Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Senate has approved a bill dealing with human trafficking that would, if passed by the House and signed by President Trump, permanently disqualify truck drivers from holding a CDL if they’ve been convicted of a human trafficking crime, Overdrive reported.
- A second bill, known as the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, was also passed, which will establish a human trafficking prevention coordinator within the U.S. Department of Transportation.
- Truckers Against Trafficking addressed the matter in its August newsletter, noting why it only supports Klobuchar’s bill to establish a human trafficking prevention coordinator.
Dive Insight:
Truckers Against Trafficking doesn't believe the CDL bill has teeth. "While Truckers Against Trafficking would like to see every convicted human trafficker behind bars and severely penalized, we don't believe this bill goes far enough," Kendis Paris of Truckers Against Traffickers told Supply Chain Dive.
Lack of comprehensiveness is the sticking point. "CDL holders convicted of human trafficking shouldn't be the only ones losing their professional license ... what about hotel staff who willingly allow their locations to be used to facilitate a crime?" Paris continued. "We'd like to see a more comprehensive bill move forward that doesn't single out just one profession."
UPS drivers, as well as new CDL license holders in several states, recently joined the Truckers Against Trafficking Initiative, working to thwart human trafficking and report suspicious activity. The initiative drew the attention of Sen. John Thune (D-S.D.), who proposed a bill that would permanently disqualify truck drivers from holding a CDL if they’ve been convicted of a human trafficking crime.
