Truckers Final Mile

Truckers Final Mile

Sadly, more than 800 commercial drivers lose their lives every year on North American roads due to accidents alone. What would your family do if you were one of them? What would you do if something happened to your family while you were gone?

Truckers Final Mile, a brand new 501(c)(3) charitable organization, wants to help simplify those tough questions by providing the financial means for ANY North American commercial truck driver to reunite with their family in a time of crisis – whether it’s a debilitating injury, serious illness or worst case scenario, death.

The mission of the new organization is to “assist in the immediate travel, lodging and ground transportation needs of truck drivers and their immediate families. Whether to the truck drivers location or for the driver to travel home in such a case.”

Additionally, in case of a loss of life, they will pay for the transportation of the driver’s remains.

Upon receiving a call for help, the 24/7 staff responds immediately to verify the circumstances, usually within 4 hours, and soon thereafter, the organization will pay for the travel and lodging expenses of the affected party.

Nearly any driver can qualify for the program as long as he or she is a CDL holder in the course of their employment or self employment during the time of the incident, or an immediate family member of the driver.

You can read a full explanation of the program on their website here.

The founder Robert Palm, an over-the-road veteran of 30 years, started the organization with a driving desire to give back to the industry that provided for him and his family for so long.

Like most truck drivers, he has experienced the stress of thinking about what would occur if something serious were to happen to himself or a family member while on the road.

“I’m out 6 weeks at a time, traveling within 48 states, so I know what its like to have that worry,” Palm said.

As a lease operator, Palm started the organization from his 2012 Freightliner and has since grown his team of board of directors, secured a 501(c)(3) and put together a comprehensive website.

Palm and his team are ready and passionate about helping the trucking community, but the organization is so new, they need the necessary funds to get started.

He said that with the support of just ONE corporate sponsor, he and his team, including a travel agency on stand-by, could start helping truckers and their families in crisis today, right now.

If you’re  looking to reach out and help the trucking community in a meaningful, inpactful way, make your donation today (they also accept asset donations), or get the word out to your employer that there’s a worthy cause needing support.

To find out more information, visit their website or Facebook page. If you have questions, partnership requests or want to volunteer, call Robert Palm at (505) 288-2282.

Ladies and Gentleman,

Would you please take atleast 10 minutes today and do some research over at the Trucker's Final Mile? When you finish, come back on over here and let's talk about it. I want to hear your thoughts, questions, comments, and concerns. I want to hear what you like or dislike about the charity. We can even get a good debate going if needed. Just tell me whatever comes to your mind after visiting their site. Your comments below would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Greetings everyone. My name is Robert Palm, and I am the Founder of truckersfinalmile.org. First, I want to thank Anchorman and everyone else that makes this platform available so that we can all be involved in multiple topics, discussions, and just general awareness of what's going on in our industry. And as it pertains to truckersfinalmile.org, I also invite and encourage this dialog.

truckersfinalmile.org is a 501 (c) (3) Charity devoted to reuniting North American Truck Drivers with their families in times of crisis.

We currently have four Programs to serve our clients ... 1st pertains to getting next of kin to a drivers location in event of loss of life; 2nd gets family to the driver in event of serious traumatic injury; third gets family to driver in event of major medical issue, such as a heart attack; and 4th; get the driver home in event of any of the above that may happen to his/her family. Each of these are explained in depth on our websites "Programs" page, and has (most) questions answered on our "Policies" page.

Two additional programs are in development: one which would provide a handicap accessible vehicle(s) to a driver(s) in need (once we begin receiving donated vehicles we would auction/sell them to purchase a van .. for example) and the other program would retrofit a drivers home should he/she become in such need as a result of a industry related incident.

Recent figures from various government agencies show that 852 commercial drivers were killed in collisions in 2013 and another +- 20,000 injured. Now that 20,000 number injured likely means "transported by ambulance" under the definitions of a "reportable" crash. That's just accidents. Add in deaths by homicide, suicide, falling freight, heart attacks and all other instances and the true numbers may be thousands of deaths each year and nearly 100,000 injured or maimed in some way. Let that sit in a moment.

We say "North American" Drivers. The numbers above are just from the U.S. Freight no longer has borders. Thus nor shall we. Any Mexican Driver operating in the States, any Canadian Driver operating in the States, and any U.S. Driver operating in Canada is covered in our programs.

truckersfinalmile.org is unique to our scope and our programs. We are willing to work with any other Charity for the benefit of Truck Drivers and their families. And on the "Partnership" page of our website, we openly invite them.

