OUR PROGRAMS
Every program.
One commitment behind all of them.
No driver forgotten. No family left behind.
NFTDRF programs exist to honor fallen drivers, support their families through grief, and advance public roadway safety education. We don't send pamphlets. We send counselors, coordinators, and a phone number that's always answered.
The sixth month is the hardest.
Grief Counseling & Peer Support
The first week after a driver's death, the family is surrounded by people. By month three, most of those people are gone. Our grief counseling and peer support program exists specifically for the long middle — the period when professional support is most critical and least available.
Counseling sessions funded
Up to 12 licensed sessions per family member
Session format
Individual, group, and family counseling available
Peer support
One-on-one matching with volunteers who experienced similar losses
Referral network
145 licensed grief counselors in 38 states
Who Qualifies
All immediate family members of fallen professional truck drivers: spouses, children (including minors with parental consent), and dependent parents. No insurance requirement.
How It Works
After initial intake, a case coordinator matches families with a licensed counselor in their area or provides telehealth access within 5 business days. Peer support matches are made based on driver type, family structure, and geographic preference.
counseling sessions facilitated
Someone answers. Every time.
24/7 Family Helpline
Grief doesn't follow business hours. Our 24/7 helpline is staffed by trained volunteers — many of whom have personally experienced the loss of a professional truck driver — who answer every call, every hour, every night of the year.
Availability
24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Average wait time
Under 2 minutes
Staff
Trained volunteers, many bereaved families themselves
Languages available
English and Spanish
Who Qualifies
Any family member, friend, or colleague of a fallen professional truck driver. The helpline is also available to active drivers experiencing crisis.
How It Works
Call 1-800-555-0199. No intake form required. All calls are confidential. Callers are connected with a trained volunteer within minutes and can be referred to the appropriate NFTDRF program during the same call.
calls answered in 2024
THE PROCESS
From your first contact to your last need.
We stay with families through every phase of recovery — not just the first week.
Contact us.
Call the helpline at 1-800-555-0199, submit a support request at nftdf.org/programs, or email support@nftdf.org. A real staff member responds within 24 hours — not an automated system.
A coordinator takes your case.
Your assigned case coordinator contacts you by phone or video to understand your family's immediate and longer-term needs. You don't navigate paperwork alone. We walk through everything together.
Programs activate within days.
Counseling referrals and helpline access are initiated within 3–5 business days of intake. Families are matched with licensed counselors and peer support volunteers in their area.
We stay.
NFTDRF stays with families through every phase of recovery. Peer support and the Memorial Wall are available indefinitely. Counselors follow up at 30, 60, and 90 days to reassess needs.
ELIGIBILITY
Common Questions
Does the driver have to have been killed while driving?
No. Eligibility extends to any professional truck driver employed full-time in a commercial driving role who dies as a result of a work-related accident or occupational exposure. This includes accidents at loading docks, in company parking areas, and in vehicles connected to their route.
Are part-time or seasonal drivers eligible?
The driver must have been employed as a commercial driver for a minimum of 12 months, with at least 30 hours per week on average during that period. Owner-operators qualify if they hold an active commercial license and were actively hauling freight at the time of death.
What if we already received support from another organization?
NFTDRF assistance is not means-tested against other aid received. Receiving funds from an employer, insurance policy, GoFundMe, or another nonprofit does not disqualify a family from NFTDRF programs.
Is there an income limit to access grief counseling or the helpline?
No. NFTDRF does not apply an income threshold to any of its programs. Grief counseling and the 24/7 helpline are available to all families of fallen professional truck drivers regardless of household income.
How long after a driver's death can we apply?
There is no deadline to apply for any NFTDRF program. Families may contact us within days of a death or years later. The Memorial Wall accepts tribute submissions indefinitely.
Have a specific situation that's not addressed here?
Contact our family services team →“Knowing his name is on that wall — permanently — means the world to our family. He is not forgotten.”
— Family of a fallen driver, Memorial Wall tribute, 2024
JOIN THE FOUNDATION
Every program runs on donations.
When you donate to NFTDRF, your contribution is allocated directly to program delivery — grief counseling, roadway safety education, helpline operations, and the permanent Memorial Wall.
Donate to Fund These ProgramsNFTDRF is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible.