Archive for January, 2013
Travelcenters of America Continues Support of Truckers Against Trafficking Through Education Efforts on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
WESTLAKE, Ohio, January 8, 2013 – TravelCenters of America LLC (TravelCenters), operator of the TA® and Petro Stopping Centers® travel center brands, is continuing its support of the Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) organization by helping to educate guests at its travel centers nationwide on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 11, 2013.
On Jan. 11, participating TA and Petro locations will offer information to customers about TAT, the fight against human trafficking, and how truckers who are visiting travel centers can help. TAT asks that truckers be aware of the signs of human trafficking and to place a call to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), at 1-888-373-7888, if they suspect an incident.
TravelCenters has led the way in support of TAT in the trucking industry. Since May 2011, the company has been distributing trafficking education and awareness materials at TA and Petro locations nationwide. Additionally, TravelCenters has trained all of its employees on the red flags of human trafficking.
The NHTRC has reported that between Dec. 7, 2007-Oct. 30, 2012, 469 calls were received from truckers suspecting trafficking incidents. More than 200 of those calls were received in 2012 alone, indicating that awareness since TA and Petro have provided support materials has increased.
“With our travel centers situated just off many highway exits, guests at our locations, particularly professional drivers, may be in a unique position to spot potential human trafficking situations. Drivers simply make a phone call if they see a situation that looks out of the norm; truck drivers are happy to help TAT and NHTRC in their efforts to fight human trafficking,” said Tom O’Brien, President and CEO of TravelCenters.
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Owasso City Council Commends TAT
The Owasso, Oklahoma City Council commended Truckers Against Trafficking for its anti-trafficking work at the beginning of its monthly meeting on Jan. 8, 2013. The mayor then read a proclamation stating that, in support of TAT’s work and to help fight human trafficking, Jan. 11-13, 2013 would be Human Trafficking Awareness Weekend in Owasso.