WASHINGTON — The Commerce Department is launching the application process for cities to receive a total of $500 million in grants to become technology hubs.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Driver-assist technologies that are already widely available on the commercial truck market have demonstrated that they can prevent crashes, save lives and reduce litigation-related costs, a group of industry experts said.

Most motor carriers doing business with the federal government are believed to have responded to a requirement that they do their best to purge technology systems of five banned Chinese technology providers said to be potential hackers into U.S. intelligence and defense agencies’ information systems.