Dear Editor,

Human trafficking, or the illegal movement of people, often for sex or labor, is a $32 billion industry that often goes undetected. Unfortunately, truck stops remain a frequent location of trafficking crimes. While truck stops are not naturally hives of crime, they are, unfortunately, convenient and central locations for traffickers to move throughout the United States.

Victims of human trafficking find themselves forced or coerced into engaging in specific types of labor or commercial sex acts without their consent. Often, human trafficking remains a hidden crime. Victims fear their abusers as well as law enforcement and suffer such significant trauma that they struggle to reach out for help.

Human trafficking impacts people across genders, races, and ages. Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, and all too often, that victimization occurs in the shadows. Human trafficking traps an estimated 24.9 million people — 64% are exploited for labor, while sexual exploitation accounts for an estimated 19% of human trafficking.

Sometimes, truck stops are used for human trafficking because truckers themselves are involved in the process. More often, however, truck stops serve as easy-to-access rest and transfer points in the human trafficking industry because:

• Truck stops are conveniently positioned across the United States.

• Truck stops are often located in remote areas.

• A male customer base dominates truck stops.

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and we at Lanier Law Firm have made our own educational materials about this issue. We have put together a guide about the connection between the trucking industry and human trafficking. Lanier Law Firm has included information about why human trafficking is prevalent in trucking, how people are victimized, and the signs all of us can look out for.

Find it online: lanierlawfirm. com/trucking-and-human-trafficking/.

Sincerely,

Jacob Bryant, PR Coordinator, Lanier Law Firm www.lanierlawfirm.com