TMAF Interviews TAT Advocate and Truck Driver Kellylynn McLaughin

When asked what led her to pursue a career in the trucking industry, she chuckled as she said, “A high school marching band!” She explained that while volunteering as a high school band mom, she was asked to coordinate logistics for the band — a job that she very much enjoyed. “One time I hitched a ride with a fellow volunteer band dad, a truck driver, in the semi-truck that we rented to pull the gear. And I was said, ‘Wow, this is cool. I wish I could do this,’ and he said, ‘You can! Just go to truck driving school.” That is when she decided to pursue a career as a truck driver. Through one of her first jobs as a truck driver, she learned about Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) and their work. During onboarding, the company she worked for included the TAT certification video as part of their training program. The video focuses on how to recognize human trafficking and the steps that truck drivers can take to report suspected human trafficking. Speaking of the video, Kellylynn said, “It was eye opening and heartfelt. It really pulled on my heartstrings.” Getting certified by TAT on the signs of human trafficking was not complicated, she explained. “It really was as easy as watching that training video and then becoming a little bit more knowledgeable and aware of my surroundings.” <a href="https://truckingfwd.medium.com/tmaf-interviews-tat-advocate-and-truck-driver-kellylynn-mclaughin-88883e267b39">Click Here</a>