XPO Logistics has set up a £19,000 corporate sponsorship as part of a new partnership deal with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT).
The funding will go towards TAT’s efforts to eradicate trafficking by training commercial drivers to recognize potential traffickers and victims.
UK drivers at XPO will receive training via e-learning modules later this year
LaQuenta Jacobs, XPO’s chief diversity officer, said: “Every day, vulnerable individuals fall prey to human trafficking and many are taken far from their homes.
“The transportation industry is in a unique position to alert law enforcement agencies to suspected trafficking activities. We’re proud to support TAT in taking practical measures to end modern-day slavery.”
TAT’s no-cost education program has trained over 975,000 truck and bus drivers to spot the signs of trafficking.
Thousands of drivers have called the hotline, resulting in the recovery of hundreds of victims.
XPO’s stand against human rights violations is supported by its Human Trafficking Policy and the e-learning programs in its XPO University curriculum.
In the UK, a Countering Modern Slavery module is available to all XPO employees and mandatory for managers.
In North America, the company introduced TAT training for less-than-truckload drivers and staff in 2020, and expects to make similar e-learning available to all employees this year.
“One of our goals is to train thousands of XPO colleagues to become TAT ambassadors and help create awareness at events around the country,” Jacobs said.
The International Labour Organization estimates that more than 40 million adults and children are victims of human trafficking.
High-risk groups include runaway or homeless youths, foreign nationals and individuals who have experienced trauma in the past.