Our deepest sympathies go out to all the families affected by roadway tragedies. Safety matters deeply to us and is foundational to how we operate and the decisions we make every day. Our employees and their families travel these same roads, and our business depends on safe freight delivery.
We support the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) stronger enforcement and higher safety standards for carriers and drivers, including supporting the efforts to shut down chameleon carriers. We also urge Congress to pass Dalilah’s Law without delay.
We are a 120-year-old American company trusted to facilitate the movement of goods between shippers and independent carriers who own and operate their trucks and employ their drivers. As a federally licensed freight broker, safety is a top priority, which is why we only work with carriers authorized by the federal government.
Shipments we arrange overwhelmingly move without incident, with just one serious accident claim filed for every 500 million miles driven on our customers’ loads. But even one accident is one too many. Which is why we will continue to advocate for strong federal oversight, tougher enforcement, and real reforms that make roads safer for American families.
Setting the record straight: The role of a freight broker within the transportation system
C.H. Robinson has one of the safest transportation networks in North America, with industry-leading fraud prevention.
Recent media coverage contains inaccurate and misleading characterizations of C.H. Robinson and the role of a freight broker within the transportation system. Media attention is being driven by a landmark case currently before the Supreme Court, which challenges whether safety accountability remains at the federal level with the FMCSA or shifts to a patchwork of state‑level standards that would create inconsistency without improving roadway safety.
Below are key facts to clarify how a freight broker operates and how safety oversight works in practice.
What is a freight broker, and what do they do?
Freight brokers play a critical role in connecting businesses with trucking companies—known as motor carriers—to move goods across the country. Nearly everything in our homes, offices, stores, and hospitals travels by truck, yet the U.S. trucking industry is highly fragmented. There are hundreds of thousands of independent carriers, almost 90% of which operate five trucks or fewer. Most businesses lack the time, expertise, and technology to manage relationships at that scale. Freight brokers bridge that gap, matching each shipment with the right carrier to ensure goods reach the right place at the right time.
What is C.H. Robinson’s role as a freight broker?
As a federally licensed freight broker, we act as the intermediary between businesses and the federally approved carriers that move their goods. We do not own or operate trucks, employ truck drivers, or authorize whether a carrier is fit to operate. We work exclusively with carriers that have been vetted and licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Who determines whether a carrier is allowed to operate?
Like all 24,000 freight brokers in the United States, we rely on the FMCSA's expertise and proprietary data in vetting and licensing carriers. Under federal law, carriers are authorized to provide transportation services the moment they receive federal licensure. The FMCSA is uniquely positioned to evaluate carrier safety. As a federal agency, it has access to confidential driver records and data that no broker can obtain, giving it the authority and expertise to vet carriers.
What happens if a carrier becomes unfit to operate?
If a carrier gets an unsatisfactory safety rating, loses their insurance, has their DOT number suspended or loses their operating authority, we have technology that notifies us as soon as the FMCSA puts out that information. The carrier is then automatically blocked in our system and can't be booked to carry a customer’s load.
How does C.H. Robinson address double brokering?
We strictly prohibit double brokering, which is when a carrier accepts a load and then illegally reassigns it to another carrier without the broker’s knowledge or approval. It is a violation of federal law and of the contract that every carrier signs with us, which explicitly states that loads cannot be subcontracted to a third party. In the rare cases where a carrier deceptively double brokers, they are immediately and permanently blocked from our systems.
How are carriers selected for a given shipment?
The FMCSA-licensed carrier we select for any given load is determined by both customer and carrier factors. Customer requirements may include service specifications unavailable with lower-cost options, such as high on-time performance or sustainability standards. Carrier factors include freight preferences, pickup and delivery windows, and geographic proximity.
Why is this issue receiving attention now?
Recent media attention is primarily connected to a landmark case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court (Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC,). The case challenges the long‑standing federal framework governing freight brokerage and carrier oversight. The outcome has significant implications for the industry, including whether safety accountability remains at the federal level with the FMCSA or shifts to a patchwork of state‑level standards for brokers that would create inconsistency without improving roadway safety.
What is C.H. Robinson’s position in the Supreme Court Case (Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC)?
C.H. Robinson’s position is that safety oversight and accountability in freight transportation should remain grounded in the clear, nationally consistent federal framework established by Congress and administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). For nearly a century, federal law has governed the role of freight brokers and motor carriers, reinforcing the long‑standing distinction between brokers—who do not own or operate trucks—and motor carriers, who do. This framework supports both roadway safety and the efficient movement of goods in interstate commerce.
The case before the U.S. Supreme Court is not about immunity, rather, it centers on whether federally licensed freight brokers can be held responsible under varying state laws for the actions of an independent motor carrier involved in an accident, despite federal law distinguishing brokers from carriers. Brokers do not own or operate vehicles, employ drivers, or have access to the confidential safety data used to evaluate carrier safety.
C.H. Robinson has asked the Court to reaffirm the existing federal framework to avoid a fragmented landscape in which freight transportation would be subject to differing state standards—creating uncertainty and higher costs without improving roadway safety—and to ensure responsibilities remain where they belong. This position is supported by the U.S. federal government, with the U.S. Solicitor General arguing alongside us at the Supreme Court that nationally consistent rules are essential to roadway safety and the consistent movement of goods.
As a company that manages 37 million shipments annually through 450,000 independent carriers, we are confident in our ability to operate under any framework. That said, a ruling that expands liability for brokers would shift safety oversight away from the federal government, the entity best equipped and authorized to perform it. A patchwork of state-level rules and inconsistent enforcement won’t make roads safer for American families. That's why, regardless of outcome, we support the U.S. Department of Transportation and FMCSA’s stronger enforcement and higher safety standards for carriers and drivers, including efforts to shut down chameleon carriers and urging Congress to pass Dalilah's Law.
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