Help Recognize Heroes: Nominate Someone for TAT's Harriet Tubman Award

Every day, professional drivers, transit operators, travel plaza employees, and others in the transportation industry serve as the eyes and ears of our nation's highways. Through awareness, vigilance, and action, they play a critical role in identifying and reporting human trafficking, helping victims find safety and preventing further exploitation.

To honor those extraordinary individuals, Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) presents its highest recognition each year: the Harriet Tubman Award.

Named after the famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman, the award recognizes a member of the trucking, bus, or energy industry whose direct actions have either helped save or improve the lives of trafficking victims or prevented human trafficking from occurring. 

The recipient receives a commemorative trophy and a $5,000 award in recognition of their efforts.

Since its creation in 2013, the Harriet Tubman Award has celebrated transportation professionals who transformed training and awareness into life-changing action.

Recent recipients demonstrate the profound impact a single person can have:

• 2024 Recipient – Charles Bernsen, Petro Travel Plaza, South Carolina
  • As general manager of a travel plaza in Florence, South Carolina, Bernsen noticed a distressed young woman repeatedly seeking refuge in the facility. After approaching her and offering assistance, he learned she had escaped a trafficker who had been exploiting her for sex. Bernsen provided food, clothing, a blanket, and guidance, helping connect her with resources and the National Human Trafficking Hotline so she could safely return home.
    
    
• 2023 Recipient – Joe Aguayo, WinCo Foods Driver
  • While driving through a remote mountainous area, Aguayo spotted a woman standing alongside the highway wearing only a towel. Recognizing that something was wrong, he contacted law enforcement. Authorities later confirmed that the woman was a human trafficking victim and told Aguayo his actions likely saved her life.
    
    
• 2022 Recipients – Kirk Rayner, Nicole Cavicante, and Laura Figueroa, EMBARK Transit Authority
  • After receiving TAT training, an Oklahoma City bus driver recognized signs that a passenger was fleeing dangerous individuals who had been controlling and transporting her across state lines. Working together with supervisors and victim-service partners, the EMBARK team helped connect the woman with support services, law enforcement, and safe shelter.

These stories remind us that combating human trafficking does not always require dramatic intervention. Sometimes it begins with noticing something unusual, asking a question, making a phone call, or offering help to someone in need.

TAT's mission has always been rooted in empowering transportation professionals to recognize and report human trafficking. The Harriet Tubman Award shines a spotlight on those who have gone above and beyond to make a difference.

❓ Do you know a driver, dispatcher, supervisor, travel plaza employee, technician, transit worker, or industry professional whose actions have helped a trafficking victim or prevented exploitation? Consider nominating them for this prestigious award.

By recognizing these individuals, we not only celebrate their courage and compassion but also inspire others throughout our industry to remain vigilant and committed to ending human trafficking.

👉 Nomination information and details about past recipients are available through Truckers Against Trafficking.