Since the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association became an information repository to its member police and trucking communities, many questions have been fielded about the confusing laws of this state. Some of the questions require complicated answers, others simple answers and some require a lot of research. In recent weeks, a unique rumor has made its way to the ITEA and the article this week will hopefully clear up the confusion because bad information spreads like wildfir

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

The world is bent on instant gratification. The internet has become such an effective medium of communication it causes anxiety when people cannot receive information immediately. People suffering from these anxiety levels need to use CBD to feel better, visit Dmagazine for more. Shame on impatient people? Probably a fair assumption, but yesterday is the standard for today’s notification. There are some things, however, which everyone must wait on. For those readers hailing f

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

The most important life lessons learned are from bad decisions made. Time and experience can be excellent teachers when a lesson is learned from poor decisions. Experience comes from a way of living and making adjustments. Failure to learn from mistakes runs the risk of repeating them. Unfortunately, for many people, it takes a few repeats of the same mistake to learn the lesson. One costly mistake that is often made in trucking is operating overweight vehicles. Overweight ve

There is no denying it, and there is no hiding from it. Old Man Winter has arrived and he plans to stay for a while. While winter can bring headaches, it also brings something special to everyone who lives in Illinois. For adults, winter brings Christmas, New Year’s celebrations, extended vacations from work, hockey and visiting family members from around the globe. Winter brings children a chance to go sledding, to make snowmen and have a break from school. Winter however ne

Before the turkey and stuffing were digested (or in some cases prepared) newspapers, television and radio were overtaken with “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” advertisements. For those who participated in the madness which 3:00 AM brings the Friday after Thanksgiving, the hope is the deals ventured out for were discovered. For those who spent Monday glued to their devices searching for rock bottom prices on the “must have items of 2016”, the hope is the bosses didn’t notice

Think about the last purchase of your car’s license plates or registration renewal sticker. For most people, it’s as simple as entering credit card information into the Secretary of State’s website and clicking submit. Likely, the hardest decision to make regarding license plates was whether or not to spend the extra cash on a Chicago Cubs specialty plate at the risk of looking like a bandwagon fan. These are the same issues thousands of Illinois vehicle owners face every day

In a world where speed and convenience supersedes a person’s desire to ascertain facts through proper outlets, misinformation runs rampant. What is often forgotten is even before Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media, information was still very often misrepresented and sometimes flat out incorrect. One of the oldest forms of spreading incorrect information is through “wives’ tales.” When it comes to the world of commercial vehicle enforcement, the topic of truck r

Its simple math: 1+1=2. Or isn’t it? When a person has a locker which needs to be secured, he employs a lock which is opened with a key, or a combination. Why is it called a combination lock? Because there is more than one number needed to open the device. When multiple objects are together, the singular is lost and the plural is found. This is no different in truck world, but for some reason the difference between a single vehicle and a combination of vehicles eludes both po

Illinois, at its core, is an agrarian state. A great portion of its commerce is driven by agriculture. Generations of agricultural families are rooted deep in communities and share their name with some of the most traveled local roads. Local agricultural communities stick together in ways unmatched by the trucking industry. The trucking industry may share a common lobby or trade organization, but when the life of someone from the agricultural community is cut short, all

Like children gathered around an advent calendar, truck enforcement officers throughout the state will be gathered around their duty schedules waiting for that one magical day to roll around. The one day when they will go on patrol to find an abundance of violations to which they are specially trained to enforce. The single day where it is actually “easy” to be a truck officer. The day being referred to is July 1st, and it’s known in the truck enforcement world as “Christmas

Imagine you are on the beach – taking in the sun, the breeze and the sound of the waves are only slightly drowned out by the cool rhythms of some classic Bob Marley. Now think about the colorful floral beach towel that you bought just for your trip to this sandy destination. It’s a comfy, large, soft towel, and you paid good money for it. It only seemed appropriate you would take a “beach towel” to the beach. The next day, you decide to keep your toes out of the sand and inst

With its roots in 19th century warfare, the phrase “deadline” has an interesting, somewhat literal, etymology. According to author Christine Ammer, the term “deadline” was coined at the hellish Andersonville, GA prison camp, and first appeared in writing in a report of Confederate Inspector-General, Colonel D.T. Chandler, on July 5, 1864. In the trucking industry, companies and owner-operators are chased by deadlines all year long.  The article this week will talk about those

Those who live, work or own a business in Illinois are well aware of the astronomical amount of taxes paid out on a yearly basis. While some of these taxes are absolutely necessary to provide security, education and infrastructure, others can leave the Illinois tax payer scratching their head as to the actual benefit to society. The bottom line is taxes are necessary to keep this state and country running and providing those essential services often take for granted. The one

At the end of their shift on April 1st, ask any truck enforcement officer in Illinois the most common line heard from truck drivers throughout the day. Chances are most, if not all, will answer with the same redundant phrase: “It’s only one day.” One day is the amount of time that has lapsed between when the Illinois apportioned plate displayed on the driver’s truck went from valid to expired. This is an indisputable fact many drivers will attempt to use in mitigation of the

Ok, the title of this article is a total lie. Weird things are not always wrong, they are just different. If you use social media, your news feed is filled with the bizzare. Marketers use whacked out images and ludicrous stories to get you in front of their advertisers. What is odd intrigues the human mind. Some trucks are weird too, but they are not mere click-bait for police officers. The article this week will look at an out-of-the-ordinary truck and the incorrect police r

Remember when Stella Liebeck spilled that hot cup of McDonald’s coffee all over her lap, burned herself and then sued for an exorbitant amount of money? Some may argue this lawsuit was the beginning of the obvious, common sense warnings we see in the world around us today. From the coffee cups with a written warning the contents are hot, to tags of dress shirts warning you not to iron while wearing it, we are surrounded by seemingly unnecessary warnings. Believe it or not, th

What does it mean to display something? The term itself seems simple enough. Take a moment to look around right now. Whether you’re in your living room, out in your vehicle or in a public place, there are numerous items in your view. Chances are, those items were strategically displayed to accomplish a very basic task; to show you that they are important to those who placed them there. The same goes for truck and trailer registration. At home it may be that autographed Dale E

Happy New Year from the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association! Last week this blog had to focus on some of the negative outlooks moving into the new year, but now it’s time to get the glass half full! The article this week will highlight some upcoming events and initiatives of the ITEA. Calendar year 2015 was not a banner year for law enforcement, but it’s over now. Calendar year 2016 shows a lot of promise! Training Bad news: the State of Illinois is broke. There is no bud