Nearly 39,000 commercial vehicles inspected, dozens of ‘unauthorized passengers’ identified during CVSA operation

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) released results from a weeklong human trafficking awareness and prevention operation targeting the trucking industry.

This year, the CVSA’s Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative (HTAI) took place in the U.S from January 12 — 16, in Canada from February 23 — 27, and in Mexico from March 16 — 20.

As part of the operation, “law enforcement agencies and the motor carrier industry in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. educated commercial motor vehicle drivers, large- and small-fleet safety managers, owner-operators, and members of the public about recognizing human trafficking indicators and reporting suspected human trafficking incidents,” CVSA said.

See below for key results from HTAI 2026.

• 38,818 commercial vehicle inspections conducted, including:
  • 9,375 Level I Inspections
  • 14,376 Level II Inspections
  • 15,067 Level III Inspections
• 1,035 commercial motor vehicles with passengers were inspected, resulting in:
  • 1,671 authorized passengers were documented 
  • 42 unauthorized passengers were identified

“Commercial motor vehicle drivers and inspectors are uniquely positioned to serve as frontline identifiers of human trafficking because of the nature and scope of their work. Professional drivers travel extensively through highways, truck stops, rest areas, border crossings, and urban and rural communities, giving them frequent visibility into situations that may indicate exploitation or trafficking activity,” CVSA said.