Freestyle Transport is a Vancouver, Washington-based company specializing in delivering refrigerated and dry van freight throughout the lower 48 states. According to Edward Little, who is TAT trained and Freestyle Transport’s president, the company is in the process of getting all its executives, staff, drivers and volunteers TAT trained and looks forward to increasing awareness about the crime of human trafficking through its new Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 Next Gen.

“I’ve been a long-time supporter of Truckers Against Trafficking and its mission to educate members of our industry to identify potential cases of human trafficking,” said Little. “As a former driver, I saw firsthand the opportunities our industry has to help human trafficking victims. We’re thrilled to have purchased the Everyday Heroes truck and help support such a great organization.”

Kendis Paris, TAT executive director, recalling the auctions of previous Everyday Heroes trucks, said the $328,000 TAT received between the Everyday Heroes truck sale and additional donations far surpassed the 2019 and 2017 Everyday Heroes donations. “We are so grateful to have Serg Kodryanu and Freestyle Transport submit the winning bid. We appreciate Serg’s generous purchase and support, which will help us fund our programs. The Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 Next Gen will serve as a great addition to his fleet.”

“The Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 Next Gen auction was a fantastic success, thanks to Freestyle Transport and our incredible sponsors, who generously donated parts and money to build this special truck,” said Don Blake, new truck sales manager at Inland Kenworth – Phoenix, TAT board member, and driving force behind this year’s auction. “Our goal was to build off the success from the previous two Everyday Heroes Kenworth trucks sold at auction by generating a larger donation to TAT than ever before. We were able to do just that, thanks to heightened interest in the new Kenworth T680 Next Gen and Greg Evigan’s (BJ and the Bear star) involvement in promoting TAT and this auction.”

To make the Everyday Heroes Kenworth T680 Next Gen truck possible, Kenworth Truck Company, Inland Kenworth, and other leading companies and organizations in the trucking industry provided significant support. Other sponsors include: Alcoa, Arizona Trucking Association, Chevron, Davco, East Penn Batteries, Eaton Corporation, FlowBelow, GraMag, Horton, Independent Carrier Safety Association, Jost Fifth Wheel, Knight-Swift Transportation, Meritor, PACCAR Financial, PACCAR Parts, Pana-Pacific, PrePass, Ritchie Bros., Southwest Truck Driver Training, Tectran, The Vomela Transportation Group, Trimble, Utility Trailer Sales Company of Arizona, and WABCO.

The team identified the need to enhance the current training materials (a 12-minute video and tri-fold wallet card) of Guardianes del Asfalto, the Consejo program specifically addressing commercial drivers, by adding industry-specific indicators of trafficking. So, in the second quarter of 2021, Mexican team members interviewed Mexican professional drivers to assess their knowledge of human trafficking, if they had seen any of it, and if so, where and how.

The survey yielded a list of industry-specific trafficking indicators, which were added to training resources in addition to more commercial vehicle imagery and a more tailored message.

Initial distribution of the tri-fold cards and DVDs will be through the SCT’s commercial vehicle inspectors, as well as the many national trucking associations in Mexico like CANACAR and CANAPAT. The six national associations boast a membership of 80 percent of the Mexican trucking industry. In March, the SCT will have 30,000 wallet cards distributed throughout the nation to SCT offices, as well as to the 400 trucking inspectors for distribution to truck drivers and possibly some trucking companies, as part of their participation with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s first annual Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative. That initiative has events planned in January and February in the United States and Canada, respectively. This wallet card distribution will be Mexico’s “event.”

On the private side, El Pozo de Vida and Consejo Ciudadano will each have one employee dedicate five hours a week to direct outreach to the Mexican trucking industry (total 10 hours weekly).