NATT wraps the first “Know Human Trafficking” trailer in the North
Brian Pattison of NATT; Shelley Walker of WTFC; and Samantha Clarke of DriveWise are all Ambassadors for the Know Human Trafficking program. Photo: Nico Charalambous for TTSAO
“There are at least 50 Truck schools that are part of TTSAO,” says Brian Pattison. “And there are only three trucks wrapped for ‘Know Human Trafficking’ across all of Canada? It seems like there could be A LOT more, really. And not just among training organizations – the carriers could be wrapping their trailers, too.”
On February 22nd, Northern Academy Transportation Training (NATT) unveiled their new rig wrap to support Know Human Trafficking at the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) conference. Brian and his brother Kevin Pattison run NATT as part of the TPS Group of Companies; both have been part of Trucking in Canada for almost 40 years.
Pattison told Road Warrior News that supporting anti-human trafficking efforts “just seems like the right thing to do.
“We have friends and family in our own community who are First Nations, which unfortunately seems to be a target group for traffickers. I know families who have lost members to human trafficking. It’s a heinous crime; if our part to help fight against it is to pull a trailer that’s wrapped to raise awareness, that seems like a very small thing to do.”
In addition to wrapping their training trailer, NATT also includes training on what human trafficking is; how to recognize it; and how to help stop it as part of their driver training program.
“Every one of our students graduates knowing how to recognize human trafficking.”
Pattison, who is headquartered in Lively, Ontario, says NATT’s trailer has only been wrapped for about three weeks and already it has garnered considerable attention.
“The very first day our trainer took students out pulling the trailer with the new wrap, three different people approached him and asked him what it was about. You know when you are out stopped at a light, that people are looking and reading. It is raising awareness already. We hope the messages are reaching the right people.”
The new wrap was unveiled at the 30th Anniversary TTSAO conference in Brampton, Ontario. February 22nd was Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Ontario, and the TTSAO presented a “Know Human Trafficking” speakers’ panel, which was moderated by Shelley Walker of the Women’s Trucking Federation Canada.
“We want to give a big ‘thank you’ to Brian and Kevin for their support and dedication in helping to spread awareness in their area,” Walker told RWN. “We appreciate our allies the important partnerships we are working to form in our fight against Human Trafficking. Stay tuned over the coming months, as we launch more trailers and host pop events to spread awareness.”
“It is absolutely incredible to see all of these schools and carriers come together to help spread awareness about this horrific crime. We want to give a big thank you to NATT for stepping up and being apart of Know Human Trafficking,” adds Samantha Clarke of DriveWise. “They are the first school in Northern Ontario to get involved.”