Our website, truckersfinalmile.org is in depth, in detail, and is very transparent of our Mission, Structure, and legal documentations. What is not yet published on the site are these items: 1, our 888 number. Why? Because we have already had to turn down four requests for assistance due to no funding, and 2, our Federally Required form 990 . Why? Because we haven't completed a fiscal year yet (31 Dec 14) thus its not required. Everything else is published on the website. The form 990 will be published once filed.

We can not have our website bombarded with advertisement. We have a "sponsors" page and a "links" page for that. Links to other sites are published with permission only. We intend to have an "air" of reverence on our site.

... We need funding. We have to establish an office (other than my garage) so people can answer the phones 24/7/365. (any hiring preference goes to Drivers that have lost their career due to injury) and we need computers with monitors .... associations like the BBB and a major trucking association charge big money to become members ... we have a lot of print material to have printed (there are over 3300 counties in the U.S. and we need to let 1st responders know we exist. ) And a huge NO ... we do not, and will not, employ any of those "fundraiser wannabees" that gouge 70 - 80 percent of your financial gift!

So, we, the esteemed all volunteer Board of Directors and myself, invite and encourage all of you to follow the Anchorman's recommendation to please review our website, ask any question you have, offer any criticism and or complaint (we already had one and addressed it right away), maybe offer a good luck wish, like, follow and share facebook/truckersfinalmile.org .... and of course DONATE!!! (p.s) if your not the boss .. tell the boss ... we could really use a good "get it started" contributing sponsor!

I am doing this from the truck. Yeah. An over the road reefer yanker running all 48. I check email, this thread, facebook, as often as I can. Your responses and/or questions aren't being ignored. I WILL get back to you!

Thank you all again for the opportunity to help put truckersfinalmile.org "out there"

see our article in "The Trucker" 15 October edition

Donate to: truckersfinalmile.org/donate/paypal

If anyone is interested in donating please visit their website. Donations are accepted securely through PayPal. They are also looking for material donations as well such as office supplys. Again, please visit the site for more details. They are a non profit organization and all donations would be considered tax deductible. You never know if the time may come when you will need to call upon an organization such as this one!

If anyone is interested in donating please visit their website. Donations are accepted securely through PayPal. They are also looking for material donations as well such as office supplys. Again, please visit the site for more details. They are a non profit organization and all donations would be considered tax deductible. You never know if the time may come when you will need to call upon an organization such as this one!

I just wanted to revisit this thread and ask everybody to pass along the information. Some of you may have missed it originally. They are a new organization and having to turn people away due to lack of funding. They are still trying to get their feet off the ground and people are already requesting their services as if they were well established. They are one ofva kind. I believe this organization will be huge one day and many people will benefit from it. We never know if we may be one of those people. Please take the time to share or donate anything possible! If you have any questions please let me know!

truckersfinalmile.org is a 501 (c) (3) non profit organization committed to reuniting North American Truck Drivers and their family in times of crisis.

We have no membership fees, no application fees, no fees of any kind what so ever and those receiving benefit of our Charity will never be "billed". We do not discriminate in any manner. Race, relationship status, financial position, religious preference, political view, cause of event, none .... none of these is ever factored in whether or not benefits are distributed.

And, we have no "review committee". Our all volunteer Board of Directors is actively and daily engaged in the operation of this Charity. Benefits can be distributed within HOURS!

The ONLY reason we can not deliver benefits under any of our programs would be due to lack of funds availability.

And in our short history, we have turned down five requests for assistance. And we don't want to do that again.

Your financial support is what makes our programs work . Please take the time to review our in depth website where everything is fully explained, where our structural documents can be found, and where most of any questions can be answered.

Should you consider our Charity as the recipient of your financial gift this Holiday Season, donations can be made at GoFundMe.com/truckersfinalmile, on our website at truckersfinalmile.org, by check or money order to truckersfinalmile, P.O. Box 53624, Albuquerque, NM 87153. You do NOT need to be a Trucker to Donate!

To offer large items, such as cars, trucks, office furniture, or to have any question answered, please call Robert at 505 288 2282 or email robert@truckersfinalmile.org. (I am an Over the Road Driver myself so if I don't respond right away, be patient ... I will get back to you!)

Today, we ask that you continue to like, follow, share, (and share again) so that we can continue to spread the word about truckersfinalmile. Your time reading these posts, sharing them, and talking about us with others is very greatly appreciated.

Have a good and safe week.

