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VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2024

ATA’s Trucking Cares Foundation donates $25,000 to help fight human trafficking

WASHINGTON — The American Trucking Association’s (ATA) Trucking Cares Foundation donated $25,000 to Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT). The nonprofit organization, formerly known as Truckers Against Trafficking, is dedicated to ending human trafficking. Click here to read more.

Ohio to start state’s own human trafficking hotline

COLUMBUS, Ohio (News Talk 1480 WHBC) – The state is establishing its own human trafficking hotline. Attorney General David Yost says sometimes tips phoned into the national hotline are slow to reach the local level, and this should help. Click here to read more.

Searcy landlord found guilty of sex trafficking, drug charges

SEARCY. Ark. – A Searcy man was found guilty of sexually exploiting tenants of an apartment complex that he owned. In a release from the office of United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross, prosecutors said 74-year-old Thomas Ray Kelso was found guilty by a jury of three counts of sex trafficking and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Click here to read more.

TAT, Bridgestone and Breakthrough share jointly at 2024 Mercury Group Conference 

Breakthrough President John Teggart, TAT Executive Director Esther Goetsch and Bridgestone Vice President of Dealer Development, Mobility Solutions Deployment Josh Holland closed out the 2024 Mercury Group Conference on Aug. 7 in Nashville, Tennessee with a joint discussion about fighting human trafficking. 

Breakthrough, a Green Bay-based transportation management technology company, invited TAT to present at its annual Mercury Group conference for its shipper clients, consisting of some of the largest manufacturing and retail brands in the country. The theme for this year’s conference was Performing in the Next Era of Transportation.

Josh Holland, a Bridgestone vice president and TAT Board member, presented on Bridgestone’s partnership with TAT. 

Goetsch discussed TAT's mission and how companies can become engaged in fighting human trafficking. Holland, a TAT Board of Directors member, enriched the discussion by sharing valuable insights from Bridgestone’s partnership with TAT and detailed strategic plans to collaborate in the future.

This engagement afforded the opportunity to educate shippers on how they can raise awareness about human trafficking and provide necessary training to their carrier partners. Recognizing truck drivers' constant movement across various regions, they are uniquely positioned to identify and report suspicious activities, including potential instances of human trafficking.

Teggart articulated Breakthrough’s commitment by saying, "We believe in leveraging our position in the transportation industry to foster positive change. By partnering with TAT, we can connect shippers to an essential cause, equipping them with the knowledge and resources to make a meaningful difference."

To further this mission, Breakthrough, along with their parent company, U.S. Venture, is also hosting TAT’s Freedom Drivers Project (FDP) in Wisconsin in October. 

TAT will have a Shipping and Logistics Toolkit available in early September as a guide for shipping and logistics organizations to use to train their employees about human trafficking.

TA leaders instrumental in putting together the golf outing met with representatives from the two recipient organizations of the funds raised. (L to R) Dave Weybecht, TA Facilities senior manager; Laura Cyrus, TAT senior director of Industry Training and Outreach; Debi Boffa, TA CEO and TAT Board member; Shannon Currier, director of Philanthropy and Development at St. Christopher's Fund; and Tina Arundel, TA Communications senior director.

TravelCenters of America (TA) held its 6th annual Charity Golf Outing on Aug. 16, raising money this year for TAT and St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund. One hundred and forty-four players took part in the outing, held at Springvale Golf Course in North Olmsted, Ohio, with 48 being TA team members and 96 being sponsors.

“Our team members are incredibly passionate about supporting TAT,” explained Debi Boffa, TA CEO and TAT Board member. “As the eyes and ears of the highways, those working at our sites know they are in a unique position to help those potentially impacted by human trafficking. And we empower them to do whatever they need to do to potentially save a life. In addition, our Support Center team members also feel very loyal to TAT and are eager to support the organization however they can; this year’s record proceeds are a testament to their passion.”

