Study about crimes against female, minority truckers heading to White House OMB

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s plan to study the “prevalence, seriousness and nature of the problem of harassment and assaults against minority and female truckers” is heading to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

In a notice set to publish on the Federal Register on Friday, Feb. 28, the agency announced it would be submitting its study request, titled “Crime Prevention for Truckers,” to OMB for review and approval.

The agency announced last July that it was planning to look at the issue of crimes and harassment targeting females and minorities in trucking. The request states there is insufficient data to assess the problem and underreporting of incidents may be occurring.

“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 request states.

The agency’s request cites multiple media reports of examples of harassment and discrimination, including “Rigged” – a four-part exposé by USA Today in June 2017. It also cites a 2006 article in Security Journal that reported 42% of female long-haul truckers said they experienced one or more types of workplace violence.

“Currently, FMCSA does not provide materials or training to truckers, including minority and female truckers, on how to protect themselves from being stalked, harassed, assaulted, or robbed,” the request states. “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 study aims to gather information to understand the seriousness of the problem and to decide on further options for evaluation and action.

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.

Findings will be presented in a report on FMCSA’s website “so that interested stakeholders and the general public will be aware of the findings.” The request also states that the survey “could lead to the agency reaching out to driver training schools to encourage that they address these issues in their courses.”

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.