A freight broker arranges transportation between shippers and motor carriers without operating equipment itself. Negligent selection claims allege the broker failed to vet the carrier's safety record, insurance, or authority before tendering the load.
Brokers defend on the ground that they exercise no control over the driver, and often on federal preemption under the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act.
Alternative Names:
Broker Liability, Transportation Broker Liability
Why it Matters?
Broker claims have grown as plaintiffs look beyond undercapitalized carriers toward better-funded participants in the transportation chain. The preemption question is genuinely unsettled and has divided the federal circuits, which makes venue and forum analysis unusually consequential in cases naming a broker.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What must a broker do to vet a carrier?
Are broker negligence claims preempted?
