NATSO Foundation Invites Truckstops to Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition Meeting in Eagle Ford, Texas

The NATSO Foundation, along with Truckers Against Trafficking, the Texas Attorney General, Texas Trucking Association and ConocoPhillips, will co-host a regional coalition meeting aimed at coordinating ways to fight human trafficking within the state on Nov. 29.
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The NATSO Foundation, along with Truckers Against Trafficking, the Texas Attorney General, Texas Trucking Association and ConocoPhillips, will co-host a regional coalition meeting aimed at coordinating ways to fight human trafficking within the state on Nov. 29.

All truckstops and travel plazas, regardless of NATSO membership, are invited to attend this private coalition meeting. The event is scheduled to be held Nov. 29 at the ConocoPhillips Office in Kenedy, Texas, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is closed to press.

Regional coalition meetings provide an opportunity to educate members of the business community, transportation and law enforcement about human trafficking as well as serve as an open forum to discuss human trafficking trends in regional areas and to explore collective ways to combat this crime.

Truckstops seeking additional information regarding the Nov. 29 coalition meeting or who would like to learn about future coalition meeting locations should contact Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman at 703-739-8578 or twlazlowski@natso.com.

NATSO members also are encouraged to train their employees in how to recognize and respond to suspected incidents of human trafficking using the NATSO Foundation’s online course, "The Role of Truckstops in Combating Human Trafficking." The course is free to anyone in the truckstop and travel plaza community. Non-NATSO members should call Kimberly Roberts at 703-739-8573or kroberts@natso.com to establish an account. 

Fighting human trafficking continues to be a bipartisan, bicameral effort on Capitol Hill, with both Chambers of Congress working to pass legislation aimed at strengthening public safety and cracking down on human trafficking.

In September, the Senate passed two bills introduced by U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) aimed at preventing human trafficking in transportation. 

The No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act, S. 1532, introduced by Sen. Thune, would disqualify individuals from operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for their lifetime if they used a CMV to commit a felony involving human trafficking. 

The Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, S. 1536, introduced by Sen. Klobuchar and co-sponsored by Sen. Thune, would designate a human trafficking prevention coordinator at the U.S. Department of Transportation to focus on outreach and education to commercial truck drivers and bolster reporting efforts at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Both bills were approved by unanimous consent in the full Senate and referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation earlier this year also conducted a hearing on how transportation and supply chain stakeholders are combatting human trafficking. NATSO and The NATSO Foundation underscored the truckstop and travel plaza industry’s commitment to combatting human trafficking in a statement submitted to the Committee with respect to its hearing. 

For nearly six years, the NATSO Foundation has been helping members of the truckstop and travel plaza community engage in the fight against human trafficking. NATSO has co-sponsored these regional coalition meetings with Truckers Against Trafficking, state trucking associations and law enforcement since 2013.

The NATSO Foundation also works closely with the Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation, Polaris Project, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other local organizations to gain insight into best practices on how to educate our members. Our goal is to provide our members with the tools they need to train their staff so that those individuals are equipped to help if they encounter a victim of this horrible crime.

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