CMT launches safety platform for freight brokers

“With CMT’s Freight Safety Intelligence, we can see real safety insights for every carrier before we book, identify the safest carriers, and open more doors for them,” said Brad Bergstrom, CEO of B4 Logistics.

The launch also comes after a recent Supreme Court ruling involving broker responsibility for carrier selection. In May, the court ruled in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC that a lawsuit alleging a broker negligently selected a motor carrier could move forward under state law. The case involved C.H. Robinson and a crash in Illinois. The ruling does not require brokers to use a specific screening system, but it leaves brokers open to negligent-selection claims tied to carrier safety.

The ruling puts additional focus on the information brokers use when deciding which carriers to book, which is especially important as large trucks are involved in thousands of crashes per year. 

In 2024, 5,218 large trucks were involved in crashes that resulted in a fatality in the U.S., according to the National Safety Council. That was down 3% from 2023 but up 30% from 2014. 

CMT said traditional safety records do not always provide brokers with a current picture of how a carrier is driving.

“Freight brokers need a more current, data-driven view of carrier safety,” said William V. Powers, CEO of CMT. “Freight Safety Intelligence gives freight brokers the most current view of driving safety of the carriers they book.”

The company cited Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data showing that about 94 percent of interstate freight carriers eligible for a federal safety rating did not have one in 2021.

The absence of a federal safety rating does not mean a carrier has been determined to be unsafe. FMCSA safety ratings are issued following certain compliance reviews and can be classified as satisfactory, conditional or unsatisfactory.

Freight brokers already use information such as FMCSA records, insurance status, operating history and other carrier data when evaluating whether to book a shipment. CMT’s platform adds recent driving behavior to those existing sources of information.

Freight Safety Intelligence expands CMT’s existing work with commercial fleets. The company launched its DriveWell Fleet platform earlier this year to provide telematics-based safety information to commercial fleets and insurers.

Why this matters: 

Brokers rely on safety records, insurance information, operating history and other data when deciding which carriers to book, but some of that information may not reflect a carrier’s most recent driving behavior. CMT’s platform adds recent telematics data to the carrier-selection process, giving brokers another source of information when evaluating safety performance.