NMFTA: U.S. Trucking Security Is At Risk From Chinese Tech

NMFTA Report Warns of Chinese Risks in U.S. Transportation

NMFTA Findings on China’s Role in Supply Chains

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) reports that between 2018 and 2022, China nearly doubled its share of global transport equipment exports. This expansion gave China influence in shipping, telecommunications, computer hardware, and vehicle components.

In 2024, a U.S. House Homeland Security Committee investigation discovered that cranes made in China and installed in U.S. ports contained covert communications hardware. These systems could transmit data back to China. According to NMFTA, this shows how foreign-made equipment poses risks for U.S. trucking and logistics operations.

Espionage and Cyber Threats

China’s Made in China 2025 plan identified ten sectors, including transportation and energy, where the country seeks global dominance. The FBI has noted that these ambitions often involve theft of U.S. intellectual property.

Former FBI Director Christopher Wray said in 2020 that the agency was opening a counterintelligence case against China every 10 hours. He warned that China “aimed to ‘ransack’ the intellectual property of Western companies.” Annual U.S. losses from these activities are estimated at more than $600 billion.

The NMFTA report details several Chinese state-backed hacking groups:

• Salt Typhoon exploited Cisco IoT (Internet of Things) devices to attack telecom companies like AT&T and Verizon.
• Volt Typhoon hijacked routers and VPNs to carry out cyber espionage while blending into normal traffic.
• Evasive Panda used backdoor malware to compromise network devices.
• Raptor Train, a Chinese botnet, infected more than 260,000 devices before the FBI shut it down.

These cases show the long-term dangers of connected hardware in U.S. industries.

NMFTA Identifies Hardware Risks in Trucking

The NMFTA warns that four technology areas are particularly risky for trucking companies:

1. Networking Hardware – TP-Link routers hold about 65% of the U.S. market. Hackers have used flaws in these devices to gain access. A compromised router in a trucking office could allow attackers to reach fleet management or financial systems.
2. Computer Hardware – Reports in 2018 claimed Chinese subcontractors planted surveillance chips in Supermicro servers. Earlier, Lenovo laptops used by the U.S. military were found to send data to Chinese servers. These incidents highlight the potential for hardware-level compromises.
3. Video Surveillance – The FCC banned several Chinese camera brands, including Hikvision and Dahua, from use in critical infrastructure. Still, they are common in trucking depots and warehouses. In 2024, the FBI said these cameras were targeted by malware called “HiatusRAT”.
4. Battery Technology – Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), the world’s largest EV battery maker, was added to the U.S. Department of Defense list of Chinese military companies in 2025. NMFTA notes that connected battery systems could expose fleet data and tracking information.

NMFTA Warns of Strategic and Operational Concerns

The NMFTA stresses that these risks are not isolated. They represent a larger strategy combining economic influence with national security threats.

Trucking companies could face:

• Loss of data such as routing and telematics information.
• Cyber intrusions that give attackers ongoing access to systems.
• Disruption across supply chains, where one breach spreads to many partners.
• Regulatory risks, as more Chinese-made devices are banned in the U.S.

The report warns that small and mid-sized fleets are especially vulnerable. These carriers often purchase low-cost equipment but may lack the resources to handle a major security breach.

Expert Opinions

The NMFTA authors write that these risks are “strategic in nature, systemic in scope, and particularly relevant for transportation and logistics companies”.

They also emphasize procurement choices, stating, “Resilience begins not at the firewall, but at the point of purchase.”

This highlights the idea that every hardware purchase in trucking can affect national security.

NMFTA Recommendations for the Future

As connected technology becomes standard in trucking, debate over foreign-made devices is likely to grow. The federal government has already restricted some Chinese technologies. More rules may be introduced, particularly in networking and EV batteries.

The NMFTA urges companies to weigh “country-of-origin risk” in every purchase decision. From routers to cameras to batteries, the source of the hardware is now a key factor in protecting the U.S. supply chain.

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