Annual campaign raises truckers’ awareness to human trafficking

The dates for a North American awareness initiative with the goal of stamping out human trafficking have been set.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance will hold its annual Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, beginning in January of next year, in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. As the campaign enters its second year, the alliance says the initiative will now last five days, as opposed to the three days for last year's event. The dates for the awareness initiative are as follows:

• Jan. 9-13 in the United States.
• Feb. 20-24 in Canada.
• March 13-17 in Mexico.

According to CVSA, the annual awareness and outreach effort aims “to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about the crime of human trafficking, the signs to look for, and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked.”

“Human trafficking is something we don't always think about in the context of transportation issues; however, human trafficking is one of the greatest atrocities of the 21st century,” CVSA's website states. “As commercial motor vehicle drivers and inspectors, our members are on our roadways every day and often times, the individuals committing the crime of human trafficking are using our roadways to do so. That's why awareness is critical. Knowing what to look for and how to respond is essential.”

According to data from CVSA, the 2022 awareness initiative saw 2,460 law enforcement personnel distribute 13,274 wallet cards to help people identify signs of the crime, hand out 6,355 window decals, and deliver 1,818 presentations.

In addition to working with law enforcement, the alliance is partnering with Truckers Against Trafficking to help deliver the message. TAT says the work they do, “empowers trucking to close loopholes to traffickers who exploit our nation's highways.”

For more information on human trafficking and how you can help, visit CVSA's website for human trafficking awareness resources. LL