FMCSA seeks info about crimes against female, minority truckers

July 22, 2019

Mark Schremmer

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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is planning a study regarding the “prevalence, seriousness, and nature of the problem of harassment and assaults against minority and female truckers.”

The notice, titled “Crime Prevention for Truckers,” is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 23.

“FMCSA has accumulated evidence, both documentary and anecdotal, for a serious pattern of harassment and assault-related crimes against female and minority male truckers,” the notice stated.

A 2006 article in Security Journal reported that 42% of female long-haul truckers said they had experienced one or more types of workplace violence. Currently, FMCSA does not provide any materials or training to truckers on how to protect themselves from an assault or robbery.

The agency is coordinating the creation of a survey before it decides how to address the issues.

“Before effective solutions for preventing or reducing these crimes against female and minority truckers can be developed and implemented, FMCSA must understand the prevalence, seriousness, and nature of the problem of harassment and assaults against truckers,” the notice stated. “Currently, there is insufficient data.”

The survey of professional truck drivers will be limited to female and minority male drivers. It will ask whether or not the drivers have experienced race or gender-related harassment or crimes on the job. If the driver has had such an experience, the survey will ask follow-up questions on where and when the incidents occurred, any information the respondent knows about the perpetrator, and whether the respondent reported the incident. The survey will be anonymous.

A maximum of 440 males and 440 females will be included in the survey. About 80 males and 80 females will participate in in-person interviews. A $25 incentive will be given to eligible respondents to the in-person interview or the online survey. To be eligible, respondents must report that they are a female or a minority male who has driven a truck professionally in the past two years.

Once the notice is published in the Federal Register, the public will have 60 days to comment on the information collection request. Comments may be made at the Regulations.gov website by entering docket number FMCSA-2018-0278.