J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. recently awarded $55,000 in total to 55 classrooms throughout the country during the 10^th consecutive year of its Adopt-a-Class program. The program is an annual company initiative providing classrooms with resources to obtain learning supplies and additional classroom essentials.

“Adopt-a-Class is one of my favorite programs we offer at J.B. Hunt because it enriches education for students all throughout the country, specifically for the families of our drivers,” said Craig Harper, executive vice president and chief sustainability officer at J.B. Hunt. “Teachers work hard to ensure their students have the resources they need to be successful, and it’s imperative we do our part in giving back to the communities we live in.”

J.B. Hunt’s Adopt-a-Class program was founded in 2013 and is a program that allows drivers to have a direct impact on giving to the community. Each year, J.B. Hunt drivers nominate their child or grandchild’s classroom — kindergarten through fifth grade — for a chance to receive a school supply donation by submitting an essay. Once the recipients are notified, drivers often visit the classrooms to congratulate the teacher and students.

Since the inception of the program, 255 classrooms across the country have been selected for Adopt-a-Class, bringing J.B. Hunt’s total classroom donation to more than $200,000.

Missouri’s Graves expected to head House Transportation Committee

Rep. Sam Graves, a Republican from Missouri, is expected to be the new chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure when the new Congress convenes in January.

Graves has served on the committee since he was first elected in 2001, and has been the ranking minority member.

He was one of 200 Republicans who voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that passed in 2021.

Inmate seeks exemption from training regulations

Robert Towle, an inmate in the New Hampshire State Prison, is requesting an exemption from two provisions of the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations. The New Hampshire Department of Corrections operates a special school district within the prison walls, Granite State High School, that offers a CDL training class.

Towle is requesting an exemption from the ELDT requirement that a training provider use instructors who meet the definition of “theory instructor,” and from the requirement that an individual who applies for the first time for a Class A or B CDL, or who upgrades to a Class A or B CDL, must complete training from a provider listed on the Training Provider Registry.

FMCSA’s notice says Towle stated that the requested exemptions would allow eligible students at Granite State High School to receive the requisite theory instruction in order to obtain their Commercial Learner’s Permit as a step towards job-readiness as part of their community re-entry plan.

FMCSA will accept public comments on the request for 30 days beginning Dec. 1. Comments can be made at www.regulations.gov by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2022-0180.