[R]etailers rely on port truckers to transport their goods from container ships and many of those truckers are trapped in debt bondage – with some cases fitting the International Labour Organization’s definition of forced labor. A legislative initiative launched last month aims to analyze how to identify and prevent debt bondage and other abuses in this industry.

Starting in June, an investigative journalist at USA Today posted a ground-breaking series of stories about the port trucking industry in southern California, where truckers’ wages and hours frequently run far afoul of the most basic US labor laws. Every year, these port truckers move $450 billion worth of goods between ships, warehouses and rail yards. Yet many port truckers find themselves trapped in unethical truck leasing agreements that leave them earning as little as $3 an hour, well below the U.S. federal minimum wage of $7.25, despite working 50-plus hours per week.

While predatory lending may immediately bring to mind credit card companies and mortgage scams, in this case it’s used to create a system of debt bondage that binds drivers to abusive port trucking companies...

Still, major brands deny responsibility for anything that happens before products reach their retail locations...

*Sourced by RepRisk due diligence on ESG and business conduct risks, www.reprisk.com.