The Women of Trucking advisory board is a recent addition to the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA). The board, made up of 16 women, was created in 2021 to increase recruitment numbers of women truck drivers and retain those drivers through support and movements to ensure their safety, as reported by Trucking Info.
A virtual meeting will be held on Nov. 9 to discuss the board’s recent creation and to review the results of a study conducted on rates of crime in trucking. The study, titled Crime Prevention for Truckers, was sponsored by the FMCSA’s Office of Research and investigated women’s safety while on the road.
The study collected data on the frequency of violent crimes against both minority and female truckers. It included a survey of how many minority /female drivers have been threatened or assaulted; the nature of the crimes; the details of when and where they occurred; and information of the perpetrator and the victim. Collecting and reviewing this data works toward creating a safer environment for female truck drivers.
Conducting conversations about female truck drivers’ safety is an integral part of recruiting more women to the historically male-dominated career field. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented on the need for such a board shortly following its 2021 establishment.
“America needs truck drivers like never before, yet women – half the American people – have long been underestimated and underrepresented behind the wheel and in jobs across this sector,” he said. “Getting to know women in trucking, I have heard about their passion for the job as well as the challenges they face, and this experienced Women of Trucking Advisory Board will help us address these issues directly.”
The Women in Truck advisory board was created in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which falls under the purview of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This law mandated that FMCSA create such a board.
The Nov. 9 meeting will further the purpose of the Women in Trucking advisory board which aims to confront the issues that discourage women from entering the trucking industry.
