This month, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc.’s (NMFTA)™ cybersecurity team members, Artie Crawford and Ben Wilkens, joined CCJ on a recent 10-44 webisode to talk all things cybersecurity.
This session covered a broad range of topics, from fighting cybercrime, resisting social engineering, reducing cyber-enabled cargo crime, and preventing identity theft. It is conversations like this that are helping raise awareness across the industry.
Owner-operator education series
This month, NMFTA, in support of Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), rolled out a three-part online training series specifically designed for owner-operators and small fleets. Owner operators and small fleets often lack the infrastructure, staffing or time that larger carriers have available to dedicate to cybersecurity. This series aimed to close that gap. The training was priced affordably ($49.99 for individuals; group rate $199.99 for up to five people) to ensure accessibility and the sessions were crafted to be practical. Crawford, director of cybersecurity, and Wilkens, cybersecurity principal engineer for NMFTA, avoided overloading the viewers with heavy theory, instead focusing on what’s immediately useable and relevant for independent drivers and small fleets. They put together a great program, blending technical how-to with industry specific context and even a bit of humor:
Topics Covered:
· Session 1 (September 10): Personal cyber hygiene device security, email safety, internet practices, recognizing cyber threats;
· Session 2 (September 17): Safeguarding mobile devices; safe use of public Wi-Fi; protecting business data; security in GPS, ELD, telematics systems; and
· Session 3 (September 24): Building a cyber safe business with low-cost tools; vendor risk; drafting a foundational cybersecurity plan; social engineering & scam awareness.
These sessions were recorded and are available on our website for anyone who missed the opportunity to register for the live events. Connect with [email protected] to learn more.
Key takeaways
· Don’t wait to start improving cybersecurity—even small steps matter: Securing devices, locking down email and internet use, and being skeptical of public Wi-Fi are low cost, high impact.
· Vendor risk is real: If you rely on third party tools (for GPS, ELDs, telematics), know what vendors are doing behind the scenes. Ask questions, read documentation, and insist on secure configurations.
· You’re not in this alone: NMFTA is focused building resources meant for your business size, your constraints, and your operating context.
· Use the momentum: If you joined the online series, review the tools and checklists, plug gaps in your current practices, and start applying what you learned.
NMFTA will be evaluating feedback from the online series to identify which topics participants found most useful, and where additional training might be needed, especially in vendor risk, firmware/telematics security, threat detection and incident response for small organizations.
Expect more education content geared toward owner-operators and small to mid-sized fleets in the months ahead.
Digital standards for the supply chain
NMFTA was proud to take the stage at the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) EXPO in Long Beach, CA, where industry leaders gathered to discuss the future of freight. Keith Peterson, vice president of operations for NMFTA, joined Tideworks Technology to explore how digitalization can help companies move from reactive decisions to proactive outcomes by aligning data with real-world operational goals. Keith also highlighted the Digital Standards Development Council's (DSDC) initiatives to drive standardization—enhancing visibility, reducing friction, and improving efficiency across first- and last-mile intermodal connections.
Call for Registrations: NMFTA 2025 Cybersecurity Conference
We’re less than a month away from the trucking industry’s only cybersecurity event: NMFTA Cybersecurity Conference is a three-day event designed specifically for trucking C-suite executives, cybersecurity professionals, researchers, and supply chain stakeholders.
Expect through-provoking keynotes, deep-dive sessions, hands-on exercises and actionable insights into securing your operations. Be a part of the conversation shaping the future of trucking cybersecurity.
