The Load Letter — May 14, 2026

The Supreme Court ruled nine to zero against freight brokers this morning, and every broker in the country woke up in a different legal reality. The Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II decision strips away the federal preemption shield brokers have relied on for years — state-level negligent hiring claims are now fair game, it's national, and it's immediate. Today's briefing breaks down exactly what that means for your carrier vetting process and why documentation is now your legal defense. The timing couldn't be more pointed: we're two days into Roadcheck with 2,000-plus trucks already placed out of service — and those trucks were on someone's active carrier list. We also get into J.B. Hunt executives calling a 20% truckload rate increase over the next two years, South Texas reefer surging 59% as Florida's season fades, and a new Dollar Tree DC in Arizona that's a business development conversation waiting to happen. But the Supreme Court story is the one. If you haven't called your compliance team today, that's where to start.