Tale Lites Issue 33

NMFTA Sounds Alarm over Chinese Tech in Trucking - Another $25 Survey Code!

Author

Michael Lombard
September 01, 2025

🚛 National Motor Freight Traffic Association says Chinese Technology Is a threat to Trucking

This is something I have been sounding the alarm on for years. When it comes to autonomous trucks, on a long enough timeline this technology becomes inevitable, that’s just how tech works. It’s in an endless cycle of self-improvement, however when it comes to this technology it is marketed with benevolence, and the conversation about who owns the technology never seems to be the forefront of conversation. NMFTA shares this sentiment!

According to a recent whitepaper, there’s a big concern that devices commonly used in trucking like ELDs, dashcams (inward cameras), GPS, and other devices, could be a massive Trojan Horse to cyber vulnerabilities, especially if they’re manufactured in China or contain Chinese made components.

The warning ties back to China’s “Made in China 2025” initiative, a strategic plan aimed at dominating global high-tech industries, including transportation and critical infrastructure.

“This plan pushes dependence on Chinese-made goods across industries,” said Ben Wilkens, NMFTA’s cybersecurity principal engineer. “It’s not just about the devices themselves but also the raw materials and supply chains behind them.”

While Chinese tech often comes at a lower cost, Wilkens warns that the savings come with a hidden cost: increased potential for remote access and exploitation. There’s an age old saying: Fast, Cheap, and Good: you only get two. If all you want is fast and cheap, that race to the bottom has consequences.

The NMFTA points out that a bulk of these products, especially those tied to companies with connections to the Chinese government or military, are huge risks for espionage, data theft, and even supply chain disruption.

This is NOT a conspiracy theory. In 2024, a U.S. House Homeland Security Committee investigation uncovered covert communications hardware hidden in Chinese-made cranes at American ports, allowing sensitive data to be transmitted back to China. So it’s literally already happening.

In trucking, a similar breach could expose sensitive tracking data, including:

  • Freight routes and transportation patterns

  • Flow of goods and consumer demand trends

  • Resource locations and movement

Such data could, in theory, be used to disrupt operations or even manipulate systems like traffic signals to interfere with the supply chain.

“We’re not trying to spark fear or fuel conspiracy theories,” Wilkens added. “But understanding how these systems connect, and the cascading risks, is critical to protecting transportation.”

How to Protect Yourself:

  • Ask where your devices were both made and assembled.

  • Remember: U.S. assembled devices can still contain Chinese-made components.

  • Treat every connected device as a potential cybersecurity risk.

As NMFTA puts it:

“Security doesn’t start at the firewall — it starts at the point of purchase.”

For more cybersecurity tips and best practices tailored to owner-operators click here

When it comes to this technology, this is the conversation that needs to happen. As with anything, Follow the money! What do you think?

I want to hear from you! For Driver Submissions, questions, and comments contact me at: [email protected] or Text me directly at 423-275-2444

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Would your Truck Win the Wash Bucket?

Check out this old Tale Lites clip where Lombard Trucking had this clean truck competition that incentivized drivers on keeping their trucks clean!

🚨 Virginia Dropping Toll on Bridge Outside Newport News

Tolls are something I definitely have a problem with, considering trucks are not on the road for pleasure, but out of necessity. Trucks are demanded to be driven by the companies who hire them! On top of that, trucking companies pay enough fees, taxes, and fuel taxes just to operate. Also, tolls themselves are normally implemented to pay the bond that was needed to fund the infrastructure in the first place, but once that money starts pouring in, the government doesn’t love to turn that faucet off, but in this case they are!

The Virginia Department of Transportation officially stopped collecting tolls on August 8th, five months ahead of the original January 1 deadline. The decision came after the state fully repaid the bond debt tied to the bridge’s 1996 expansion.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who pushed for the change, called the move “a commitment to easing the burden on families, commuters, and local businesses,” adding that eliminating the toll aligns with broader efforts to make life more affordable and support economic growth.

The tolling infrastructure, which was nearing the end of its useful life, would have required an estimated $5 million in upgrades to keep operating. Instead, the state will save those costs while providing direct relief to drivers.

By the Numbers

  • 33,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily.

  • 98% of crossings are by passenger vehicles, while trucks make up about 2% of traffic.

  • Tolls brought in around $6 million annually, but nearly half of that was spent just to run the toll collection system.

  • In the first half of FY2025 alone, tolls generated $2.8 million.

The Coleman Bridge opened in 1952 and expanded in 1996 from two to four lanes making it the largest double swing span bridge in the U.S., stretching 3,750 feet over the York River.

VDOT will continue to maintain and operate the bridge, and tollbooth demolition is set for next spring.

“By removing tolls on the Coleman Bridge, we’re unburdening Middle Peninsula residents and opening the door to economic development and good-paying jobs,” said Delegate M. Keith Hodges.

Have some opinions on other tolls across the US? Let me know!

Health Tip of the Week - Are Carbohydrates “Bad?”

Carbs have been villainized over the past 20 years ever since the popularity of the “Adkins diet” and other fad diets that have spawned from it. But ask any bodybuilder or endurance athlete, and they’re going to tell you carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy! Not everyone is a body builder or endurance athlete, but it’s still factual. Carbs power any workout to keeping your brain sharp, and the right kinds of carbs can actually help you feel and perform better.

Focus on quality over quantity:

  • Choose whole grains, fruits, and vegetables over processed sugars.

  • Pair carbs with protein or healthy fats to stay fuller, longer.

  • This one is the cheat code: Time your carbs around your workouts for performance and recovery.

You don’t need to “cut carbs” for your goals, and if you are cutting carbs and you’re seeing the scale go down, that’s great, but it still wasn’t the carbs, what you’ve done is reduce your overall caloric intake. Fun fact: One gram of carbohydrates is 4 calories, but so is protein! So don’t fear carbs, you don’t need to overhaul your entire life eliminating something, but incorporate a system that has you consumer them when you need them most, and be more selective on where you get them from!

Interested in one on one coaching? Download the 1stPhorm app today!

Partner Post of the Week

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