We are all too familiar with the term: human trafficking. There are those out there, who are committed to the practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another, with the purpose of forced labor or exploitation. The purpose of this blog is not to debate or define the types, rather to understand what is happening within the trucking industry to assist in the demise of these activities.
Recently, it was announced that Pennsylvania and a college that resides there, are making inroads to help. In Pennsylvania, the Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has asked that professional truck driving courses include information on preventing human trafficking. A February 3rd article on PAHomePage.com listed that Luzerne County Community College was using information from PennDOT and a national program called Truckers Against Trafficking in their curriculum. The students watch a video and then discuss how to recognize the signs of human trafficking. These lessons are also reinforced over the entire 172-hour course.
This endeavor should be recognized, applauded, and shared by all. Consider that in Pennsylvania alone, 275 cases were identified in 2018. That represented a 35% increase over 2017. When you also consider that trafficking can occur anywhere, and specifically at truck stops, teaching professional drivers to identify behaviors and how to respond, is critical to assisting in this effort. Thank you to the men and women of our industry, who with the help of law enforcement, could save many lives.
To learn more about the national program click here. To see more statistics on why this is critically important in our industry, click here.
If you or your company have questions or concerns regarding human trafficking, you should speak with a professional right away. AssuredPartners Transportation has safety professionals who assist clients with all types of safety programs to ensure they are delivering best practices to their operations. To learn more, visit AssuredPartners Transportation.
