What Is Freight Broker Liability?

A freight broker is liable for negligent hiring when it arranges shipment with a motor carrier whose unsafe record is publicly available — and a foreseeable crash results. After Montgomery, federal law (the FAAAA) no longer preempts those state-law claims, because the statute preserves states' authority over motor vehicle safety.

Unsafe Truckers is a public-education resource explaining the May 2026 Supreme Court decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, which held that freight brokers can be sued under state law for negligently hiring unsafe motor carriers.