You’re never too old to learn and that is very true. Things I know now if I had known those same things back when I was young I may have been able to help many more people than I did. You see us older drivers possibly may have seen human trafficking happening right under our noses and didn’t know it. How many times have we come across girls looking to have fun times with truckers in the truck stop? How many times has someone you know engaged in such activities? I am talking about “Ladies of the Night”, “Prostitutes”, or “Lot Lizards” as they were commonly known as in the industry. Heck many of us even had a sticker on our trucks trying to keep them away. Many truckers looked at them as part of the landscape, something you saw at the truck stop. Some stops were so bad you couldn’t even get a good night sleep as they were constantly knocking on truck doors trying to make a buck. They would knock on your door and ask, “ Do you want any company?” You shew them away with your eyes half closed only to find another one knocking on the truck door fifteen minutes later. By the time you climbed out of the bunk they were already gone to the next truck, it was an annoyance and part of the road.
Today we have learned that they aren’t just girls wanting fun at the truck stop. Through organizations such as Truckers Against Trafficking and The Women’s Federation of Canada among others we have learned that many of those girls are part of human trafficking rings and are in those positions because of force, abduction, and other sources of crime. It wasn’t until these organizations started shining a light on the issue and educating the trucking community on what human trafficking is and how to recognize the signs did many of the people conducting those crimes start getting caught. The organizations quickly realized that truckers are in many of the same places that human trafficking goes on and can be the eyes and ears to help combat the problem.
Esther Goetsch of Truckers Against Trafficking will be doing a presentation at the upcoming TTSAO webinar on February 23rd from 10:00AM to 11:00AM. The webinar is free and will include a presentation on how to build your brand using social media, a TAT update, and much more. You can register for the free webinar here.
The Truck Training School Association of Ontario (TTSAO) was quick to sign onto helping in the fight here in Canada. Years ago they started inviting the Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) team up to events in Canada so people can learn more. Since then TAT has expanded their organization to include the Canadian trucking industry. TTSAO even adopted the program and included it in their regular training for students in their courses. Some member schools recently participated in a new trailer campaign with Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada to help bring more awareness to Canadians on the road and now have two wrapped trailers about human trafficking. The earlier we can teach people to know the signs of human trafficking the better we are in a position to stop it and that is why it is being included in training for new drivers.
If you aren’t enrolled in a school you can certify yourself in under an hour with TAT by going through their free mini course on human trafficking and know what to look for on the road. You can also see all the amazing work the organization has done. Visit TAT here.
Also keep an eye out on the road for the trailers by the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada. These trailers are rolling billboards educating the general public on human trafficking. Know what to look for and as they say #KnowHumanTrafficking. You can learn more about the program here.
Know what to look for, you can help save a life!
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is a veteran in the transportation industry with over 40 years in the industry in a variety of roles from driver to fleet supervisor and more. Today he is a media specialist in the industry producing a number of programs for the trucking industry such as his trucking podcast The Lead Pedal Podcast for Truck Drivers at www.theleadpedalpodcast.com or his radio station Lead Pedal Radio at www.leadpedalradio.com
Disclaimer: This article is written and based on the opinion of the author and is for general information only