“The TA Charity Golf Outing is one of the most exciting events of the year for the TA team members, and we continue to be proud of how our team eagerly spreads the word of TAT’s important work to our vendor partners,” shared Tina Arundel, TA senior director of Communications. “We thank our vendor partners for their incredible generosity and support for this great cause.”

In addition to the funds raised for TAT by this charity golf outing, TA has supported TAT financially during National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and through other internal programs. Additionally, last year, TA relaunched the TAT poster program, outfitting every restroom and driver lounge area at sites nationwide with TAT posters.

Laura Cyrus, TAT senior director of Industry Training and Outreach, said, “We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with TA. Their longtime support of and investment in TAT’s work has multiplied our efforts, and we are thankful for the ways TA continues to share about our work together and the fact that anyone can be a changemaker. A huge shout out to Debi, Dave, Tina and everyone else who helped plan and execute such a successful event, as well as to all the golfers and sponsors who participated!”

In August, the Freedom Drivers Project (FDP) traveled to a Penske logistics center in New Jersey, a Volvo Mack truck plant in Pennsylvania and then to Indianapolis for the 2024 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC), an event of the American Trucking Associations (ATA). This is the third time the mobile exhibit has attended the NTDC.

The championships, held in Lucas Oil Stadium, are the culmination of local, state and regional truck driving competitions nationwide and spotlight the industry's best and safest professional drivers. The championships give these professional drivers the opportunity to compete to be named the best of the best. FDP Director Brandy Belton and ATA Road Team Captain and TAT Board Member Antoine Sadler welcomed 223 guests through the FDP. Everyone who toured received gifts of hand sanitizer, as well as Bridgestone’s flashlight keychains.

Lindsey Trent, president and co-founder of Next Generation in Trucking Association, brought a group of students to tour the FDP, saying, “It’s very important for us to spread the message of TAT to students getting into the trucking industry. We want to make sure every student in the program gets TAT-certified. For the NTDC this year, we invited a high school CDL program we helped establish two years ago to check out the festivities. They got a behind-the-scenes look at the competition, got to speak with employers and drivers, and got more insights into the industry. These seniors will graduate this May with their CDL, which they are getting for free since it is through their high school.”

FDP Director Brandy Belton (second from right) educates CDL students about human trafficking at the National Truck Driving Championships. Next Generations in Trucking Association President and CEO Lindsey Trent is at the far right.

Sept. 4 – Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security Training Summit 2024, Springfield, IL

Sept. 4-6 – International Association of Human Trafficking Investigators 13th Annual Conference, Clearwater, FL

Sept. 8-12 – Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance fall conference, Big Sky, MT

Sept. 10-11 – Amazon RelayCon, Las Vegas, NV

Sept. 10-11 – Auto Haulers Association of America Fall Expo 2024, Grapevine, TX

Sept. 11 – Nova Scotia Coalition Build, Darmouth, Nova Scotia

Sept. 11 – CDL Recertification Seminar, Grand Junction, CO, virtual

Sept. 12 – ConocoPhillips Safety Leadership Team, Watford City, ND

Sept. 13 – ChampionX integrity Week, virtual

Sept. 18 – CDL Recertification Seminar, Colorado Springs, CO

Sept. 18 – Progressive Fleet Claims and Safety Seminar, Indianapolis, IN

Sept. 19 – BCO Days at Landstar, Durant, OK

Sept. 24 – Volvo, FDP, Greensboro, NC

Sept. 24 – New Jersey School Bus Contractors Association webinar, virtual

Sept. 24 – YOT Coalition Build, Cleveland, OH

Sept. 24 – CDL Recertification Seminar, Lakewood, CO

Sept. 25 – Volvo, FDP, Dublin, VA

Sept. 25 – Riverside County Coalition to End Human Trafficking – Addressing Demand webinar, virtual

Sept. 26 – CDL Recertification Seminar, Lakewood, CO

Sept. 26 – Waste Connections Managers Meeting, Woodlands, TX

Sept. 26-27 – Werner Carrier Connections Forum, Omaha, NE

TAT