FMCSA to examine violence against female & minority truckers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced plans to conduct a survey on the prevalence and severity of race and gender related harassment and violence experienced by women and minority truck drivers.

In a document scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on July 23, the FMCSA announced plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) entitled “Crime Prevention for Truckers,” designed to give the agency more information about the frequency and nature of assault and harassment of minority and female truck drivers.

The FMCSA says that the study is warranted due to the “accumulated evidence, both documentary and anecdotal, for a serious pattern of harassment- and assault-related crimes against female and minority male truckers.” The agency says that these types of crimes are under-reported for unknown reasons.

The survey will be limited to female and minority truck drivers and will be conducted anonymously. The survey will begin by asking if the participant has experience violence or harassment and if so, will ask the participant 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.

A maximum of 440 males and 440 females will be surveyed both in person and using online surveys. A $25 incentive will be offered to qualified participants.

The FMCSA says that once they understand the nature of the gender and race related crime in the trucking industry, they’ll be able to provide training and educational materials on how to prevent assault, stalking, and robbery.