WESTLAKE, Ohio — 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 January 11, 2013.
On January 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 December 7, 2007 and October 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.
More information on TAT can be found at www.truckersagainsttrafficking.org.