Amber Alerts for Truckers

When the average working Joe heads off to work in the morning, his family usually knows what time he'll be heading through the door in the evening when the workday is done… unless he decides to hoist a few with the boys before he heads home.

Not so with the typical long-haul trucker who can be on the road for weeks at a time and whose schedule is at the whim of shippers, dispatchers and consignees who can flip his well-made plans on their ear.

Because of the sometimes chaotic and changeable nature of the job, truckers are prone to not check in or tell loved ones where they plan to be at any given time of the day. Probably because truckers can never really be sure where they will be when.

But this lack of connectedness can be a danger to drivers, especially if they become ill on the road. If they are in trouble, it can be days, even weeks before someone knows they've gone missing. And when a trucker is MIA, how to do find him?

The Missing Driver Alert Network was launched to help families find missing truckers. The network utilizes the social media to notify other truckers to be on the lookout for missing drivers.

The roots of the program began in February 2012 following the disappearance of truck driver Mark Williams Sr. William's wife Jonda asked Kari and Lee Fisher for help finding him. The Fishers had a large contingency of Facebook friends that are truckers. a post on Facebook got the word out that Williams was missing.

A fellow driver saw the post about Williams and was on the lookout for Williams and his truck and found him. Unfortunately, Williams was dead in his sleeper when found.

"On February 4, 2012, Mark Williams, my husband, went missing," Jonda Williams wrotte. "[I] called the police, but they keep puting me off, so I asked Kari and Lee Fisher for help . The Missing Truck Driver Alert Network came to life, and they found my husband. The outcome was not good; he passed away. If I would of had them first, my outcome could have been better. The Missing Truck Driver Alert Network Helped me and my family and had more done in 24 hours than anyone else."

"The ultimate goal of the Missing Driver Alert Network is to locate and return drivers reported missing to their family, without loss," the Fisher's state on their website. "While we realize that this may not always be the case, we will do our utmost best 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."

Drivers should become friends with the Missing Driver Alert Network on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Missing-Truck-Driver-Alert-Network/341127269254698 to receive notification of missing drivers. They then share the information with their Facebook trucker friends.

In addition to posting missing bulletins to their sites and others, the Missing Truck Driver Alert Network is working to develop a smart phone app that would alert users as soon as a driver goes missing.

The network has merchandise for sale to show support and to also raise funds to help them expand their network. Those interested in helping the organization can purchase a t-shirts and window decal of the network's logo.

The network also provides tips for drivers to ensure they can be more easily found in times of need:

Always leave a recent picture yourself and your truck, your truck number, DOT number, MC number, VIN and license plate info and company name with a friend or family member in case you come up missing. Keep a copy of this information in your truck.

The Missing Truck Driver Alert Network operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help spread the word to other drivers as quickly as possible when a driver goes missing.

To report a missing driver call (720) 202-5606. Please leave a message, someone will return your call.