Recognizing Human Trafficking on the Road
Traffickers use highways, truck stops, rest areas and motels to move and exploit people for sex and labor. Truck drivers see more of these places than almost anyone, and a single call from a driver has rescued many victims.
- Truck drivers
- Travel center workers
- All workers
Signs to watch for
- Someone who appears to be a minor at a truck stop or rest area late at night, especially going from truck to truck
- A person who seems controlled: someone else speaks for them, holds their ID or money, or watches them closely
- Fear, anxiety, avoiding eye contact, or signs of physical abuse
- Talk on the CB or online about “commercial company” or dates, or ads for services at a truck stop
- Vehicles dropping people off and picking them up repeatedly in the lot
- Workers living where they work, unable to leave, or saying they owe a large debt to their employer
- Branding tattoos, such as a name or symbol showing “ownership”
No one sign proves trafficking, but several together are a reason to report.
What to do
- If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
- Otherwise, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or text 233733. It’s confidential and open 24/7.
- Give details: location, time, descriptions of people and vehicles, license plates, truck numbers and what you saw.
Don’t confront a suspected trafficker or try to rescue someone yourself. That can put you and the victim in danger. Report and let trained responders act.
Penalties for traffickers
Federal law imposes a lifetime CDL disqualification on any driver who uses a commercial motor vehicle in committing a severe form of human trafficking.
Training
Truckers Against Trafficking offers free training and wallet cards for drivers and companies, and many carriers, CDL schools and travel centers use it.
Standards & references
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