PLANO, Texas — The trucking industry is the bread and butter of the economy, with nearly every product on store shelves being transported by a truck.
But behind the hum of engines and the movement of goods lies a darker reality many truckers encounter firsthand: human trafficking.
Sharon Siar, founder of Talon Freight Services, has spent 35 years in transportation. She is deeply rooted in the business and loves it, but she also sees the terrifying reality of child trafficking through transportation.
“The trafficking, we probably see it before anybody else does,” Siar shared.
The State of Texas recorded the second-highest number of human trafficking cases, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. A 2016 University of Texas report estimated over 300,000 Texans are being trafficked, including 79,000 youth.
For Siar, she knows some organizations bring awareness to human trafficking, as well as people who rescue survivors. But she said there is a greater need for mental health services after they are saved.
Siar recalls her late sister, Tracy, who was sexually assaulted in her early 20s and never received the counseling she needed. Tracy’s struggles spiraled into tragedy.
“She died early,” Siar said.
Determined to address the gaps in survivor support, Siar co-founded Gift of Freedom, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing counseling services to trafficking survivors.
Siar partnered with Kristy Knichel, CEO of Knichel Logistics, and Nicole Glenn, founder of Candor Logistics Management. Together, these three female transportation industry leaders, who are also mothers, aim to combat trafficking from the inside out.
“They’ve been through horrible things. They’ve been forced to do horrible things,” Siar said. “So you want to make sure they’re truly free.”
“This is happening in my neighborhood,” Glenn said. “This is happening where my children are going to school.”
The trio started Gift of Freedom last year and officially launched three weeks ago. They are bringing awareness to the issue and providing vital mental health resources to youth survivors.
“The idea of counseling is to bring freedom to the mind,” Glenn explained.
Recognizing their industry’s role in the movement of trafficking victims, the founders of Gift of Freedom are turning their knowledge into action. They hope to ensure survivors have the tools they need to heal and break the cycle of human trafficking.