Forward-looking insights on emerging threats, industry resilience, and strategic defense across the transportation ecosystem.
The National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA)™ announced the release of its 2026 Transportation Industry Cybersecurity Trends Report, the latest annual assessment of cyber threats, adversary tactics, and resilience trends shaping the future of freight and logistics in North America.
Building on years of research and industry engagement, the 2026 report expands NMFTA’s flagship cybersecurity publication to reflect the full transportation ecosystem—carriers, shippers, third-party logistics providers, brokers, technology partners, and vendors—now recognized as part of the modern attack surface.
According to the 2026 report, cyber threats have grown more sophisticated and operationally disruptive, with AI-assisted social engineering, automated attack frameworks, and supply-chain compromise emerging as defining trends for the year ahead. These dynamics illustrate a threat landscape that no longer affects only back-office systems, but also physical operations and cargo integrity.
Key trends highlighted in the report include:
- AI-augmented attack vectors that evade traditional defenses and accelerate compromise.
- Automated attack orchestration that outpaces manual detection and response.
- Weaponization of legitimate access tools and APIs, expanding threat entry points.
- Supply-chain trust exploitation through third-party SaaS and integration dependencies.
- Regulatory shifts influencing operational accountability and compliance planning.
“Throughout 2025, transportation organizations saw more concrete examples of how cyber risks can intersect with operational systems,” said Joe Ohr, chief operating officer for NMFTA. “That visibility has created an opportunity for the industry to take a more proactive and informed approach to cybersecurity.”
Artie Crawford, director of cybersecurity for NMFTA, agreed. “The 2026 trends report does more than document risk; it equips industry leaders with the strategic foresight and practical context needed to defend their operations in an era where digital compromise is often the prelude to physical loss.”
Organizations involved in the movement of freight and logistics are encouraged to access the full report to prepare for the evolving cyber threat landscape. Download the report here.
About NMFTA
Since 1956, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) has represented the interests of the less-than-truckload (LTL) motor carrier industry. The NMFTA publishes the National Motor Freight Classification® (NMFC)™, manages its digital counterpart, ClassIT+™, assigns Standard Carrier Alpha Code® (SCAC™) and Standard Point Location Code® (SPLC™), develops digital standards for the LTL industry, and safeguards those digital standards through cybersecurity research, dissemination of studies, and education. For more information, visit www.nmfta.org.
