Reporting a WA State trucker for making obscene, sexist gestures?

Be careful using those 'how am I driving' numbers. I called one once to complain about someone doing 70 in a 35 and the call somehow routed to the trucker. You can imagine what a fun conversation that was.

IMO, report it to EVERYONE. And make sure everyone knows that you are reporting it to EVERYONE. Who is everyone? Police, Better Business Bureau, Trucking Company, State Licensing Board (in the State where this Trucking Company is licensed), and local newspaper. Any big trucking company will have GPS trackers on the truck. They will be able to confirm his location with your report. Make a stink. Raise hell. If you don't stand up against this jerk, someone else will be his victim later.

I'm not clear on whether it's a state-owned truck or he works for a private company - but if it's a private company, by all means call his employer and report it. I work for a company with a large truck fleet and we would absolutely want to know (and would take action) if one of our drivers was representing us like this on the roads.

The thing you don't mention, and should mention, is the fact that to do this he had to take his eyes off the road. You do say that he pulled up alongside you and it's also not clear that this was appropriate for road layout and conditions and traffic. Be sure to emphasize that in concert with your primary concern.

I used to answer phones for a how-am-I-driving hotline, so my advice is coming from that perspective: - Please don't take your anger out on the person answering the phone; they get yelled at all day for things they didn't do and probably have zero control over. Be calm and firm and give all the details. - Speak to a supervisor/manager if at all possible. Ask for one right off the bat. Go as high up as you can. Ask for their full name and direct line, and give your name and contact info and ask for them to call back with a follow-up. If they don't call you back in a couple days, call them. - Definitely mention that your kids saw, but don't put too much emphasis on that point. So many of the complaints we got included "and my children were in the car!!" and as a result it never held the persuasive power that callers seemed to think it did. Focus on the driver's behavior instead: it was unacceptable, regardless of who witnessed it. - If you do have a how-am-I-driving number, call the trucking company's main phone number too; the hotline might belong to a different company altogether. Do the exact same thing: go high up, ask for a call back. Calling every authority you can possibly think of is not a bad idea.

I would start with the trucking company. You may have immediate results. Did you get a photo?

I work in freight. If you were able to take a pic (which is what I do when a trucker does something illegal) you can report their MC number to the National Motor Carrier Association. They have a website. The MC# is usually on the doors of their truck.

UGH. Definitely report. I'm so sorry - that can be a really disturbing situation and I'm sure having your kids in the car made it even worse. It's tempting to want to find the 'perfect' agency where you can report this with a maximum amount of effectiveness. But in situations like this, it's better to start a blanket approach and see where you get a bit of traction. A few things: 1. You can make the first few phone calls about information gathering -- you're trying to find the right place to register your complaint. Your first few calls might not be making the complaint itself. This can be a bit easier to stomach in situations like this. If it feels easier during the process, you can say, "I need to make a complaint about a WA state truck, and I have the number, location, license, etc. and need to who to call. Can you help me figure that out?" --- that way you're not having to describe the exact situation to people until you know it'll make a difference. 2. Keep track of all the people and numbers you call while you're trying to find the reporting agency. It'll make the whole process easier. 3. You can totally ask a friend to help, if the process is difficult for you. I'd make a bunch of calls for a friend, and let her do the final report, if it would help her through the process. 4. Remember that you're not asking about whether you CAN make a complaint, you ARE making a complaint and trying to find the appropriate way to do so. Treat it as a matter of problem solving (i.e. "who do I call?") and not a matter of permission ("can I do this?"). It sounds like a subtle difference but it'll change your voice during the conversations. Best of luck and hugs as you move through this!

The thing you don't mention, and should mention, is the fact that to do this he had to take his eyes off the road. You do say that he pulled up alongside you and it's also not clear that this was appropriate for road layout and conditions and traffic. BINGO The way you want to sell this, is that he did those things and then made the obscene gesture. I'm not saying to minimize the harassment in your statement, but rather that "he was driving unsafely and harassed me" sounds a lot more damning to his employers complaint line line and organizations concerned about safe operation of trucks than "he harassed me, and also he was driving unsafely". Lead with the fact that he was being inattentive while operating an enormous vehicle. The harassment is basically the difference between murder and premeditated murder here, as far as getting him in trouble goes. Play it up. It also likely get taken a lot more seriously by a phone operator who may be the kind of asshole who would roll their eyes at this. Mind you, this is just my personal opinion as someone who would totally complain about this shit, who was raised by a mother who always complained about this kind of stuff as high up as she could go. But i always look for "What's the easiest thing to get them in actual trouble for, rather than just the thing that pissed me off the most". The consequences for having a reported instance of driving unsafely are likely a much bigger deal with his employer than lewdly harassing someone, especially in such a dudebro profession. Sad, but likely true.