LANSING — Fourteen prospective motor carrier officers reported to the Michigan State Police Training Academy Sunday for the first day of the 22nd Motor Carrier Officer Recruit School.

For the next 19 weeks, recruits will receive instruction in firearms, water safety, defensive tactics, patrol techniques, report writing, ethics, first aid, criminal law, precision driving, commercial vehicle law and commercial vehicle inspection procedures.

Recruits who successfully complete recruit school will graduate on Dec. 21, 2017, and be assigned to work sites across the state.

Motor carrier officers are armed uniformed members of the MSP who specialize in commercial vehicle enforcement. They enforce traffic safety laws on commercial vehicles, protect the infrastructure through aggressive size and weight enforcement, conduct commercial vehicle and driver inspections and contribute to homeland security efforts by enforcing hazardous material regulations.

In order to be selected to attend the academy, applicants had to pass a stringent selection process that included a physical fitness test, background investigation and hiring interview.

This is the first motor carrier officer recruit school held since 13 officers graduated from the 21st Motor Carrier Officer Recruit School in January.

To learn more about a career with the MSP, interested candidates should visit michigan.gov/mspjobs.