CVSA's awareness initiative expanded in concert with Truckers Against Trafficking, Canada, Mexico

Trucking news and briefs for Monday, May 30, 2022:

Results from first-ever CVSA human-trafficking-awareness effort 

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance of law enforcement and industry interests this year launched an annual three-day Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative. All three of the Alliance’s member countries -- Canada, Mexico and the U.S. -- participated to educate truck operators, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about human trafficking.

Taking into consideration each country’s existing human trafficking awareness dates, CVSA’s Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative was set for different dates in each country. In the U.S., the three-day initiative took place January 11-13, with Canada and Mexico following in February and March, respectively. 

CVSA jurisdictions recorded human trafficking awareness and outreach data and submitted that data to the Alliance. For the 2022 North America-wide Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative:

  • 35 jurisdictions participated
  • 2,460 individual law enforcement officers/troopers/inspectors participated
  • There were 163 reported events (possible indicators of human trafficking or documented cases)
  • 13,274 wallet cards were distributed
  • 6,355 window decals were distributed
  • 1,818 presentations were delivered
  • There were 640 media contacts

This window decal, among other items distributed, was developed in close concert with the high-profile Truckers Against Trafficking nonprofit.This window decal, among other items distributed, was developed in close concert with the high-profile Truckers Against Trafficking nonprofit.Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception with the aim of exploiting them for profit. Men, women and children of all ages and from all backgrounds can become victims of this crime, which occurs in every region of the world. Human traffickers often use violence or fraudulent employment agencies and fake promises of education and job opportunities to trick and coerce their victims. 

After a successful launch year and input from jurisdictions during the CVSA Human Trafficking Prevention program committee meeting at the CVSA Workshop, the CVSA board of directors voted to extend the initiative from three days to five next year. The initiative is scheduled for Jan. 9-13 next year in the U.S. 

CVSA's current president, Captain John Broers of the South Dakota Highway Patrol, pledged members would keep up awareness efforts far beyond the single event, though. “We remain fully committed to educating the public, every day of the year, about the crime of human trafficking, the signs to look for and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked. Our ultimate goal is to eradicate human trafficking entirely.”

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The high-profile nonprofit  collaborated with CVSA on the launch of the human trafficking education and awareness campaign. Training materials were developed and available for industry and law enforcement use. In addition, CVSA worked with TAT to provide an for jurisdiction members to order TAT wallet cards and/or window decals, which are now available year-round.  

[Related: Tied to a cause: Driver support grows for Truckers Against Trafficking]

HDVI insurance company expands into South Carolina

The High Definition Vehicle Insurance "Insuretech" firm's customers recently reached an aggregate 20 million miles milestone under the company's effort to tie telematics and other data to dynamically priced liability insurance. As previously reported, its HDVI Shift product uses onboard telematics data to inform real-time risk models. 

“We are attracting fleets that share our commitment to safety,” said Chuck Wallace, HDVI CEO and co-founder. “In our first year of Shift and based on 20 million miles of telematics data, our studies show that HDVI customers have better than average safety scores with 30% fewer predicted crashes.”

Three in every four of its customers, the company said, saw an improvement in speeding or hard braking events in the first six months, a number that rises to over 90% after nine months of becoming an HDVI Shift policyholder. 

 [Related: New trucking insurance models leverage technology to more closely tie pricing to performance

Included in an HDVI Shift policy is the cost of fleets to install and use video telematics and electronic logging (ELD) systems. HDVI Shift pays for the hardware and subscriptions for a wide range of suppliers of video telematics devices.

The company also announced its expansion to small/midsize carriers in South Carolina. The company has had a presence in South Carolina since 2019 and opened its Greenville office in June 2021, expected to expand this year.  

South Carolina marks the 13th state where HDVI is available. The remainder are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Plans are to be available in 25 states by the end of 2022. 

[Related: Usage-based insurance: Trucking's best-kept secret?]