For residents of Illinois, it seems there are very few opportunities to brag about their State. Specifically, when it comes to government and programs, there is often a great deal left to be desired. While it would be easy to craft a list of complaints the Illinois taxpayer has, it is not the purpose nor the spirit of what is preached from the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association. Instead, the ITEA instills in its members the desire to think critically, bridge gaps and work together to develop fair and sensible enforcement practices. Progress and innovation is at the forefront of everything the ITEA attempts to do.
This past month, ITEA members attended the Specialized Transportation Symposium hosted by the Specialized Carriers and Rigging Association in Orlando, Florida. While at the Symposium, attendees had the opportunity to hear from permitting officials from many states around this great nation.
Carriers who specialize in oversize and overweight movements were also in attendance during the four day event. Much like the ITEA, the SC&RA has strived to bring together trucking companies, state DOT agencies and law enforcement. The goal is to develop comprehensive policies in an effort to harmonize permitting throughout the United States. The SC&RA has been extremely successful in facilitating these conversations, and many state agencies have responded to those conversations by taking actions to better their permitting protocol.
It was clear during the Symposium one state was leaps and bounds ahead of others when it came to permitting on state highways. The Illinois Department of Transportation and its Permit Chief, Geno Koehler, were recognized repeatedly as leading the way in the evolution of online, automated permitting.
The Illinois Transportation Automated Permitting (ITAP) program was also praised in its overall effectiveness and efficiency. ITAP is an online system which allows carriers to login, apply for a permit, obtain routing and receive permission to move over state highways in minutes.
Over the past several years some amazing steps have been taken in regards to the ITAP program. Geno and his staff have worked tirelessly to phase in new technology and make the program more user friendly.
In 2016, more than 230,000 permits were issued by the Illinois Department of Transportation, with 98.75% of those permits being fully automated. This astounding percentage means almost every person who logs into ITAP can obtain permission to move an oversize/overweight vehicle without talking to a single person, faxing a single sheet of paper or even getting up from their desk.
This is an amazing accomplishment which Geno and his staff should all be extremely proud of. The ITEA would certainly like to commend them for their efforts.
While IDOT is a leader among states when it comes to permitting, local government is also helping to revolutionize the way that permits are processed on local highways in Illinois. Many municipalities, townships and counties have begun to utilize Oxcart Permit Systems as a means of issuing local permits. Oxcart essentially takes the ease of the ITAP system and brings it to locals.
Oxcart’s one-stop-shop allows companies to easily apply for and obtain local permits, a task which has historically been an exhausting and confusing process. Currently, more than forty local governments are utilizing the program.
Oxcart is free to local units of government and can be used to issue permits with each individual agencies’ ordinances and regulations. Oxcart staff also offers free consultation to local government in the development of new permitting ordinances or the modification of existing ordinances.
While Illinois clearly owns bragging rights when it comes to permitting, there is one more thing to add to the list. Illinois is the home of the only known association which brings the trucking industry, regulatory agencies, attorneys and law enforcement together to keep the public safe and industry profitable.
That’s right, the Illinois Truck Enforcement Association is the only organization of its kind. As evidence of this success, the ITEA hosted its 6th Annual Conference in Carol Stream on February 22nd. A record one-hundred and sixty-seven individuals signed up for the conference with almost 40% being from the trucking industry.
This event gave attendees the chance to network with those on both side of the spectrum. All participants attended educational breakout sessions where they learned valuable information pertinent to how they perform their jobs on a daily basis. While those attending the conference may not have realized it, they were part of an event which cannot be found anywhere outside of Illinois.
The ITEA is proud to work with each of the nearly six-hundred members, and those who follow this blog and the ITEA Facebook and Twitter feeds. Regardless of what happens in the future, when it comes to the relationship between trucking and law enforcement, Illinois is ahead of the curve.
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