C.H. Robinson Urges Supreme Court to Affirm Uniform Federal Freight Laws

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Key Terms

freight brokers financial

Freight brokers are intermediaries who match companies that need goods moved with the truckers, ships, or carriers that move them, acting like a travel agent for cargo. They matter to investors because they earn fees without owning the transport equipment, so their profits reflect shipping demand, pricing power and logistics costs; changes in freight volumes or rates can quickly affect their revenue and cash flow.

motor carriers technical

Motor carriers are businesses that move goods or passengers on public roads using trucks, vans or buses — think of them as large, organized delivery fleets. Investors watch them because their profits reflect shipping demand, fuel and labor costs, and regulatory or highway conditions; changes in these factors can affect revenue and the broader supply chain, making motor carriers sensitive indicators of economic activity.

federally licensed motor carriers regulatory

Federally licensed motor carriers are trucking and bus businesses that hold the required federal permission to haul goods or passengers across state lines. Like a driver’s license for a company, this authorization signals they meet national safety, insurance and operating standards; for investors it matters because losing or lacking the license can halt operations, add costs, or increase legal and financial risk.

interstate and foreign commerce regulatory

Interstate and foreign commerce describes the buying, selling, transportation or exchange of goods, services, money or data that crosses state lines or national borders. Think of it like a company’s business that doesn’t stop at a state border or country line — it touches customers, suppliers or shipments in multiple jurisdictions. Investors care because such activity triggers different regulations, taxes, tariffs and legal risks, and can materially change a company’s market size, costs and growth opportunities.

preempting state laws regulatory

When a higher-level law or regulation overrides or blocks conflicting state laws, it is said to be preempting state laws. Think of it as a single referee imposing one uniform rule that trumps local variations; this shapes which rules businesses must follow nationwide. Investors care because preemption can reduce compliance costs and legal risk by creating consistent standards, or it can remove state protections that affect market demand, liability exposure, and competitive positions.

01/14/2026 - 05:29 PM

Brief filed today argues safety and the economy are best served by maintaining one national set of rules instead of 50 state-level ones

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- C.H. Robinson, the leader in Lean AI supply chains, today filed its merits brief in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, a U.S. Supreme Court case that will determine whether freight brokers may be held liable under varying state laws for accidents involving federally licensed motor carriers. As one of the world’s largest logistics platforms—trusted by 83,000 customers and 450,000 contract carriers to move 37 million annual shipments—C.H. Robinson depends on consistent federal rules that keep goods moving safely and efficiently nationwide.

“For nearly a century, federal law has provided one clear set of rules for how freight moves across the country. That clarity matters for safety and for the economy,” said Dorothy Capers, Chief Legal Officer, C.H. Robinson. “Our brief asks the Court to reaffirm that framework so responsibilities remain where they belong—and goods keep moving reliably for families and businesses nationwide.”

Last year, C.H. Robinson joined a request to the Supreme Court to review an issue critical to preserving the federal system that regulates and ensures uniformity for motor carrier services (including broker services) — a framework designed to support both reliable supply chains and consistent safety oversight across the country. The vast majority of goods are transported by motor carriers, and uniform regulation of motor carrier services is vital to the U.S. economy. The Supreme Court granted review.

C.H. Robinson’s brief explains that for nearly a century, federal law exclusively has governed the services of motor carriers, including the decisions of freight brokers like C.H. Robinson when engaging federally licensed motor carriers for the transportation of freight. In recent years, however, some courts have allowed plaintiffs to use state law to second-guess those decisions and impose liability on brokers for their selection of licensed motor carriers whose drivers are alleged to cause traffic accidents.

Congress made a deliberate decision under its constitutional authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce to establish uniform federal standards and rules for the motor carrier industry. Under those federal rules, brokers do not own or operate motor vehicles or select their drivers, so they are not the proper parties to bear responsibility for motor vehicle accidents. Keeping accountability aligned with those who actually operate vehicles is essential to maintaining clarity around safety responsibilities.

Federal law embodies Congress’s design by broadly preempting state laws affecting the prices, routes, and services of both brokers and motor carriers, while preserving only states’ narrow, vehicle specific safety authority.

“Permitting 50 different state court systems and precedents to impose their own standards on the selection of federally licensed motor carriers would fragment a system built for consistency, create conflicting rules for the same shipment, and increase costs and uncertainty across the supply chains that keep goods moving nationwide,” added Capers. “A unified federal framework not only reduces confusion—it helps ensure that safety oversight remains focused and effective where it matters most.”

C.H. Robinson looks forward to presenting its oral argument before the Supreme Court on March 4, 2026. We remain committed to a transportation system that is both safe and dependable, supported by clear national standards that benefit everyone on the road and everyone who relies on the movement of goods.