CTA, the provincial trucking associations and member carrier have spent the last year focused on assisting governments and law enforcement in combating human-trafficking.  

Several companies across Canada have already engaged their drivers and operations staff in adopting human trafficking detection and prevention training. To fuel this momentum, the CTA board of directors passed a motion directing CTA staff to engage the Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety and associated organizations to expand this training by adding it to all entry-level training courses for new tractor-trailer drivers in Canada. 

“With tens of thousands of truck drivers going through training each year to obtain their licences, it’s a perfect place to start having an immediate impact on the number of drivers who are trained to be vigilant and have that extra sets of eyes out on the road to help put an end to human trafficking,” said Geoff Wood, CTA Sr VP Policy.  

Several options exist for the training, which is tailored specifically for truck drivers. It can be taken online, ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on the level detail covered. It provides drivers with instruction on how to spot the signs of human trafficking, how to assist victims who have been discovered and how and when to engage law enforcement.

Many jurisdictions have started the discussions on how to address this training. CTA and the provincial associations look forward to working with governments to see this effort through to completion.