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Michigan halts NMU truck driver training program during probe
State cites alleged record-keeping and commercial learner’s permit verification violations
(Northern Michigan University)
Key Takeaways:
- Michigan summarily suspended Northern Michigan University’s truck driver education provider while investigating alleged violations of state law.
- State officials allege the provider failed to maintain required records and verify valid commercial learner’s permits before driving instruction.
- NMU disputes the findings, has complied with the order and plans to challenge the suspension.
Michigan halted a public university truck driving training school after a preliminary investigation found students allegedly received behind-the-wheel instruction before being vetted to determine if they held valid commercial learner’s permits.
Michigan Department of State noted it “summarily suspended the operations” of the truck driver education provider at Northern Michigan University in Marquette due to “multiple violations of the Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act.”
According to MDOS, a summary suspension is an emergency action to protect the public during an investigation or administrative proceedings that temporarily stops instruction during a state probe.
A preliminary MDOS investigation found the provider apparently failed to maintain records required by state law as well as mandatory student financial records. The truck driver training provider also was accused of “providing behind-the-wheel instruction to students without first verifying that they held valid commercial learner’s permits” and keeping records elsewhere instead of its established office site.
Other accusations
The provider also is accused of failing to use required student written agreements prior to instruction and allowing students to sign blank instructional documents completed later.
MDOS stated the investigation was ongoing as of Aug. 7 and didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment.
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Hall
However, NMU Chief Marketing Officer Derek Hall told Transport Topics the university is aware of the state order to cease operations of its truck driving program.
“While we have complied with the order, we respectfully disagree with the findings and will challenge this action through all available channels. This order is based on disagreements over the record-keeping practices specific to the trucking program,” Hall stated. “NMU’s CDL Truck Driving program is a high-quality trades program that has graduated hundreds of well-qualified graduates who have gone on to productive careers as truck drivers.”
The university’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development Department established its CDL truck driver training program in 2018 and was launched with a donation by Meijer, a family-owned retailer in Grand Rapids, of two reconditioned semi-trucks and trailers from its fleet.
Another school suspended
The action against NMU is the second taken by MDOS this year against a truck driver educational provider.
In May, the state summarily suspended the operations of the vocational Detroit Training Center Inc. for alleged violations of state law.
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MDOS contended the action was taken after determining “the school charged students for hours of commercial driver’s license instruction they did not fully receive, costing them money and creating barriers to completing the federally required training needed to enter the trucking industry.”
The MDOS accused the school of misleading students by providing fewer CDL instruction hours than contractually promised to complete the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Entry-Level Driver Training requirements.
Other allegations involved allowing students to sign or initial training documents with blank areas later completed by the school.
