Nearly 1 in 5 female drivers don’t think trucking is a safe industry for women

From cdl.life.

A recent survey from the group Women In Trucking (WIT) looks at safety concerns for female professional truck drivers.

The group recently shared the results of their 2022 WIT Female Driver Safety and Harassment Study, which aims give voice to the concerns of women operating in a male-dominated industry. WIT says that nearly 450 female drivers responded to the survey.

The survey asked women if they believe trucking is a safe industry for female drivers.

• Nearly 18% of female drivers do not think that trucking is a safe industry for women
• 54% of respondents said that they believe that trucking is safe for women.
• 28.5% of respondents said that they don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other on whether trucking is safe for women.

The survey also asked women to share the locations where they feel most unsafe.

• 87% said truck stops are not safe for women drivers
• 85.5% said rest areas are not safe for women drivers
• 75% said that there are safety risks in the cab of their own truck
• 74% said that there are safety risks at shipper/receiver facilities

The survey asked female drivers what steps they take to stay safe when they’re out on the road.

• 96% said that they try to be very aware of their surroundings
• 77% try to stick to lighted areas of a truck stop or rest area
• 44% carry a personal safety product like mace
• 26% carry a firearm
• 15% carry a device that makes a noise like a rape whistle

The survey also looked at sexual harassment/sexual assault issues during driver training.

• 42.5% said they are aware of a driver who has experienced harassment or actual assault as a result of sharing a cab with an opposite gender trainer.
• 39% of respondents say that their company offers same-gender driver training
• 62.5% of respondents say that same-gender driver training programs would encourage more women to enter the trucking industry

I found it interesting how many women carry firearms.