Posted by HLL Admin

The Women in Trucking Association recently released their findings from a survey they conducted among female truck drivers. Titled, “Addressing Gender Bias and Harassment in the Trucking Industry,” this report reveals the extent to which female drivers report instances of abuse and harassment in the workplace. 

The findings of this report suggest that the trucking industry still has a long way to go when it comes to improving conditions for female drivers. Trucking companies should take note. Not only because these findings represent a real risk for their employees and business, but also because improving these conditions is key to opening up the labor market to more women drivers.

Key Findings About Gender Bias & Harassment in Trucking

Women in Trucking surveyed 436 female drivers across the country about their experiences on the job. Here are some highlights from the report:

• 56% of survey respondents reported they have received verbally offensive comments more than once while working. 
• When it comes to “unwanted physical advances,” 39% of respondents said they had experienced this more than once, while 41% said they had not had any such experiences.
• Nearly 18% of respondents reported that they had been threatened with a weapon at least once within the past 5 years as a truck driver, and roughly 4% had been raped.
• Approximately 30% of the drivers surveyed said they were not aware of their company’s harassment policies or reported that their employer did not have any.

These findings and more are available in a whitepaper from Women in Trucking and they highlight some serious challenges for the trucking industry. Trucking companies want to protect their drivers from harassment and assault and prevent costly legal ramifications and turnover. The report also suggests many instances of abuse occur within one-on-one training periods where female drivers are often paired up with one experienced male driver for an extended period of time. Alternative training scenarios are recommended by Women in Trucking within the report.

Many motor carriers are struggling with a competitive labor market. The trends represented in this survey must improve to help trucking companies attract and retain more qualified drivers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, under 8% of drivers and sales specialists in trucking are women, suggesting there is room for growth in the labor pool. 

Read more about this report at Transport Topics.

How Trucking Companies Should Respond

Harassment policies and employment standards can help trucking companies improve the quality of working conditions for all truck drivers. A safer workplace translates to happier drivers and the ability to draw in qualified candidates from a wider demographic range of people. 

In summary, the report states, “While the trucking industry should be proud of the significant strides it has made in fostering gender inclusivity over the last four years, [our survey] makes it clear that gender bias and harassment remains a significant concern for female drivers that’s deserving of all stakeholders’ time and attention.”

Trucking companies should be fully aware of the risks associated with this survey’s findings. All truck drivers deserve to work free of sexual harassment. Trucking companies can serve the health of their business in particular and the industry at large by instituting comprehensive harassment training and policies that help prevent harassment from occurring.

Hughes Lawyers commonly represents trucking companies and other employers in a wide variety of cases. If you need legal services for an urgent matter, reach out immediately and initiate a fast response. Contact us today.