We are working with carriers and the EEOC to create a "Best Practices" White Paper for the industry. I have already received policy documents from a number of major carriers. I would like your input on what you would like to see in your company's policy manual to avoid any harassment between driver trainers and trainees, especially those of opposite gender.

As drivers, you are the experts. Please provide your input for this very important industry document.

Thanks,
Ellen

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Ellen Voie
President/CEO
Member 10002-I
Women In Trucking, Inc.

1. Increasing the experience level of the trainer

2. A tip sheet for the student as to appropriate clothing such as sleepwear to have while in the training stage or in running with a co driver afterwards and about personal conduct.

3. In depth sensitivity training for the trainers

4. Clear cut lines of communication to appropiate company officials to report abuse that should be gone over thoroughly in orientation. This might involve giving the student a special cell phone, a card with phone numbers on it or a special macro on the qual com.

5. Rules of conduct for the student gone over in orientation

6. Psychological testing for trainers along with very thorough background checks

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The only stupid question is the one you do not ask...

I'd also add that during Orientation, the trainee must be made very aware that their behaviour/dress should be of the highest, most appropriate order.

The trainee is also obligated to behave in a professional manner. This will protect them in that their body language etc will then not be mis-interpreted. But also, if there is any misbehaviour, then the trainer would have to admit that the trainee never behaved in anything but an exemplory manner.

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10448-D

A company I was previously employeed by I funtioned as a driver and co-ed trainer. It is important to be able to converse with the trainee in an appropriate manner. I agree with the above statements but would also like to add the following:

Psychological testing for both the trainer and trainee

Signed form listing instruction on appropriate conversation, conduct and clothing.

Full understanding of repremands of this policy most be noted with a copy placed in each employee's folder when under a trainer and/or trainee status

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I will never stand in front of you nor will I stand behind you. I will always stand next to you every step and every mile of every day.

These are great. I have been compiling company policies for a year and a half and have gathered some best practices from major carriers in the United States. I will work with the EEOC to incorporate their policies and your comments into a best practices manual for industry wide distribution.

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Ellen Voie
President/CEO
Member 10002-I
Women In Trucking, Inc.

Ellen, this is a loaded topic to me, so please please bear with me in this post. I have thought LONG and hard before I posted.

In stopping harassment, I think it is difficult if there is not a concise, clear and definitive definition. Because harassment is an issue that falls "in the eye of the beholder" what seems serious to me, may not to you and vice versa. this needs to be done on a national level and on a company level. To many times, in my opinion, harassment is blown off because the person taking the report does not see it as a serious issue therefore nothing is done. On the flip side of the argument, the person making hte report is emotional and often times has made the report a personal attack. So step one to advocate clear concise definitions and regulations as to what exactly harassment is.

That being said, companies need to have direct and clear policy on the entire topic...from the how to identify harassment, what the company considers harassment, the entire reporting protocol, the investigation process, and the "punishment" for defined and proven harassment. To the point of a step by step guide.

People first need to realize that this IS a hard job, a difficult work environment and that they are going to be put into situations that you do NOT encounter on a office/retail job. They need to realize and understand their workplace is the same as their homespace and at times, things do become emotional, stressful and strained. HOWEVER, they also need to understand that even though this is an unconventional industry, we are still expected to be professional at all times, in the truck and out of the truck.

When a person is hired on with the company, time needs to be taken in training/orientation to explain the policy and procedure thoroughly and make sure there are no questions. Memos and handouts need to be given for the individual to carry with them (similiar to the accident or OSD reporting protocol) it needs to explain who what when and HOW!! to report the issue to. There needs to be a form signed by the person that they are informed and understand the policy.

When a person is promoted to a trainer position, they need to go through similar but more indepth training on this policy. What the consequences are etc. and forms similiar to the training forms signed.

In both situations, it also needs to be spelled out what will happen to either party if false claims are filed, or if retalitation is taken by either party. It also needs to be company policy that the situation will be handled by management and what consequences will occur if it is found that flaming, bashing etc have taken place. Harassment is an issue best not tried in the public...if the report is unfounded a good trainer could be permanently marked by an irate or unsatisfied trainee. and vice versa. careers could be ruined.

I truly believe that if a company has a clear concise policy that spells out step by step and then FOLLOWS it and enforces it, that many times issues will be handled professionally and quickly in the truck and not in the office.

That all being said, we know how impossible the above is because harassment can't be defined. in the perfect world yes, in the world we live in now...no.
So to really "fix the problem" it needs to be solved IN THE CAB:

Clear boundaries need to be made by the two people who are going to be involved in the situation...the people in the truck.. What is expected, what is not, what the boundaries are. And the boundaries need to be respected. Personal responsibility needs to be taken by both parties and what I call the Parent's test needs to be taken. Would you go to sunday dinner at your parent's home dressed like that? Would you ask that same question, make the same request or comment to your parents at dinner? If people would put their brain in gear before they opened their mouth, thought before they acted and realized there are consequences to action, problems could be sidelined.

However, until people take personal responsibility and realize they make their own environment this is a problem that is gong to be revisited over and over again

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(Member I'd 10489 D). If you sit and wait for all the good things in life to come to you...and never have to go through bad times...how do you know you got what you were waiting for?

Dawdles , You hit the nail on the head a few times when you said PROFESSIONALLY handled . There are too many people who come into this industry thinking that because it is considered an unskilled position that it is going to be all fun and games and anything goes . I hear it every day out there on the radio , and have even experienced it a time or two myself .
This job is not a game , it truly is a profession , just the same as being a doctor or a lawyer . No , we don't have to go thru years of college to be truck drivers but for goodness sake , people need to take pride in what they do and the image they present out here to the whole world .
I am in agreement with this ladies , dawdles hit it right on . Clear cut boundaries , definitive guidelines , and proper reporting procedures need to be put in palce . Too much murky water the way it is now .

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just a bucket truck driver .member #10829-D

I agree with Dawdles too. The lines between what is actual sexual harassment and what is not are very blurred in the law. It comes down to what makes a person uncomfortable. Follows are some of the blurred reasons I have seen and heard of that constitute sexual harassment claims filed by some.
1. He/she called me honey, baby, darlin', sugar, girl, lady.
2. He held a door open for me repeatedly.
3. He/she asked me if I was married.
4. He/she asked me out to dinner.
5. He/she offered to pay for my meal.
6. He/she asked if I wanted to stop for coffee.
7. He/she cussed in front of me.
8. He/she told an off color joke in my hearing.
9. He/she asked my advice about their girlfriend/boyfriend.
10. He/she looked at me with a funny look.

While some of those might make one feel uncomfortable if one is not used to dealing with the opposite gender, none of them constitute harassment IMO yet could stop someone's career if file upon.

So defining exactly what a company thinks of as sexual harassment would be the first thing to be done IMO.

I do think that psychological testing of trainers along with background checks should be standard...ones such as perhaps the police go thru...I do not think that testing of the student would show much. Back in the day, polygraph tests were used as prehire testing and IMO would be a good thing to bring back especially in the case of harassment/abuse claims.

I do also agree that setting boundaries is the answer...but how do you teach someone who hasn't a clue about how to conduct themselves outside of trucking how to do it inside of trucking?

I am beginning to think that a preschool for potential truck drivers is needed to teach them about the lifestyle and what is expected of them and also how to conduct ones self professionally is needed. LOL

I have a question for ya'll...I hear a lot of stories about women students being raped by trainers who do not report it until later...at times months or years later. Would it not follow that if someone was actually raped by a trainer that one would contact the police and the company immediately instead of remaining on the truck with a rapist for weeks after the event and then not report it for a long time?

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The only stupid question is the one you do not ask...

got another one for ya .
He or they stared at me while i walked thru the office/terminal/dock etc...

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just a bucket truck driver .member #10829-D

These are great. I will compile these and will work with the EEOC to finalize a best practices policy manual. Thanks for your input. Keep them coming.

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Ellen Voie
President/CEO
Member 10002-I
Women In Trucking, Inc.

Very good suggestions ladies!

I don't agree with the polygraph testing, is not infallible. Psychological testing? Not so sure of that. Too many times I have seen people not do so well because they are tests, not an actual portrayal of what the person is like, but I could be wrong.

Definitely needs to be a minimum requirement established of how much experience a trainer must have before they can become a trainer. And most companies only have the trainer train the student for a month. I totally disagree with that, the training period needs to be either up to the trainer (without pressure from the company), or a minimum of 3-6 months.

One of the best things I did for myself and for my students, was to tell them to keep a pocket tape recorder nearby or in their pocket. There were instances, in the initial co-driver trial runs, that anytime things became dicey, I would flip it on. Never had to use it to actually take it to HR for anything, but it provided a source of information to negate the he said/ she said thing.

The only complaint my students ever said was that " I was too hard on them". One even tried to say it was because he was Hispanic. To them I replied, I have to be hard on you, because this is a hard job. It is my job to turn you into the most prepared truck driver in just one month. I then gave them their own pocket recorder and told them, should they ever feel the need to record, don't hesitate. I also taught them how to send a qc msg and delete it as well as the number to call if at anytime they felt that I was doing something wrong.

We would sit and discuss what was expected of the student and what was expected of the trainer. I would clearly set up boundaries. For example, I would tell them, I don't care if you cuss, I don't care if you tell off color jokes, I don't care if your a racist, democrat, republican or you hate women, but if I tell you "that's enough" then you stop. I asked them to do the same as well to me. This is not a dentist office, your in a extremely stressful situations, your going to cuss, your going to offend someone. What becomes harassment is when someone tells you to stop and you keep going! If one person can't stop, and the other has clearly told them to stop, then it is time to make alternative arrangements.

If assaults occur, it is time to call the police. Assaults are not something for the company to handle, it is a police matter.

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Member Id#: 10736-D

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Thanks Angel, you hit it on the head. If you've been assaulted, call 911.

We actually get calls from women who are afraid to back out in the truck because their male trainer has made demands. We tell them to call the police! These need to be documented.

Part of the process in creating the best practices is to provide information on what constitutes an assault. It can be verbal!

I appreciate your input.

Ellen

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Ellen Voie
President/CEO
Member 10002-I
Women In Trucking, Inc.