Welding

I want to weld a hitch receiver to the front of my 2011 Silverado 3500 diesel to haul the bikes around. What precations to the truck should I take prior to welding the mount? Years back the common pracitice was to disconnect the battery to prevent some sort of electrical issue between the welder and the the car or electronics. I don't know if that was necessary or not. Thanks for your input, be safe!