions, truck-driver training schools, associations, and state and local governments, including federally recognized Native American tribal governments. In addition to the grants noted above, in May/April 2021, FMCSA awarded more than $304 million in motor carrier safety assistance program (MCSAP) grants. These funds will help state and local law enforcement agencies to use about 12,000 enforcement personnel to Audit shows North Carolina DOT spent less than planned, but risks remain THE ASSOCIATED PRESS iStock Photo The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has awarded nearly $76 million in grant monies to state governments and educational institutions to help in their efforts to improve commercial motor vehicle safety. RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Department of Transportation (DOT) spent less than predicted in the second half of 2020, a state performance audit showed. However, the report’s authors said the agency hadn’t carried out key recommendations from an audit last year that found several hundred million dollars in overspending. The audit, announced Sept. 14 by State Auditor Beth Wood, showed that DOT spent $2.52 billion for the six months ending last Dec. 31, or $325 million less than its baseline spending forecast. But the improved financial result didn’t happen due to efforts by DOT management to spend for roads and other projects based on realistic expectations, the report contends. “Consequently, the fact that the department had not yet exceeded its spending plan was largely due to chance,” the auditors wrote. The agency remains at risk for spending overages because it hadn’t carried out 2020 recommendations by Wood’s office, the audit said. They include basing the spending plan on specific projects and operations, and monitoring activities at DOT’s 14 regional highway construction and maintenance offices. In an attached response, DOT Secretary Eric Boyette wrote that the agency agrees with the findings and is now working to carry out the 2020 recommendations. For example, DOT said, regional highway office engineers receive biweekly maintenance spending reports, and regional help reduce the number and severity of crashes and hazardous materials incidents involving commercial motor vehicles. In total, nearly 60% of FMCSA’s funding is provided to states and local communities through grant funding; all funding is intended to enhance commercial vehicle safety. “At FMCSA and USDOT our mission is to ensure that all road users, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, reach their destination safely,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi. “Together these grants represent the administration’s commitment to supporting strong state and local partnerships to reach our national goal of reducing commercial vehicle-involved crashes and saving lives.” The USDOT is also working through the White House Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force to address truck driver retention issues. 8 iStock Photo According to a state audit, North Carolina’s Department of Transportation spent less than predicted in the second half of 2020, but auditors say the agency didn’t carry out key recommendations from an audit last year that found several hundred million dollars in overspending. staff meet with higher-ups when spending goes outside recommended ranges. And purchases above $500 are reviewed for approval by the regional engineer or SEE AUDIT ON PAGE 19 USPS 972 VOLUME 34, NUMBER 19 OCTOBER 1-14, 2021 The Trucker is a semi-monthly, national newspaper for the trucking industry, published by The Trucker Media Group at 1123 S. University, Suite 325 Little Rock, AR 72204-1610 EDITORIAL Managing Editor Linda Garner-Bunch Staff Writer John Worthen Production Coordinator Christie McCluer Graphic Artists Leanne Hunter Kelly Young Special Correspondents Cliff Abbott Hannah Butler Sarah DeClerk Lyndon Finney Dwain Hebda Gina Hoffman Kris Rutherford ADVERTISING & LEADERSHIP Chief Executive Officer Bobby Ralston General Manager Megan Hicks Director of Technology Jose Ortiz For editorial inquiries, contact Linda Garner-Bunch at editor@thetruckermedia.com. For advertising opportunities, please contact Meg Larcinese at megl@thetruckermedia.com. 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