A commitment to support veterans who wish to join the trucking industry as civilians has been a powerful goal of the trucking industry, and it is exemplified by the many initiatives of NFI, a fully integrated North American supply chain solutions provider headquartered in Camden, New Jersey.
NFI supports its veteran and military employees through several dedicated initiatives, including DOD SkillBridge and the DOL Registered Apprenticeship Program, this pathway allows eligible veterans to access MHA financial benefits via the GI Bill. Additionally, NFI fosters a supportive community through its VET Employee Resource Group (ERG).
Another of the company’s efforts for veterans’ recognition is a special one that takes place at the holiday season annually — supporting the Wreaths Across America (WAA) organization in its goal to Remember, Honor and Teach.
This year, innumerable NFI employees and drivers joined the effort to deliver 10 loads to Arlington National Cemetery and other cemeteries in the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast. NFI donated the trucks and trailers, and drivers donated their time to assist in the endeavor.
Each year, operations managers see the open routes and discuss options with their drivers to determine who is willing and able to participate. With over 750 veterans employed at NFI across its operations (12% of its drivers have military service backgrounds), it’s not surprising that many who were a part of getting the deliveries to WAA sites were members of the military.
NFI operated relays to transport the wreaths in custom-wrapped trailers from Maine to designated cemeteries. Using a relay system demonstrated the carrier’s continued commitment to teamwork and allowed more of its staff to be a part of the special process. Drivers picked up in Maine and dropped at various NFI terminals, where other drivers stepped in to continue the deliveries.
Joe H. was one of the NFI drivers who was a part of the relayed routes. Joe enlisted at the age of 19 and spent just shy of 25 years in the United States Army in combined service — active duty, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard.
NFI Transportation Manager Chris H. says of Joe: “From day one [with NFI], he has been a dependable, steady and knowledgeable professional driver. Over time, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Joe beyond the driver’s seat. He is a family man who carries himself with quiet professionalism and a strong sense of responsibility.
“I am grateful to Joe,” continued Chris, “[and] to every volunteer and community we met along the way, and to NFI for allowing us to be part of something that reaches far beyond day-to-day operations.”
Additional members of the wreath relays include Ed C., Army National Guard, Kacy H., active Army Reserve, Willie H., Marine and Air Force Veteran, and Eunice R., all drivers out of Connecticut, Aamer S. from Pennsylvania, and Robert D., a Marine veteran out of New Jersey.
This marks NFI’s ninth year participating with WAA. Their reason? Simple: to share the importance of the WAA mission to honor those who have fallen, share the commitment to spread awareness, and support the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
NFI driver Jose R. out of South Bend, Indiana, was another of the relay drivers for 2025. Cheyenne W., his transportation manager, shared, “Jose’s commitment and flexibility have made him a standout within the fleet. He has been a great addition to the NFI family.”
Jason W., a military veteran, was the NFI driver who made the final relay into Arlington National Cemetery this year.
“It’s things like this that I’m humbled and honored to do,” he said. “It reminds me that even with all the chaos that’s going on in our country right now, there are truly people that still care, and our service to our country wasn’t done in vain.”
In addition to the efforts of operations and drivers, NFI had 12 corporate members laying wreaths at Arlington, and other employees attended cemeteries around the Midwest and Northeast. The company has already renewed its commitment to support the Wreaths Across America initiative in 2026.
NFI CEO Sidney Brown sums it up: “At NFI, we are committed to supporting the veteran community. I’m proud of how our employees from different areas of the organization come together each year to honor those who have sacrificed for our country.”
Megan Cullingford Hicks is The Trucker Media Group General Manager. She started at Trucker’s Connection magazine after graduating from college with a degree in communications, thinking she would do this until “something better came along.” Nothing did, and over the next quarter of a century, Megan rose from assistant editor to editor and then to general manager with an array of duties ranging from writing her monthly column Viewpoint to penning various feature articles to general operations, business development, and digital implementation, thus gaining her the unofficial title “ringmaster.”
