Atlantic Cares Supports TAT

Sometimes an everyday job can become a lifesaving one, and all it takes is a little bit of training. That’s how the nonprofit Truckers Against Trafficking got started in 2009: TAT recognized that people in the transportation industry who travel for a living are perfectly positioned as an extra set of eyes and ears to identify victims of human trafficking.  

Human trafficking, or modern-day slavery, is a global crime in which people are bought and sold for forced labor or commercial sex.  

TAT is committed to educate, equip, empower and mobilize members of key industries -- not just trucking -- so those people can help combat human trafficking. The organization now includes partnerships with law enforcement and advocacy efforts and has expanded to include bus and energy industries, too.  

“We really have expanded dramatically,” said Heather Fry, Director of industry Training.“We used to call ourselves Truckers Against Trafficking, but because we’re more inclusive of other industries … we are building up this mobile army to combat human trafficking. 

TAT has trained about 1,750,000 people in 37 states and 8 Canadian provinces since its founding. The nonprofit’s training resources include videos, wallet cards, an app and window decals free of charge. TAT also helps companies implement policies to make sure they are not complicit in any modern-day slavery practices and to use their assets to promote awareness.  

This work is why TAT was chosen as a recent recipient of the Atlantic Cares program donation given monthly by Atlantic Logistics.  

“The mission is brilliant,” Fry said. “Think about the sheer number of truck drivers alone on the road. Law enforcement can’t be everywhere at once. Our ask is so simple: if you see a red flag, pick up the phone and make a call. Sometimes the simplest of ideas is the most brilliant. I love being a part of this organization and making a difference.”  

According to 2020-2022 data from POLARIS, which operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline Statistics, 37% of potential victims are minors and 80% of sex trafficking victims are female. In situations where the victims’ race or ethnicity was known, Latino people comprised 82% of labor trafficking violations.  

Video training on TAT’s website is free for anyone interested in learning more about how they can combat human trafficking. The nonprofit is funded by corporate sponsors, individual donors and grants.  

How they keep victims quiet use violence, manipulation, false promises of work opportunities to lure, control and exploit their victims. Fry said TAT’s training includes details on the problem, statistics, tactics traffickers use and the red flag indicators.  

The training works. One professional TAT-trained truck driver, Joe Aguayo, was driving along are mote stretch of highway when he saw a woman standing near the fog line of the road. Her head was shaved, and she was wearing nothing but a beach towel, staring up at the mountains. No one else was around. Aguayo reported his concerns to law enforcement and, months later, learned the woman had been identified as a 27-year-old Indigenous survivor of human trafficking.  

In another situation, truck driver Kevin Kimmel noticed men coming and going from an RV and a young woman stuck her head out a window before being snatched back inside. He called law enforcement and traffickers Aldair Hodza and Lauren Sorenson were arrested. The 20-year-old victim was rescued, and the traffickers are now serving 40- and 41-year sentences in prison.  

“We don’t want you to be vigilantes; we want you to call 911, say you think you’re seeing human trafficking and let law enforcement do their job,” Fry said. “We believe everyday heroes are out on the road and with one simple phone call, someone can make a significant difference in the life of an enslaved person.” 

Click here to donate to Truckers Against Trafficking. 

‍

ABOUT ATLANTIC LOGISTICS

‍

Atlantic Logistics provides expedited truckload and partial service on flatbeds, stepdecks, lowbeds, vans, and reefers throughout the United States and Canada. Moving over-dimensional/over-weight freight with specialized equipment, Atlantic Logistics is an approved Department of Defense and General Services Administration broker, qualify as a woman-owned business, and are members of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA), and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA).

‍

‍