NATSO Foundation Pledges to Fight Human Trafficking

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The NATSO Foundation today announced that the truckstop and travel plaza industry is engaging in nationwide efforts to combat human trafficking and in supporting the educational efforts of advocacy group Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), which trains members of the trucking industry to identify victims of human trafficking and report the information to the appropriate authorities.

During a recent meeting, the NATSO Foundation Board voted to explore ways the Foundation can spread awareness at the nation's truckstop and travel plazas about the crime of human trafficking.

The NATSO Foundation currently participates in Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking, a group of transportation stakeholders taking a united stand to stop the flow of human trafficking using America's transportation system.

"Because the typical travel plaza or truckstop is so close to the Interstate Highway System, our industry has an important role to play in helping spot and report victims of human trafficking, who are often moved across state lines," said NATSO Foundation President Lisa Mullings.  "By working with TAT and the larger transportation community, we can help rescue victims of modern-day slavery."

The NATSO Foundation will help truckstop locations implement educational tools to spread awareness about the crime of human trafficking with the traveling public who stop at the nation's truckstops and travel plazas.

"Domestic sex trafficking is a widespread evil. And while the majority of the buying and selling takes place online, in the streets, in our neighborhoods and at motels, it is also a crime that affects truckstops and the trucking industry because of the poor choices of a minority of drivers," said Kendis Paris, executive director of TAT. "It is critical that members of the transportation industry know how to identify a victim of human trafficking and assist law enforcement in rescuing them."

The NATSO Foundation is the research, education and public outreach subsidiary of NATSO, Inc. (the trade association of America's travel plaza and truckstop industry). The foundation is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit http://www.natso.com/natsofoundation.

Contact: Tiffany Wlazlowski: (703) 739-8578

SOURCE NATSO Foundation