As cyber-enabled threats escalate across the transportation sector, industry leadership must shift from reactive to resilient. At National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA) we’re not just tracking these threats. We’re building the frameworks, partnerships, and workforce needed to confront them head-on.
From launching actionable tools like the NMFTA Cybersecurity Guidebook series, and the Cargo Crime Reduction Framework to investing in future talent through initiatives like the CyberTruck Challenge, NMFTA is helping reshape how our industry approaches cybersecurity.
This Summer, work continues across technology, education, and standards development—all with a singular goal: empowering transportation leaders to safeguard their operations and strengthen the resilience of our industry.
Resilience through coordinated cybersecurity
In last month’s article, we examined the growing complexity of cargo theft in the U.S. transportation sector and made the case that no single tactic, tool, or technology can serve as a silver bullet. The convergence of cybersecurity, operational security, and physical security was presented not as an idea, but as a necessity—a coordinated defense posture that reflects how modern cargo thieves operate across these domains.
This month, we built on that foundation with an actionable discussion grounded in recent developments. In early June, the NMFTA cybersecurity team released the Cargo Crime Reduction Framework—a practical guide for fleets, brokers, and logistics providers facing the rising threat of cyber-enabled cargo theft. Coinciding with the launch of this resource, NMFTA’s Ben Wilkens, cybersecurity principal engineer and Artie Crawford, the director of cybersecurity hosted guest speaker Danny Ramon, director of intelligence at Overhaul for an informative webinar. The conversation on this webinar further unpacked how industry leaders can strengthen their defenses through implementation of layered, role-specific controls and better alignment with law enforcement and technology partners.
This conversation highlighted how every investment in cybersecurity—tools, training, procedures, or collaboration—directly protects operational uptime, reduces exposure to fraud and theft, and strengthens competitive advantage in an increasingly digital logistics ecosystem.
Empowering next gen cybersecurity talent
June also marked the fourth year running that NMFTA sponsored the CyberTruck Challenge as the premier sponsor. Through this sponsorship, NMFTA makes it possible for students from multiple universities across several countries to gather with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) engineering teams and industry security professionals for a week of practical, hands-on learning and invaluable networking opportunities. Many of these students will go on to bolster the cybersecurity talent pool in the transportation industry for years to come.
NMFTA has been at the forefront of heavy-vehicle cybersecurity for over a decade, and we are pleased to see continued growth in the industry around cybersecurity awareness, research and strategic focus. Cybersecurity remains a complex and costly challenge for our sector. Yet as knowledge grows and collaboration deepens through the sharing of research and lessons learned, we are shifting the balance. No longer is this industry on its collective back foot, searching for ways to react to the latest attacks. We are learning to proactively focus on cybersecurity, and to invest in our defenses and the teams that operate them.
This is where NMFTA concentrates its efforts; to bring resources, education and guidance to the industry to nurture the growing trend of cybersecurity readiness and to continue to move the needle on this critical challenge to the transportation sector.
Research and strategic technology investment
NMFTA’s research does not end with protections from cyberattacks. We’re digging deeper into the supply chain that underpins so much of our industry’s technology to identify hidden weak spots and vulnerabilities. NMFTA researchers are currently looking into white labeling in telematics devices to see how many of these devices might have shared code across their firmware versions. Anne Zachos, cybersecurity research engineer for NMFTA explains: “This work is important to help give more visibility into these devices which are critical to the trucking industry, and, for example, help determine how a vulnerability in one device may impact others.”
Join the movement
We are entering a pivotal summer with key initiatives underway that are reshaping both freight classification and the cybersecurity landscape:
ClassIT+ launches in a few short weeks. This tool will fundamentally change the way less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, shippers, and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) interact with National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC®) information. This launch also introduces a more streamlined classification system—reoriented around density—to simplify the process for all stakeholders.
The NMFTA Cybersecurity Conference — October 26-28 in Austin — will convene the industry’s top experts to address emerging threats, explore actionable resilience strategies, and share field-tested prevention techniques relevant to today’s transportation sector leaders. Registration is open now, and attendance is expected to reach capacity.
To learn more about these initiatives or connect with our cybersecurity team, visit NMFTA.org/cybersecurity or contact us directly.
Joe Ohr is Chief Operating Officer for the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). Ohr brings has more than 20 years experience in engineering product software, gained from roles at Omnitracs, Qualcomm, and Eaton.
