Heroes Wanted on the Highway

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness month. Human trafficking occurs along our nation's roadways, and the transportation industry is doing something about it. Drivers are the eyes and ears of the road and have more opportunities to recognize signs of human trafficking and take action against it.

"Truckers Against Trafficking is working to build a mobile army of transportation professionals dedicated to recognizing and reporting cases of human trafficking," says Kendis Paris, executive director of Truckers Against Trafficking.

A report from 2018 shows that, from 2007 to 2018, drivers in the transportation industry made 2,250 calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

"The commercial motor vehicle industry is uniquely positioned to help detect and report human trafficking," says Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Ray Martinez. "And thankfully, professional drivers' efforts often bring an end to these tragic situations."

If you see suspicious activity, take note of these details and call the National Hotline (1-888-3737-888), or text "INFO" or "HELP" to BeFree (233733).

• Descriptions of vehicle (make, model, color, license plate, truck and USDOT number). Take a photo if possible.
• Specific date and time of incident
• Addresses and locations where suspicious activity took place
• If you see a crime in progress, call 911 first and then call the hotline
  (1-888-3737-888).

Visit TruckersAgainstTrafficking.org for more information about how to
recognize and report signs of human trafficking.