Because one trucker decided to make the call on a suspicious vehicle, 31 offenders were convicted, a 13-state child trafficking ring was shut down, and 7 children were rescued.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance hosts an annual Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative to provide truckers with the tools they need to help put a stop to human trafficking like the trucker in the story.
What is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking is “…the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.”
The U.S. Department of State estimates that there are a total of 27.6 million victims of human trafficking worldwide.
Tragically, human trafficking often intersects with the trucking industry, with truck stops being a particular hot spot for traffickers.
How the CVSA is Helping to Empower Truckers
From January 8 – 12, the CVSA is hosting the Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative. The initiative seeks to inform truckers of the tell-tale signs of human trafficking and how to respond.
Truckers can watch the video below to learn about the prevalence of human trafficking in the trucking industry.
Video courtesy of the CVSA.
The initiative also provides truckers with helpful resources should they have an encounter with human trafficking. For example,
- Truckers can report suspicious activity to the Truckers Against Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888.
- Truckers can become familiar with the universal hand gesture used by victims of violence to discreetly communicate that they are in danger.
- Truckers can learn more about the nature of human trafficking, including in their home state, at this link.
For all updates related to the Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, truckers can follow the CVSA on Facebook, X, or LinkedIn.
Human trafficking is a heinous and devastating crime for its millions of victims. By participating in the Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, truckers can potentially make a life-altering difference by being vigilant.
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