Truckers or trucking companies in the Houston area can take advantage of free truck safety seminars at the Houston Community College Jan. 20 and 27.

The Texas Motor Transportation Assn. is sponsoring the seminars, dubbed "Truck Safety 101." They will be held at the Houston Community College's Truck Driver Training Center on the Northeast Campus and led by Chief Virgil Walsmith, retired from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The seminars are part of a safety initiative announced by TMTA just before Christmas. The initiative also includes:
* An endorsement of the stepped-up commercial vehicle enforcement efforts of the Houston Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. (See "Houston Plans Another Truck Crackdown This Week," 11/15/99.)
* Implementation of the "No-Zone" truck safety public education program, including billboards, radio and TV public service announcements, and presentations to the public.
* A cooperative effort between TMTA and the Texas DOT to produce a video aimed at truck drivers and the general public to point out the dangers of excessive speed, particularly in interchanges; the importance of staying out of a truck's "No-Zone;" and the need for all drivers to be more aware of traffic and driving conditions, especially in congested areas.