Labor Department Promotes Trucking Action Plan
As part of the Biden Administration’s over-arching initiative to expand jobs within the trucking industry, the Department of Labor is hosting a “Day of Action” April 28 to raise awareness and advocate for the prevention of sexual assault and sexual harassment in trucking.
The Department of Labor is asking motor carriers, driver training schools and other industry stakeholders to commit to actions that promote safe training and work environments.
NATSO met with representatives from the Labor Department to discuss its upcoming Day of Action and steps that various agencies within the Administration are taking to encourage women into the truck driving profession. Currently women represent just 7 percent of the nation’s commercial drivers. That figure has increased just 2 percent in the past two decades.
The Biden Administration also is forming a Women of Trucking Advisory Board that will review and report on challenges facing woman drivers and those interested in joining the profession, such as on-the-job safety risks, mentorship, quality training, and opportunities for advancement.
The deadline to submit applications was April 15, and the Department of Transportation is expected to select Advisory Board members within the next few months.
In advance of April 28, the Labor Department is urging motor carriers and other trucking stakeholders to take concrete steps such as updating employee manuals, codes of conduct, employment policies and training materials for all staff, including drivers, apprentices, trainees, dispatchers and instructors on safety training policies, codes of conduct and how to report safety violations.
DOL also is urging stakeholders to engage in public forums and conversations to discuss ongoing challenges in retaining qualified drivers, challenges that pertain to women. Expanding the pool of the nation’s commercial drivers is a key component in resolving the nation’s supply chain issues.
NATSO members with questions should contact Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman, Vice President of Public Affairs.
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