A new Illinois task force is looking at the issue of truckers straying off of truck-friendly routes when using consumer GPS routing systems.


The Global Positioning System Technology and the Designated Truck Route System Task Force force has been appointed as set forth in Public Act 96-1370 to consider advances in and utilization of Global Positioning System technology (GPS) related to routing information for commercial vehicles.

The act that created the task force was sponsored by Senators Michael Frerichs and John O. Jones; Representatives Jay Hoffman, Lou Lang, Dan Beiser, William Black and Jack McGuire.

"There have been examples of truck drivers following their GPS devices onto roads with bridges too short or roads too narrow," Frerichs said. His original bill would have limited the kinds of GPS devices drivers of Class 7 and 8 trucks were allowed to use. That bill was stalled in committee after being opposed by critics who questioned the accuracy of the systems. The alternative was this bill to "study" the issue and find ways to improve the data being used in the systems

Trucking's Take

Don Schaefer, president of the Mid-West Truckers Association, which is based in Illinois, is on the task force. He says his group opposed the original bill, introduced a year ago, because they didn't feel the data being used by truck GPS systems was accurate enough.

"The original bill introduced a year ago basically made it illegal to use anything but a truck GPS system in commercial vehicles," Schaefer explained to Truckinginfo in an e-mail. "We had been asked to 'test drive' some early GPS systems for commercial vehicles and found they lacked the needed information to properly route a truck on the designated highway system. For example, Illinois had changed the truck speed limit to 65 on rural interstates, but that was not reflected in the information in the system. Illinois also [changed the law and] allowed 80,000-pound access on most roads, but the data for months reflected the old 73,280-pound weight limit. The systems also didn't have accurate bridge weight limits and clearances."

That's not necessarily the fault of the GPS makers, though. "There is no hammer being held over the head of state and local road officials to provide detailed accurate information to assure the data is good," Schaefer says.

Schaefer says he's got a lot of ideas for the task force, especially considering "this is Illinois and there is always something behind the curtain on an issue like this."

Rand McNally's John McAvoy, director of engineering, is also on the task force.

"I am looking forward to working with the task force on this important issue," McAvoy told Truckinginfo.com in an e-mail. "There are several items to consider. One is how information, such as truck restrictions, and bridge heights are reported and made available on lower class roads. The other is how that information is made available to the trucking industry. Utilizing the appropriate data for routing commercial trucks can reduce accidents, bridge strikes and trucks caught where they shouldn't be. Improvements in these areas will positively impact all who share the roads."

The Task Force

The task force by law will include two members each of the state House and Senate; the DOT secretary or his or her designee; one member representing the global positioning system technology industry; one member representing the commercial trucking industry; one member representing a unit of county government; one member representing a unit of municipal
government; and one member representing the county engineers.

The Task Force will submit to the governor and General Assembly a report of its findings and recommendations for legislative action necessary to accomplish one or more of the following goals:

(1) improving public traffic safety,

(2) preserving roadway infrastructure,

(3) addressing advances in GPS technology relating to truck routing, and

(4) producing an accurate statewide designated truck route system through effective enforcement.

The report must be submitted no later than Jan. 1, 2011.