ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Even though it only began operations last year, a trucking charity is already planning its future growth.

Founded by Robert Palm, an OTR driver with over 30 years in the trucking industry, and his wife Jeanine, truckersfinalmile.org is an organization devoted to assisting truckers and their families in the aftermath of accidents and injuries. It’s a personal mission for the Palms, as Robert knows what it’s like to be incapacitated. First he was in a serious crash in 1997, then in 2010 he had to be hospitalized for a ruptured appendix while he was away from home.

Currently truckersfinalmile.org, which is open to any Canadian, American or Mexican driver who holds a commercial trucking licence, operates four separate programs that deal with the following situations:

Death of a driver while on the road.

Truckersfinalmile.org will provide immediate travel arrangements for the driver’s next-of-kin and a travelling companion to the city where the death occurred. The cost of ground lodging (for up to five days) and local ground transportation would also be covered. The charity will also assume the costs of transporting the driver’s remains home.

Severe injury of a driver while on the road.

The hospitalized driver’s immediate family member and a travelling companion will be transported to the location of the driver, and have their lodgings and local ground transportation costs covered. Arrangements will also be made to transport the driver home.

Medical emergency

If a driver suffers from a sudden and severe medical condition, such as a heart attack or stroke, the driver’s immediate family member and a travelling companion will be brought to the driver’s location, and have their lodgings and ground transportation covered. Truckersfinalmile.org will arrange for the driver to be transported home.

Emergency at home

If something happens to a driver’s family and the driver is required to suddenly return home, truckersfinalmile.org will make the travel arrangements to get the driver back from the road. While the organization can’t take responsibility for the truck, trailer or load, it will help to communicate with the driver’s company.

According to the organization, it has staff members available 24 hours per day and its goal is to verify requests within four hours.

Next on the agenda for truckersfinalmile.org, are programs that will retrofit homes of drivers who require special accommodations after an injury, and cash donations for the families of drivers who die while on the road. It also has a goal of putting injured drivers looking for a career change at the top of any future hiring lists it may have.

The organization has official charitable status in the US, being recognized by the IRS as 501 (C) (3) Charity Organization tasked with the distinct mission of reuniting North American truck drivers and their family in times of crisis. For more information about truckersfinalmile.org or to make a donation, visit the website.