January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Every year since 2010, the president has dedicated the month to raise awareness about human trafficking and educate the public how to identify and prevent this crime. The
U.S. Department of State raises awareness of human trafficking domestically and abroad through U.S. embassies and consulates.
ODOT Commerce and Compliance Division is proud to work with several partners to raise awareness of human trafficking and provide people with resources to educate and work toward stopping this dreadful crime. Every January, we partner with
Oregon Trucking Association (OTA) ,
TAT,
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA),
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA),
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), law enforcement, and more to raise awareness and provide people with resources to educate and work toward stopping this terrible crime.
Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery that involves the use of force, fraud, or pressure to obtain cheap labor or commercial sex. It is a crime hiding in plain sight, occurring in rural, suburban and urban areas, and it does not always look the way you might think. Anyone can become a victim. Traffickers can be a friend, family member, romantic partner, employer or a stranger.
More than 27 million people annually fall victim to human trafficking worldwide, and according to the
National Human Trafficking Hotline, 160 cases involving 227 victims were identified in Oregon in 2024. Knowing human trafficking is happening and learning to recognize what it looks like are the first steps in bringing it to an end.
Join us in these awareness-raising activities this month!
Our trained staff and partners know the signs and are here to help. Please join us in these awareness-raising activities this month and help us put the brakes on human trafficking.
- January 7, 13, 22 and 30, 2026 — TAT National Human Trafficking Prevention Month Webinar Series: TAT, a nonprofit organization that trains the transportation industry to recognize and report human trafficking, is hosting a January weekly webinar series to help people better understand ways that traffickers exploit their victims and how to make a difference in the community and workplace. View the NHTPM 2026 Webinars Flyer for topics, dates and registration.
- January 11, 2026 — “Wear Blue Day”: Learn more about #WearBlueDay to raise human trafficking awareness. Ask your company or organization to participate in “Wear Blue Day” and share the information with others.
- January 12-16, 2026 — Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative: Our safety inspectors and motor carrier enforcement officers will be participating in the CVSA Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative event. Inspectors, investigators and law enforcement partners will be educating and distributing information to truck drivers at every interaction.
- January 28-29, 2026 — From Awareness to Action: Recognizing and Reporting Human Trafficking webinars: Experts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign are hosting two webinars, one in English and one in Spanish, on how to best recognize and report potential human trafficking cases. View the registration page for times and registration.
- Do you use Zoom or Teams? Use our virtual call background or one from DHS’s Blue Campaign in all your January calls and share these graphics online to help raise awareness.
- Do you know of more events this month? Send them to our Communications Team and we will be sure to share the information!