The truck shut off at random. Unsure if it's a fuel filter or something else?

OWNER>>>have you been bumped by another vehicle,hit a pot hole,been in a fender bender?first thing to check on a FORD,MAZDA,MERCURY is the INERTIA SWITCH(fuel pump cutoff switch).this is a safety switch that trips and cuts the power to the fuel pump in case you're in an accident.if the RED button is popped up,just push it back down until it clicks/resets.many,many folks have had their vehicles towed to the DEALER only to find out it was the Magic Button had tripped!! copy and paste the link,watch video........................................................................................................................................................................ Inertia / Fuel Cutoff Switch 1996 Ford Explorer … www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JXbglWWOS8

You said the vehicle runs but shuts down after a short period of time. The inertia switch is a possibility but not likely as its a fuel cut off when triggered, but you stated the truck starts and runs. You have to determine what is lost at the time of the malfunction or failure anything other than running the diagnostic procedure that I have outlined would be just a guess. As you stated you think you could be a fuel filter that very well could be but fuel filters are either clogged or not so I would have a tendency to believe that your fuel filter is not your cause of the problem