In November 2011, the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association launched the first installment of weekly blog posts. This first article was titled “Dirty Lyle” and it set the tone for the next six years of blog posts: police officers and truckers must work together to keep Illinois safe and make trucking profitable. Now, after more than 220,000 words in 318 articles, the weekly blog is coming to an end on this last day of 2017. But don’t think for a second the ITEA is driving of

No matter what the occupation, there are procedures for the operation. Where there are procedures, there are always holes in the application of the job. No procedure can rightly legislate every possible scenario. Where there are holes in the application, there are interpretations on how best to complete the job. When there are interpretations, there is conflict and differences of opinion. When it comes to measuring axle spacings on trucks for enforcement purposes, the appropr

At any major event people are seen wearing different hats while working together to accomplish the same goal. At sporting events, there are tickets takers, ushers, vendors and security all working in harmony to ensure the spectators have a fun experience. When a catastrophe hits, people come together from police and fire departments, and federal agencies all to keep citizens safe and begin the process of cleanup and rebuilding. In the world of truck enforcement, there are man

Back in 1892, British songwriter Harry Dacre penned a little jingle about he and a woman named “Daisy” riding on a bicycle built for two, more commonly known as “tandem”. Ever seen a pair of horses pulling a trailer? Yep – a tandem. In truck world, a pair of axles is sometimes called a tandem, but sometimes it’s not. Sometimes a tandem is more than two axles. Either way, in the vast world of truck terminology misunderstandings, the tandem is not forgotten. This article will c

Red. It is the universal color representing the command to “stop”. Octagonal stop signs are red. Traffic control devices are red. Brake lights are red. While red means stop, it is also the color which represents rage and anger. When things get red-hot, look out! It is also the color of warning. Think of the shiver up your spine when the metaphorical red flags are raised. The article this week discusses the reddest of red license plates in Illinois – the Exempt Vehicle (EV) pl

Recently, in a village not so far away, potential trouble was brewing for commercial vehicle operators who traveled through this jurisdiction as the people of the village were in an uproar about a perceived problem.  A recent decision to construct an industrial building with access from a road in a large residential area resulted in unhappy people. In fact, the people were so upset they formed a small committee to discuss the impact of commercial vehicle traffic on their resi

In 2013, Illinois was the last State in the Union to pass a law to allow concealed carry of firearms. While the debate runs hot as to the rights and wrongs of gun control, it exposed a regulatory issue not uncommon in truck world: a lack of reciprocity. Commercial vehicle regulations across the nation are mostly unified in things like fuel tax and registration fees. In recent years, there has been a new movement gaining steam in specialized transportation circles – pilot car

Look around right now. What do you see? A phone, computer, lights maybe a chair. What do all these things have in common? They were all delivered by a truck. Every product in the world at some point spent time on a truck. Those trucks were driven by talented men and women, who for one week every year get recognized. That week in 2017 was September 10th through the 16th. This may be a couple weeks late, but the ITEA would like recognize all the hard-working drivers out there.

Regardless of personal politics, the United States of America boasts a government which serves its people like none other. One such service provided is an incredibly complex, expensive and comprehensive interstate highway system. What the people of this great nation forget is that this road network is on loan. It’s open for public use for a limited time, which has an incredible impact on the carrier industry. This week’s article will look at the National System of Interstate

Knowledge is power. When it comes to Illinois truck law, the more one knows and understands, the more power they have. With volumes of Illinois laws and regulations, coupled with even more federal laws and regulations, it is hard to stay on top of all the changes. The Illinois Truck Enforcement Association has worked hard to provide the knowledge to more than two-dozen local police officers this past week. The ITEA hosted a week of basic truck enforcement from September 11th

When a person conveys an intended meaning from one to another through the use of mutually understood signs and semiotic rules, they are communicating effectively. Communication uses words, sounds and behaviors to express or exchange information to successfully share an idea, thought or feeling. As the communication process of human beings continuously evolves, so does the efficiency. Sometimes communication methods break down, and the article this week will address one issue

About a year ago the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association wrote an article on this blog regarding misconceptions of what constitutes a combination of vehicles versus a single vehicle. While sometimes the language of truck law appears straightforward, it becomes distorted when mixed with street vocabulary. The consequence of not knowing what the legal definition of a word means, compared to the common definition, is felt in the wallet when fines are levied. The article this

Illinois, we’re sorry. No one is happy about the recent income and business tax increase in the Land of Lincoln. Even more irritating is paying state income tax and federal income tax. The same occurs in truck world when it comes to oversize and overweight (OSOW) permits. The State of Illinois issues OSOW permits for roadways under their jurisdictions and so do many locals. Similar? Yes. Different. You betcha. The article this week will discuss a scenario which occurs during

The world of truck enforcement is a world of never ending questions. Most people will agree the second heaviest regulated industry in the United States needs rules and regulations. Most people will also agree there is a great deal of discontinuity in the dissemination of these laws, how they are to be interpreted and how they are to be enforced. This level of discontinuity gives birth to such organizations as the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association. The article this week w

New laws are created every day. Legislators create laws to keep people safe, enact taxes and make lives better. Sometimes laws which are created are not looked at again for many years, even though they may have become antiquated due to advances in technology, safety or increase in population. So how does a community learn when it’s time to update local ordinances to better serve a community? Recently a municipality reached out to the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association to

Consistency. This one word is what the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association has strived to provide in all truck enforcement efforts across the state for the better part of a decade. Those from Illinois know when it comes to government functions, there is often much to be desired when it comes to consistency. The only thing which seems to be consistent is the constant change in rules and regulations. This article will discuss a specific delegation of duties in Illinois which

Since the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association began in 2009, the opportunities and networking has greatly expanded. This organization now has more than 600 members and is always building momentum in Illinois as a resource for anyone involved in the trucking industry. The ITEA’s Board of Directors is constantly tasked with educational and outreach programs which not only help our members better understand truck laws, but we also help to provide perspective on how those laws

In recent years, there has been quite a controversy about flags in the United States. As the political polarization of this nation continues to divide, arguments over the display of Old Glory, the Confederate flag and even the Blue Line flag (to commemorate fallen police officers) have been subject to heated debate. The Illinois Vehicle Code (IVC) has something to say about flags too, and unfortunately there is not much to debate. However, flags on trucks are a source of conf

In 2004, there was no bigger animated film than The Incredibles. The evil antagonist Syndrome, a self-made, artificial “superhero”, created technology which would grant any average person superhero powers. He justified his insanity by claiming “when everyone’s super, no one will be”. Syndrome’s warped ideology is a caricature of many things, truck law being one example. The article this week will look at how watering down laws makes them practically pointless in an effort to

Five years ago today, the ITEA published its first blog article, titled Dirty Lyle. Since this time, more than 250 articles have been published on current events which intersect the trucking and law enforcement professions. Some articles have been written to clarify confusing issues. Some have been to end ridiculous rumors. Some have been critical of truckers and some of been critical of police officers. Has this blog served its purpose for the last half-decade? Read on to ju