Robert Palm, Founder truckersfinalmile.org

"Honey, what if something happens while your out on the road??"

A question asked every day in this industry. Each year, truckload carriers tally up about 430-450 BILLION miles, generating about 260 Billion in annual revenues.

Yeah ... that's a lot of money. But how many families TODAY have enough cash in reserves in case of an emergency on the road? You?

It's the weekend, and as holidays approach, fewer and fewer managerial types are going to be available to authorize advances .. if they do at all. (Because your last check just paid the bills)

So, what if the stress of the road, the bills, the lack of home time, the weather, the dam radiator wont stop leaking ... what if that stress finally reaches him while he sleeps in his bunk tonight?

How are YOU going to get to HIM. Right NOW??

truckersfinalmile.org is an IRS recognized 501 (c) (3) Charity that has been Founded by a 30+ year veteran of the Trucking Industry. Our distinct Mission is to reunite North American Truck Drivers with their family in times of crisis.

We have no membership fee. No dues. No application fee. No enrollment fee. There is no committee that meets every so often to decide your eligibility. There is no prerequisite other than being a CDL holder (or equivalent) in the course of employment or self employment. You can be a lineman doing repairs after a storm in a distant town as part of a mutual aid agreement, a forest fire fighter helping in another State, a first day driver, a 40 year over the road veteran ...

And to those fellow drivers out here on the road ... what if something were to happen to your loved at home. How are YOU going to get THERE?

DO your research of us. Read our website at www.truckersfinalmile.org ... it is very in depth and will answer most questions you may have about our programs, our policies, and our organizational structure. ALL pertinent documents are published.

This week, we will be doing another press release trying to garner up some more "awareness" of our Mission, our existence, and our need. Until then, I am asking everyone to like, share, follow, (the comment switch is on), and tell your friends, coworkers, your church congregation, and especially your boss about us. We need a big sponsor/donor to help us get it rolling!

For interfacing ease, GoFundMe.com/truckersfinalmile is a simple way to donate. (The fees to us are higher, and it takes a while to actually get the money) or you can donate on the website at www.truckersfinalmile.org/donate/paypal. Yes, it's a paypay portal, but it does allow credit/debit card transaction. Either of these will generate both a email receipt and a printable receipt for your records.

And of course, snail mail to truckersfinalmile, P.O. Box 53624, Albuquerque, NM 87153.

We have had to turn away six requests for assistance due to lack of funding in our short period of existence. Please help us prevent having to turn away any others.

Your time, your sharing, and your initial and recurring donations are very greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Robert Palm, Founder truckersfinalmile.org 505 288 2282 robert@truckersfinalmile.org

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Pardon this small rant if you please .... We need your help. truckersfinalmile.org is not quite up and running primarily because of a lack of funding. There are several urgent needs that need to be addressed, such as our office facilities, phones, fundraising/marketing materials and such so that we can get people involved answering and responding to any requests for assistance.

So today, I will simply ask that you take the time to share our posts and our website with every person you have on your social media contacts lists. If you don't wish to donate monetarily, please at least share our existence and mission

We can not yet assist those or whom this 501 (c) (3) was established for, and because of that our triple 8 phone number is not yet published on the website. Basically, its forwarded to my cell phone out here in the truck. We NEED to be able to help!

There is a posted message on this truckersfinalmile.org facebook page to a gentleman's "gofundme" page .... so go fund him!

Several interviews in a couple media locations should be published this week and more are being pursued. 

So please ... link our page .... share our page ... like our page.!

Get the word out!!

Thank you very much ....

Robert Palm

This is a wonderful idea, but there's one thing that concerns me and I can't find any clarification on their website. What criteria do they use to determine who does and doesn't count as "family" during a crisis? There are plenty of drivers out there that have been shacking up with someone for years and either haven't gotten around to or don't plan on getting married. Would their significant other qualify as family? What about gay and lesbian drivers who either can't get married in their home state, or whose marriage isn't recognized in another state? Would they be disqualified because the driver was injured in, say, Oklahoma--or worse yet, disqualified outright? What about drivers like me, where the people I call my family have no actual relation to me by blood, marriage, or adoption? Would my dad and/or sisters be prevented from using this service because of that? I'd hate to see another driver or their family left to twist in the wind because they don't meet someone else's definition of "family."

