On Jan. 9, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance began its five-day annual awareness and outreach effort to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about the crime of human trafficking, the signs to look for and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked.

This week, CVSA law enforcement jurisdictions in the U.S. will track human trafficking awareness and outreach activities and events, and submit that data to the alliance. CVSA will gather the information and report the results this summer.

In addition, in the months leading up to the awareness campaign, CVSA educated its membership and the general public on human trafficking through webinars, radio appearances and online resources. The alliance also worked with Truckers Against Trafficking to distribute wallet cards and window decals.

CVSA selected this week for its 2023 Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative to align with U.S. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is Jan. 11, and National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, which is January.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, human trafficking involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services or engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion may be subtle or overt, physical or psychological. Victims of human trafficking can be anyone, regardless of race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, education level or citizenship status.

“CVSA’s law enforcement and motor carrier communities are committed to bringing attention to human trafficking,” said CVSA President Chris Nordloh with the Texas Department of Public Safety. “Working together, we will put an end to this crime.”

To find out what your local jurisdiction is doing to increase human trafficking awareness, contact the agency/department responsible for overseeing commercial motor vehicle safety within your state or territory.

CVSA is comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal commercial motor vehicle safety officials and industry representatives in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. As a North American organization, Canada and Mexico will also be participating in CVSA’s 2023 Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative. In Canada, the initiative is scheduled for Feb. 20-24 and in Mexico, it will be March 13-17.

The Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative is part of CVSA's Human Trafficking Prevention Program. The program seeks to reduce human trafficking throughout North America through coordinated enforcement and investigative and educational awareness measures within the commercial motor vehicle industry.