OUR PROGRAMS
Four programs.
One question behind all of them.
What does this family need right now?
Every NFTDRF program exists at the intersection of immediate crisis and long-term recovery. We don't send pamphlets. We send coordinators, counselors, checks, and a phone number that's always answered.
Within days. Not weeks.
Emergency Financial Assistance
When a professional truck driver dies, the household's primary income often disappears overnight. Mortgage payments, utilities, car notes, and medical bills don't pause for grief. Our Emergency Financial Assistance program is designed to bridge that gap — fast.
Average disbursement time
4 business days
Maximum single award
$5,000
Eligible expenses
Mortgage/rent, utilities, vehicle payments, funeral costs, medical bills
Application requirement
Death certificate, proof of employment as commercial driver
Who Qualifies
Surviving spouses, dependent children, or parents of full-time professional truck drivers killed in the line of duty or in a fatal accident during active employment.
How It Works
A case coordinator contacts the family within 24 hours of submission. Award decisions are made within 72 hours. Funds are disbursed directly to the family or to the creditor.
disbursed in 2024
A driver's children deserve a future.
Educational Scholarships
The road that took a parent shouldn't also take their children's opportunities. Our annual scholarship program funds higher education and vocational training for children and surviving spouses of fallen professional truck drivers — with no GPA minimum and no deadline to apply.
Annual scholarship value
Up to $5,000 per recipient
Award type
One-time and renewable (up to 4 years)
Eligible applicants
Children (any age) and surviving spouses of fallen drivers
Qualifying programs
4-year degree, 2-year degree, vocational/trade certification, CDL training
Who Qualifies
Any child or surviving spouse of a professional truck driver who died in active service. No income threshold. No GPA requirement. Vocational and CDL programs qualify alongside traditional degrees.
How It Works
Applications open annually on April 1 and close June 30. Recipients are notified in August and funds are disbursed directly to the educational institution for the fall term.
scholarships awarded since founding
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.
Financial assistance disbursements, counseling referrals, scholarship applications, and helpline access are initiated within 3–5 business days of intake. Most families receive their first disbursement within a week.
We stay.
NFTDRF doesn't close a case when the first check is sent. Case coordinators follow up at 30, 60, and 90 days to reassess needs. The Memorial Wall and peer support network are available indefinitely.
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 receive assistance?
No. NFTDRF does not apply an income threshold to any of its programs. Our Emergency Assistance and Grief Counseling programs are available 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 →“Four days after we called, a check arrived. I didn't think organizations like this actually existed.”
— Diane B., widow of Terrence Brooks, North Carolina · Emergency Financial Assistance recipient, 2023
JOIN THE FOUNDATION
Every program runs on donations.
When you donate to NFTDRF, your contribution is allocated directly to program delivery — financial assistance, scholarship funds, counseling access, and helpline operations.
Donate to Fund These ProgramsNFTDRF is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible.