FEATURE: Detention & Female Drivers
The Waiting Game “The waiting is the hardest part.” ~Tom Petty Driver detention times are a significant problem in the trucking industry. The latest report from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) shows that detention times today are longer and more frequent – particularly for women. More than a third of drivers surveyed (39.6 percent) said that over 70 percent of their pickups and deliveries were delayed in the past year due to customer actions. Overall, they reported that approximately a quarter of their dwell times lasted two or more hours, with 9.3 percent of delays lasting six hours or longer. Significantly more female drivers (54.5 percent) reported delays due to customer actions than male drivers (46.8 percent). And while men were detained more often for periods up to two hours, women drivers were more likely to be delayed two hours or more. In fact, women were 83.3 percent more likely to be delayed six or more hours. While detention clearly is a problem, it is not likely a sign of intentional gender discrimination, according to professional driver and Women In Trucking (WIT) Image Team member Deb LaBree. “In my experience, detention is an issue across the board – for both men and women. However, female drivers do tend to be more patient and less vocal than men,” she acknowledges. “And women drivers who are new to the industry may be unfamiliar with protocol for check-in and follow-up procedures.” Regardless of the reason, long driver detention times have been shown to negatively impact safety and productivity, so it is important for female drivers to take steps to prevent excessive wait times. n
Tips to Minimize Driver Detention: • Arrive on time for appointments
• Check in regularly and ask for updates
• Gather necessary information before approaching the dock
• Remain professional and respectful
• Speak up and ask questions
• Charge detention fees when appropriate
• Use ELD data to document detention time
More female drivers reported delays due to customer actions than male drivers WOMEN MEN
54.5%
46.8%
American Transportation Research Institute
www.WomenInTrucking.org 23
