National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is recognizing the Highway Heroes program during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Attorney General Moody partnered with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to launch the Highway Heroes campaign in October 2020, training truck drivers to spot and report human trafficking. Since the launch, more than 6,400 drivers received anti-human trafficking training and are now better equipped to help keep an eye on Florida’s 12,000 miles of highways.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This week, we say thank you to all of Florida’s professional truck drivers for their hard work and commitment in undertaking one of our economy’s most demanding and important jobs. Additionally, we show our gratitude to the more than 6,400 drivers who have gone the extra mile to receive expert training through our Highway Heroes program about how to effectively spot and report signs of human trafficking. Our state is a safer place because of these Highway Heroes.”

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes said, “Florida’s commercial drivers serve as the backbone to our economy and are increasingly serving as heroes to our most vulnerable. Thousands of Florida’s licensed truck drivers answered the call to help end human trafficking across our state by becoming a certified Highway Hero, and we thank them for their commitment to keeping our roadways and communities safe.”

Highway Heroes is a multifaceted outreach campaign that includes specialized training, awareness materials mailed directly to Commercial Driver’s License holders and a webpage with resources to educate drivers about how to identify victims and report suspected human trafficking. The campaign started through a partnership between the Florida Attorney General’s Office and FLHSMV.

Commercial truck drivers are not the only Floridians who can gear up to combat human trafficking. All citizens can join the fight by learning how to spot and stop this atrocious crime at YouCanStopHT.com.

The 2022 Human Trafficking Summit launches Oct. 4. The free virtual summit brings together local, state and national leaders working to eradicate all forms of human trafficking. Registrants will get the opportunity to access presentations delivered by subject-matter experts from across the country.

If a human trafficking case is suspected, contact local law enforcement by calling 911 and then get help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1(888) 373-7888.