This is a wonderful idea, but there's one thing that concerns me and I can't find any clarification on their website. What criteria do they use to determine who does and doesn't count as "family" during a crisis? There are plenty of drivers out there that have been shacking up with someone for years and either haven't gotten around to or don't plan on getting married. Would their significant other qualify as family? What about gay and lesbian drivers who either can't get married in their home state, or whose marriage isn't recognized in another state? Would they be disqualified because the driver was injured in, say, Oklahoma--or worse yet, disqualified outright? What about drivers like me, where the people I call my family have no actual relation to me by blood, marriage, or adoption? Would my dad and/or sisters be prevented from using this service because of that? I'd hate to see another driver or their family left to twist in the wind because they don't meet someone else's definition of "family."

Fatsquatch, I have contacted truckersfinalmile.org in regards to your question. I will let you know when I receive a response.

Hi, while I wait for to get my cdl , I have joined Uber.....my first rider, was Chris Tsakis - the host/producer for channel 146 (Seriux XM Radio Inc.). I believe he can reach more truckers through his talk show. Does Robert Palm have Chris's telephone contact?

Fatsquatch,

I received the following response in regards to your above concerns:

Thank you first off for your interest in our new charity. We set this up to benefit the North American Truck Drivers and their "family", and then defined "family" as Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Spouse, Son and Daughter. Elsewhere on the site (the "policies" page), we also make the statement that we will not in any way discriminate.

As we receive requests for aid, each such request will be handled on a case by case basis, and not by bias. I, the members of the Board, and all others involved in this Charity will not deny any benefits based on one's relationship status.

We are brand new. And in the past couple of days we have taken some steps to get into the media limelight as it were to make our existence known so that we can build our fund to where we can help ANY CDL driver anywhere in North American. We have not yet published our 888 number in the banner of the site as yet (but it is on the website in a couple places) so that we do not have any more than the three requests for assistance we have already had to turn away because of lack of funds.

When a truck driver perishes in a crash, is severely injured by fallen freight, suffers a heart attack in the sleeper, or has the same befall his/her loved one's ... we want to be there for them. Without judgment of their lifestyle.

So, we are all inclusive as that goes. Yes, in any of the scenario's noted, as far as truckersfinalmile.org is concerned .. the only qualifying requirement is that a person be a CDL holder (or equivalent from Canada/Mexico) and in the course of their employment or self employment, they would be covered.

Remember however, that we verify and cross verify each case. We will NOT be flying people home to family reunions in Maui just because third Aunt Mary's tenth step child on her grandfathers mothers side stubbed her toe.

This Charity is designed to get families to each others side in the event of a Death, Serious Injury, and/or Severe Illness.

I would hope that this reply will clear up any reservations about the seriousness of our Mission, and that it answers any other question you had. I am an over the road driver, and I check all emails/facebook posts as DOT regulations allow, so be patient ... you will eventually get a response.

Thank you.

Robert Palm, Founder truckersfinalmile.org

Just wanted to let you know that I have changed the definition of "family" on the website to include "Significant Partner" and we will also honor any "non traditional" marriages regardless of which State they reside in or where any incident may occur.

Thank you

Robert Palm, Founder truckersfinalmile.org

That is terrific news. Thanks for that, Anchorman. I sincerely hope they are able to get the funding they need to make this happen. This would be an absolute blessing for those who need it.

If anyone is interested in donating please visit their website. Donations are accepted securely through PayPal. They are also looking for material donations as well such as office supplys. Again, please visit the site for more details. They are a non profit organization and all donations would be considered tax deductible. You never know if the time may come when you will need to call upon an organization such as this one!

If anyone is interested in donating please visit their website. Donations are accepted securely through PayPal. They are also looking for material donations as well such as office supplys. Again, please visit the site for more details. They are a non profit organization and all donations would be considered tax deductible. You never know if the time may come when you will need to call upon an organization such as this one!

I just wanted to revisit this thread and ask everybody to pass along the information. Some of you may have missed it originally. They are a new organization and having to turn people away due to lack of funding. They are still trying to get their feet off the ground and people are already requesting their services as if they were well established. They are one ofva kind. I believe this organization will be huge one day and many people will benefit from it. We never know if we may be one of those people. Please take the time to share or donate anything possible! If you have any questions please let me know!

The founder of the organization, Robert Palm, even gave us a shout-out on their facebook page! Be sure to show our love and support back...

Anyway, still the fourth featured story on cdl life.com, have a small .. what is it called .. a thread(?) .... on truckingtruth .com in a forum, and scheduled to be interviewed this week by " The Trucker", a nationally distributed trucking industry magazine ... with hopes of that being published 22 September ...... maybe reaching 10's of thousands (????) ..... anyway ...