JOPLIN, Mo, April 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Con-way Truckload,
a full truckload carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc. (NYSE:
CNW), today announced its partnership with Truckers Against
Trafficking (TAT), a 501(c) 3 that exists to educate, equip,
empower and mobilize members of the trucking and travel plaza
industries to combat human trafficking.
Human trafficking — the second-largest source of illegal
income worldwide, exceeded only by drug trafficking — has been
reported in all 50 states, and the number of victims in the U.S. is
estimated in the hundreds of thousands. The U.S. Department of
Justice estimates that anywhere between 100,000 and 300,000
American children are at risk of being forced into the sex trade
each year.
"Truck drivers are the eyes and ears of our nation's highways,"
said Kylla Lanier, deputy director,
Truckers Against Trafficking. "They are in a unique position to
make a difference in our efforts to stop those who would seek to
exploit our transportation system and harm our children for
personal gain."
Kevin Kimmel, a professional
driver for Con-way Truckload, was recently recognized for his role
in saving a young woman who had been kidnapped and was being held
against her will at a truck stop in Virginia.
"Something about the situation just didn't feel right to me,"
said Kimmel. "I called the police figuring that if I was wrong, I'd
be putting a damper on someone's vacation for 15 minutes, but if I
was right, I'd maybe be making a big difference in that girl's
life."
"We've trained over 1,000 drivers through the Trucking Against
Traffickers program in the past year," said Joseph Dagnese, president of Con-way Truckload.
"We're very proud of Kevin and his courage and willingness to
intervene. His actions could very well have saved this young
woman's life."
Kimmel received the Harriet Tubman Award from Truckers Against
Trafficking and also recognition as a Highway Angel from the
Truckload Carriers Association.
Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for
the Eastern District of Virginia,
provided the following statement about human trafficking and in
recognition of Kimmel's efforts.
The United Nations has described human trafficking as a "crime
that shames us all," and earlier this year, Attorney General
Eric Holder stated that human
trafficking is a "global crisis." Over the last five years, U.S.
Attorney offices nationwide have prosecuted record numbers of human
trafficking cases, including forced labor and the sex trafficking
of both adults and juveniles, and of U.S. citizens and foreign
nationals. This collaborative effort — which relies on the critical
contributions of federal, state, and local law enforcement and our
non-governmental partners in the victim services community — has
allowed us to confront the problem of human trafficking and has led
to record numbers of investigations, prosecutions and convictions.
The American public also plays an important role in this effort.
Human trafficking crimes cannot be solved without people like Mr.
Kimmel providing critically important tips to law enforcement, and
awareness programs like Truckers Against Trafficking are very
beneficial in providing education to truck drivers and bringing
awareness to this national issue.
For more information on Truckers Against Trafficking, please
visit http://www.truckersagainsttrafficking.org.
Follow Con-way Truckload on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/True2BlueJobs.
Con-way equipment images are available at:
www.con-way.com/en/about_con_way/newsroom.
About Con-way Truckload
Joplin, Missouri-based Con-way Truckload is a
leading provider of time-definite dry-van full-truckload
transportation services throughout the U.S., with extensive
coverage of Mexico and service for
Canada. With 3,350 employees,
2,900 of whom are company drivers and dedicated owner-operators
piloting a fleet of 2,900 tractors and 8,000 trailers, Con-way
Truckload provides solo, team and dedicated trucking operations,
with a focus on superior performance built on Lean continuous
improvement methodologies to drive efficiencies and consistent
quality service. With a workplace culture built on respect for
employees and recognition of their professional skill and expertise
as our keys to success, Con-way Truckload strives every day to
deliver value-added services that help Fortune 500 businesses
achieve supply chain goals. Visit Con-way Truckload on the web at
www.con-way.com/truckload or call (800) 641-4747.
Con-way Truckload is an operating unit of Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Con-way Inc. (NYSE:
CNW),a $5.8 billion diversified
freight transportation and global logistics company
(www.con-way.com).
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