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Illinois bills advance that would boost idling fines, end truck fee

Two bills on the move at the Illinois statehouse are likely to elicit different responses from truckers. One bill would boost fines for idling violations while the second measure would repeal collection of the commercial distribution fee.

The Senate Environment Committee voted 5-4 to advance to the full Senate a bill that would increase idling fines. House lawmakers already approved it.

An OOIDA Call to Action was issued before a House committee vote. In what could be considered a win for Illinois truckers who made their voices heard about the bill, the panel voted to significantly reduce the fine amount for first offenders.

Illinois law now prohibits diesel-powered vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 8,000 pounds from stationary idling longer than 10 minutes per hour in areas that include Chicago and East St. Louis, IL.

Violators face $50 fines for first offenses. Second or subsequent offenses within any 12-month period result in $150 fines. Certain exceptions apply.

Sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Des Plaines, the bill would increase the first-offender fine from $50 to $90. Repeat offenses would increase from $150 to $500.

As introduced, the bill called for boosting the fine for first offenders to $250. It also allowed for the ticket-writing agency to keep 60 percent of the fine.

The version that awaits initial consideration on the Senate floor would allow local law enforcement to keep $20 of the $90 ticket. But for repeat offenses, the agency would get more than 50 percent – $262. The rest of the money would be routed into the state’s general revenue fund and into a fund to educate truckers about the idling rule.

OOIDA is particularly concerned about the bill’s intent to boost fines with lucrative incentives being offered for tickets written.

In place since 2007, the idling rule is waived when temperatures are less than 32 degrees or higher than 80 degrees. Truckers are allowed to operate defrosters, heaters, air conditioners, or other equipment necessary “to prevent a safety or health emergency.”

A separate provision in current law addresses truckers who many times are forced to wait for extended amounts of time to conduct business. Illinois law specifies that while waiting to weigh, load or unload cargo or freight, truckers are limited to idling for no more than 30 minutes per hour, “unless they are in a line of vehicles that regularly and periodically moves forward.”

Another bill that soon could draw consideration is of significant interest to the pocketbooks of truckers with Illinois base plates. SB1434 would repeal collection of the commercial distribution fee for trucks in the state. The amount is a 14.35 percent surcharge of the annual registration fees.

The bill has moved to the House Executive Committee. The Senate previously approved it by unanimous consent.

For truck registrations of 80,000 pounds, truckers are required to chip in another $400 to cover the CDF. On top of the $2,790 they already pay for base plates, truckers pay nearly $3,200 a year to tag their trucks in the state.

OOIDA issued a Call to Action on the effort prior to its Senate passage. OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer said the fee amounts to a tax on a tax.

“We think it’s wholly appropriate that it should be eliminated,” Spencer told Land Line .

To view other legislative activities of interest for Illinois in 2009, click here .

Editor’s Note: Please share your thoughts with us about the legislation included in this story. Comments may be sent to [email protected] .