Saving a life. So many organizations, companies, people, and government entities are coming together to save lives. From organizations like Kentucky Driving and the Truckers Against Trafficking Coalition to various Kentucky governments and companies like UPS, thousands are combining efforts to make a difference. 

Human Trafficking Awareness 

In an effort to offer more education on how to identify and report human trafficking, there have been various training, classes, and events to help companies, officers, and truckers to be aware of warning signs and what to do in the event they discover a human trafficking case. 

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear said in a statement that one of the coalition's goals is to offer training to all new commercial drivers, which would be a "far-reaching" tool to prevent human trafficking in the state.

Other goals of the partnership include introducing law enforcement officers to truck stop managers, providing law enforcement training on human trafficking, getting truck stops to train employees, and providing assistance in undercover investigations.

Melissa Zink with the Kentucky Trucking Association says increasing awareness of the problem is half the battle. She says the association supports the partnerships and its goals. This training for truckers includes what to look for, how to handle the situation, and what to do while waiting for authorities. Some companies are not only sending their truckers to the classes but also adding the information to their manuals. 

Truckers Against Trafficking teaches people to watch for signs, which can include things like:

• Tattoos showing ownership
• A young woman having no money or I.D., maybe not even knowing where she is, because traffickers often keep their victims moving from place to place. They're places truckers may also be.

"They regularly visit places that maybe the everyday person doesn't. So they know who looks out of place, what looks out of place in these areas where we might not even notice it," said Helen Van Dam, Truckers Against Trafficking's Freedom Drivers Project Director in an article by KY3.

It's good to see so many coming together and fighting this problem. Want to get involved? Contact the Kentucky Trucking Association and they'll be happy to help you or point you in the right direction. Of course, you don't have to be a truck driver to report suspected human trafficking. You can call 1-888-373-7888 for the National Human Trafficking Hotline.