There are many professions in the United States in which men and women are basically treated as equals. However, there are also some industries in which men dominate and women have difficult experiences because of their gender.
The trucking industry is one of those. Nowadays, more women are getting into trucking and they are just as competent and successful at the job as men are. However, the men often do not see it that way. Often, the person who is driving the truck is driving alone. However, there are also truck runs in which there are co-drivers. In that case, each driver will drive for a certain number of hours and then rest while the other driver takes over. Sometimes, that can lead to trouble.
Only a small percentage of women drive trucks for a living
According to statistics, only 7% of truck drivers are women. Of that small percentage, according to a recent study, over 90% of those female drivers reported one or more incidents of sexual harassment at some point in their careers. The fact is that driving a truck is a physically difficult job and if you add difficult conditions (the trucks themselves as well as road conditions, etc.) low pay, and harassment, the trucking industry becomes an almost impossible choice for women.
At the moment, there is a serious lack of truck drivers in the American trucking industry. According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry needs 80,000 more truck drivers. If that situation does not change, the trucking crisis may get much worse in the next several years.
Valuable advice from a knowledgeable attorney
If you are a truck driver who has experienced harassment on the job, you may want to discuss your case with a knowledgeable Los Angeles attorney who may be able to advise you on exactly how to proceed for the best possible outcome. It is important to protect your rights and to receive the compensation to which you are entitled.