Survey: Female Drivers Harassed More Than Males

A recent study of truck drivers found that female drivers face more sexual harassment at their companies or by their trainers than their male counterparts. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released its Crime Prevention for Truckers Study Nov. 9 during the inaugural meeting of the Women of Trucking Advisory Board (WOTAB). 

Specifically, the data showed that relative to men (8 percent of minority and 14 percent non-minority), 33 percent of women truck drivers are exposed to sexual harassment. 

The report also examined other forms of abuse, such as name calling and threats, and concluded that “harassment against truck drivers is prevalent.” It found that 59 percent of female drivers have endured name calling, as have 52 percent of non-white male drivers. Minority male drivers are more likely to receive threats (40 percent) as compared to women drivers (38 percent). 

Often times, the instigator is a fellow truck driver, though typically not one the victim knows. Thirty-one percent of women drivers experience such incidents, as compared to 27 percent of minority men. 

The study also found that roughly half of all harassment incidents go unreported due to concerns that reporting it would not “make a difference.” 

The survey provided some suggestions to improve these numbers, including enhancing safety at trucking facilities, building additional parking facilities and providing personal safety training to drivers. 

WOTAB said it will use the results of this data, as well as its members’ first-hand experience, to make recommendations. 

“Safety is FMCSA’s number one priority, and all truckers should feel safe in this industry,” FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson said during the meeting. “It’s so important to have a diverse board of women trucking professionals who will help make the industry safer and a more appealing career option, not only to women, but to everyone who has been underrepresented in the industry.”