The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) has introduced a free online training program that gives trucking professionals a chance to investigate cybersecurity weaknesses in commercial vehicle systems. Called the Fleet Cyber Challenge, the program includes 32 exercises across seven tracks, with no previous hacking experience required.
The training is open to fleet IT employees, diesel mechanics, maintenance technicians, diagnostic specialists, and others who work with truck technology. Participants can complete the exercises remotely, at their own pace, without working on actual vehicles or fleet systems.
How the Fleet Cyber Challenge Works
The program uses a format known as capture the flag, where participants solve technical problems to complete individual challenges. Each exercise involves a simulated situation based on the technology found in commercial trucks.
Topics include electronic logging devices (ELDs), GPS spoofing, telematics, vehicle communication networks, and firmware. Participants also encounter scenarios involving electronic control units and diagnostic tools.
Rather than requiring access to a physical truck, the program uses fictional data and simulated environments. NMFTA says the exercises become progressively more difficult, allowing people with limited cybersecurity experience to begin with introductory challenges.
The scenarios are designed to show how vulnerabilities can appear in systems that technicians and fleet personnel already use. That includes technology involved in vehicle diagnostics, tracking, and electronic communications.
Training Designed for Mechanics and Fleet Personnel
Although cybersecurity training is often associated with IT departments, NMFTA developed the challenge to include people responsible for maintaining and diagnosing commercial vehicles.
Ben Gardiner, NMFTA’s senior cybersecurity research engineer, said the exercises draw on security issues found in commercial vehicle technology. Participants are encouraged to examine how systems operate and identify potential weaknesses through hands-on investigation.
That approach allows technicians and diagnostic specialists to learn about the security implications of equipment they may already encounter during routine maintenance.
Joe Ohr, NMFTA’s chief operations and technology officer, also pointed to the growing number of connected systems used in trucking. Vehicle operations, communications, and freight movement increasingly rely on technology that must be protected against unauthorized access.
The association developed the program to make this type of training available to a broader range of transportation professionals, including those without formal cybersecurity backgrounds.
Participation and Completion Recognition
The Fleet Cyber Challenge is available online without a participation fee. According to NMFTA, there is no time limit or competitive leaderboard, and participants can work through the exercises whenever their schedules allow.
The program also includes downloadable recognition badges, called Mile Markers, for completed challenges. NMFTA’s November 3 announcement states that participants who finish all seven tracks are eligible for a champion completion reward, although it does not specify what that reward includes.
Those interested in participating can find additional information through the NMFTA Fleet Cyber Challenge website or visit the challenge platform.
The TDUSA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering trucking news, industry updates, safety, regulations, and career information for professional truck drivers across the United States. Each article is built to reflect real-world experience, industry developments, and information drivers can use on and off the road.
Last Updated: November 9, 2026
Source: Truck News
