 A new Illinois Bill, 1377, is set to make the Trucking industry a little safer and tech-savvy. Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation in hopes that it will increase truck safety. The terms of the Bill include making the trucking routes and restrictions easily accessible to the commercial transport industry. Bill 1377, set to take effect January 1, 2012, was first recommended by an Illinois task force. They were investigating truckers' use of GPS devices and if they were complying with the Designated Truck Route System. This task force, a group of industry and government representatives, offered up three suggestions for the new law: 1. Merge truck routing databases. The merging of databases will hopefully create a network of accurate information that all truck drivers can access easily. The data included will be bridge heights, hazardous routes, and other legal restrictions. 2. Require reporting of truck networks and preferred routes through simple means. Local jurisdictions will report preferred routes and designated truck roads to keep drivers on track and away from undesired areas. With a central database and simple reporting processes, more drivers will be encouraged to use the service. 3. Educate truck drivers on the key differences between car and truck GPS systems. The differences between truck and car GPS systems is wide and varied, which is why educating truck drivers on the differences is very important. The features of truck-friendly GPS units are designed to aid the drivers, and when used correctly are very accurate and helpful. Illinois may be the first state to implement such a law, but it will not be the last. Many people will be closely following to see if this pilot project succeeds. | 
