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