By: Truckers Against Trafficking
Human trafficking – or modern-day slavery – is a global crime in which people are bought and sold for forced labor or commercial sex. Traffickers use violence, manipulation and false promises of work opportunities or romance to lure, control and exploit their victims, generating billions of dollars per year in illicit profits. Of the estimated 50 million victims worldwide, thousands of girls, boys, women and men are trafficked for sex or labor in North America.
TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking) is a 510(c)3 nonprofit that educates, equips, empowers and mobilizes members of the transportation industry to recognize and report human trafficking in the course of their everyday jobs. The food and beverage industries distribute myriad goods across North America every day, making them uniquely positioned to play a role in combating this heinous crime.
As traffickers keep their victims on the move, they are traveling on the same highways and visiting the same convenience stores and truck stops as everyone else, creating multiple opportunities for victim identification by professional drivers, convenience store employees and the traveling public. Likewise, when picking up or delivering goods at businesses or homes, truck drivers have access to spaces many others don’t see, creating additional opportunities.
And, while the fight to end human trafficking is an everyday and everywhere challenge, major sports events, like the upcoming World Cup games, can lead to an increase in human trafficking activity. Studies have found the influx of people at major sports events increases both the supply and the demand for commercial sex. Likewise, vulnerable workers in industries like construction, janitorial services, security and garment production have been documented over the last decade to suffer from labor trafficking and exploitation during the buildup to major sports events.
At the same time, convenience stores and truck stops located near stadiums – or between stadiums – see an increase in customers during these events, both from the general public and professional drivers. As increases in people and movement correlate to increases in human trafficking, extra vigilance by convenience store employees and others on the road is essential.
In response to these realities, TAT creates and provides free, sector-specific, training materials and resources for the transportation and logistics industries on how to combat human trafficking. To date, nearly 2.5 million members of these industries have completed TAT training, joining a mobile army ready to play their part by keeping an eye out for potential signs of trafficking and reporting any suspicious activity.
To prepare for the upcoming games this summer as well as other large events in 2026, convenience stores should:
Hang TAT’s Shut Out Human Trafficking posters in public-facing locations, driver areas and/or employee breakrooms.
Use TAT’s Shut Out Human Trafficking graphics to distribute reminders and training tips via the company’s intranet and social media.
Train and/or provide refresher training for all employees using TAT’s videos.
Adopt a human trafficking reporting protocol to guide employees on internal steps to take.
Learn more and find these resources at:
https://tatnonprofit.org/soccer-resources/ and https://tatnonprofit.org