The Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada has officially rolled out two new trailers to further spread awareness about human trafficking, coinciding with National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

With a message of “know human trafficking”, the trailers feature the hand gestures that victims can use to signal they need help.

The trailers were first revealed during a private event attended by Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney and MPP Natalia Kusendova.

Ontario’s 400-series highways have been identified as hotbeds of human trafficking. Ninety percent of victims are women or children, and an equal share are Canadian, the federation notes.

This is also the first day in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) three-day human trafficking awareness initiative in Canada. In recent months, the alliance has worked with Truckers Against Trafficking to distribute wallet cards and window decals, and it is also gathering related data concerning awareness and outreach.

Signs of human trafficking activity

The Know Human Trafficking initiatives’ website highlights several signs that truckers can watch for when looking to identify potential human trafficking activity:

• Someone who doesn’t know their whereabouts or lacks control of their ID or passport
• Restricted or controlled communication, where the person is not allowed to speak for themselves or is being watched or followed
• Vehicles that appear to be dropping women off or picking them up within a short timeframe, and vehicles that appear to be delivering multiple women into a male-dominated area
• Signs of assault

The online resource stresses that truck drivers should not approach the traffickers themselves. Instead, they should collect information such as details about vehicles, licence plates, and U.S. DOT numbers, or even take pictures of such things if is safe to do so.

Calls should then be placed to law enforcement or the Know Human Trafficking hotline at 1-833-900-1010.

Know Human Trafficking is supported by the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada, Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers, Crossroads Truck Training Academy, KnowledgeSurge Institute, Trucking Human Resources Sector Council Atlantic, Big Rig Wraps, and Sharp Transportation.