Truck Drivers on Watch for Human Trafficking
To quote Edmund Burke, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”
Doing nothing is not what trucking associations in all 50 states had in mind when they pledged to support Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), to raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking. TAT recognizes that truck drivers are the ‘eyes of the road’ and when properly trained on the signs to look for associated with human trafficking, truck drivers make a huge difference in helping law enforcement combat this unthinkable crime victimizing women and children across the country. In fact, there are more truck drivers than law enforcement officers on the road at any given time.
Most people don’t know the signs of human trafficking when they see them, but TAT is committed to changing that by arming truckers with the information and knowledge needed to spot and report suspicious activity. The organization gives truck drivers wallet cards with the National Human Trafficking Hotline printed directly on them.
Because of the unsettling rise of human trafficking across the U.S., many states have introduced bills that would require entry-level CDL students to complete training in identifying and reporting possible human trafficking situations. To date, truckers have made 1,534 calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which have resulted in 471 potential cases involving 1,033 victims. Men and women in the trucking industry truly are heroes of the highway.
According to the TAT website, more than 1,500 transportation and shipping companies now participate in its program. These truck drivers are referred to as ‘Protective Agents’ because they see exploitation and know hotspots where human trafficking is most likely to occur, including truck stops and motels. These men and women are in the best position to help rescue the exploited.
This is why Truck Driver Institute has partnered with TAT to include the organization’s training as a requirement of graduating from our CDL program. Our students and graduates are family to us and we know all of them will be exceptional heroes of the highway too.
To learn more about Truckers Against Trafficking, we invite you to visit the organization’s website.
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