A city in Illinois is extending their enforcement of commercial vehicle regulations even further after writing more than $2.2 million in citations in the 14 months since the regulations were put into place.
In August of 2017, the Joliet Police Department in Joliet, Illinois began enforcing overweight and oversize violations for commercial trucks that did not plan their trip according to the city’s designated truck routes and weight limitations. Since then, the three full time patrol officers in charge of monitoring the trucks traveling through the city have written more than $2.2 million worth of citations during their Monday-Friday daily enforcement.
Now, the city says that they are extending their commercial vehicle enforcement hours to include evenings and weekends, allowing their officers to monitor trucks traveling through the city more thoroughly.
“While the majority of semi-truck drivers are safe and observant operators, Joliet is taking a serious stance on those drivers who do not take time to map routes through Joliet correctly the or who haul loads that are not suited for the route chosen,” said Joliet Interim Police Chief Al Roechner.
“The safety of our residents and preservation of our infrastructure and roadways are top priorities for Joliet.”
Fines for a commercial vehicle over the maximum weight of 24,000 lbs found traveling on roads other than the ones designated in the truck routes range from $500 to upwards of $30,000.
The city has also instated a road blockage ordinance, meaning that semi trucks left blocking the road “due to poor planning,” are subject to even more fines and citations.
“Since passage of the road blockage ordinance several years ago, we have seen an 80% drop in road blockages,” said traffic Sgt. Phil Stice.
“We count on the fact that these drivers are in communication with one another and that word has gotten out that Joliet takes road blockages, due to poor planning, very seriously.”
With the extended patrol hours, the city says they plan on hiring more officers to enforce the commercial truck regulations.
“Joliet fully recognizes the increase in semi-traffic over the last several years and that it is unlikely to diminish in the near future,” explained Mayor Bob O’Dekirk.
“Therefore, we see the merit in increased patrol efforts combined with effective ordinances and permitting measures. With these safeguards in place, Joliet can maintain its status as a hub for commerce and industry without compromising its resident’s safety and quality of life.”
“Truck drivers in Joliet are learning quickly to plan their route ahead of time or else there will be consequences,” Stice said.