carrier vetting

Landstar says it has removed more than 35,000 carriers from its approved network over the past four years.

Carrier Assure CEO Cassandra Gaines says shippers need practical standards for evaluating brokers before freight is tendered—not just after something goes wrong.

(The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.) C.H. Robinson is having an AI moment. Its CEO, Dave Bozeman, has been publicly promoting the company’s Lean AI transformation, including AI agents, automation, productivity gains, appointment scheduling, quote responses, load tracking, and […]

The SCOTUS decision stripped brokers of the federal preemption defense used for years to escape negligent carrier selection claims. Almost nobody is talking about the commercial leasing and rental companies that made the decision to hand a 33-ton vehicle to the carrier in the first place. Their legal shield was different and the Supreme Court published the map to it.

The groundbreaking Montgomery case will head back to the federal district court where it began.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC has changed the need for documentation in carrier vetting. Descartes’ AuditLog transforms carrier review management into defensible documentation without adding steps.

Two stolen trailers carrying more than $1.3 million in cargo were recovered at a suburban Chicago truck yard, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. The trailers, reported stolen in Alabama and Florida, contained approximately $300,000 in copper wire and $1 million in infrastructure equipment for data centers. Investigators are working to identify the driver who delivered the trailers and anyone else who may have been involved in the thefts.

A shipment of approximately 10,800 bottles of Noble Oak Bourbon valued at $500,000 was allegedly stolen after suspects posed as authorized representatives to pick up the freight. The incident highlights a growing cargo theft tactic in which criminals use legitimate shipment information and impersonation to obtain freight without using force.

Transfix has integrated Highway’s carrier vetting technology into its transportation management system, allowing freight brokers and third-party logistics providers to verify carrier identity, insurance and operating authority without leaving the platform. The integration reflects a broader industry shift toward embedding fraud prevention directly into transportation management software.

A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to nearly eight years in prison after federal investigators dismantled a cargo theft ring responsible for more than $1.5 million in stolen freight. Court filings reveal how the crew targeted sleeping drivers, coordinated thefts through group chats and moved stolen cargo across the region, offering the transportation industry a rare look inside how organized cargo theft operations work.

The CAVRA Standard, created by Carrier Assure CEO Cassandra Gaines, aims to bring clarity to carrier vetting.

Prosecutors say a group accused of impersonating legitimate trucking carriers diverted millions of dollars in freight before the cargo was allegedly moved, stored and resold. The indictment details six separate theft incidents spanning multiple states.

Cargo theft and freight fraud are forcing brokerages to rethink how freight moves through trusted systems. As organized theft groups evolve, repeatable verification processes and operational discipline are becoming more important than speed alone.

Safe isn’t always exposure-free or risk-free. Compliant isn’t always safe. What “safety” means doesn’t matter. A carrier can be all three of those things on paper and still bury everyone who touched the load in exposure. This is a working primer on how risk professionals actually vet, qualify and screen a carrier.

Authorities in Florida arrested 14 suspects tied to what investigators describe as a highly organized theft network responsible for millions in stolen merchandise. Detectives say the group operated across multiple states while using logistics, resale operations, and coordinated theft methods that resembled a structured criminal enterprise more than isolated retail theft.

The Supreme Court just told 28,000 freight brokers that they owe a duty of ordinary care in carrier selection. The question every broker, shipper, and 3PL should be asking is not whether they need a carrier vetting process. That question was answered on May 14. The question is: what technology are they using to build one that a jury will believe?

The Supreme Court just opened the courthouse doors to negligent-hiring claims against brokers. The only federally required financial backstop is a surety bond designed to make sure carriers get paid. It was never meant to cover a wrongful death.

Cargo theft is not slowing down. It is adapting. What used to happen outside the operation is now happening inside it.

Nearly $4 million in stolen cargo was recovered in a Los Angeles County case tied to multiple companies, with one arrest made following a search warrant in Vernon.

Cargo theft incidents are being linked to motor carrier authorities that appear legitimate but may be controlled by unknown operators.