The successful, although tragic, location of a missing trucker utilizing social networking has resulted in the launch of the Missing Truck Driver Alert Network in the hopes of providing help to law enforcement and family members attempting to locate truck drivers who have gone missing.
Unfortunately, due to the transient nature of the long-haul trucking profession, truck drivers who may fall ill or are otherwise in distress can be difficult to locate. The case of one such missing driver, Mark Williams, spurred the launch of the alert network, according to a report in the Tampa Bay Trucking Examiner.
When Williams went missing, law enforcement was at a loss. Since Williams’ rig wasn’t equipped with a GPS device, locating Williams proved to be extremely difficult. For help, the family turned to social media giant, FaceBook.
The family contacted Kari Fisher, founder of the “Share the Road Page Discussion Group” on FaceBook. Fisher immediately posted the information on her personal page and on the trucking discussion group page.
Before long, the Examiner reports, hundreds of drivers were sharing the information on FaceBook with all of their contacts. Trucker Hal Kiah became actively involved, posting the information on yet another trucking forum.
Driver Brandt Geiger read the information posted on the forum thread and noticed he was parked next to the missing truck at the T/A Truck Stop in Tuscaloosa, AL. Geiger immediately called 911.
Police responded and the sad news followed shortly that Williams was deceased. Though a sad ending, the family had located their missing loved one within hours due to the power of social media.
In memory of Mark Williams, Fisher and Kiah quickly formed The Missing Truck Driver Alert Network. Within a few short weeks, the network already has over 1,800 FaceBook members.
“The ultimate goal of the Missing Driver Alert Network is to locate and return drivers reported missing to their family, without loss. While we realize that this may not always be the case, we will do our utmost to get the word out to everyone in the trucking community with that goal in mind. We will work with the law enforcement community and truck stops around the country in coordinating any search to achieve this goal,” Fisher says.
To be alerted of a missing truck driver, to provide an alert for a driver who is missing or to receive or give alerts for anyone who may be missing, simply sign-up at the website and help law enforcement and the families locate their missing loved ones. To sign up to be a part of the network go to: http://www.missingtruckdriver.com/
http://www.examiner.com/trucking-in-tampa-bay/missing-truck-driver-alert-network