Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) works diligently to equip transportation professionals with the knowledge and awareness to recognize and report potential human trafficking incidents to law awareness with a goal of aiding in the recovery of victims and the arrest of their perpetrators. To date, 1,745,803 industry professionals are TAT trained.
Truckers Against Trafficking, an organization Ruan is proud to sponsor, has a wide range of resources available on their website, including a comprehensive list of red flags to watch for. Here are a few potential indicators of human trafficking:
- People who seem to have a lack of knowledge of their surroundings or area
- Someone who appears to have restricted or controlled communication or is unable to speak for her/himself
- If a passenger vehicle pulls into the truck parking area of a rest area or truck stop and multiple people (usually females) get out of the vehicle and begin going from truck to truck
Should you notice any of these identifiers, immediately call 911 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888. Even if you are not sure human trafficking is taking place, it is important to remember that your phone call could potentially save the lives of one or more individuals. Helping someone simply requires a call. If you see something, say something.
TAT In Action
Truckers Against Trafficking created the Harriet Tubman Award in 2013 to honor members of the trucking industry whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place. The award is named in honor of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, whose overall role in the freedom movement was instrumental in freeing thousands.
The most recent award recipient, a truck driver, was in an area known for no cell phone service and saw a woman standing near the road. There were no cars or other people around, and he had a feeling something was off. He called the police and reported the situation. A few months later, the driver had a weather-related accident on the same stretch of road and asked the trooper helping him what happened to the woman. The trooper relayed that the woman was recovered and identified as a victim of human trafficking originally from an area three hours away. The trooper stated that the truck driver likely saved the woman’s life. The driver was awarded the 2023 Harriet Tubman Award for his heroic actions.
For more information on how you can fight human trafficking, visit https://tatnonprofit.org.