The Load Letter — May 18, 2026

The Montgomery v. Caribe ruling landed Friday and the industry is still processing it — the Supreme Court unanimously stripped federal preemption protection from freight brokers, and your carrier vetting process is now your legal defense in a courtroom. Today's briefing breaks down what that means for your book, your insurance costs, and how you qualify carriers going forward. We also get into South Texas reefer surging 59% as the produce season relay kicks into high gear and the window to lock in capacity is two to three weeks wide, a Florida cargo theft ring that moved $7 million in stolen merchandise and operated like a logistics company from the inside, and a USMCA review deadline on July 1st that's closer than most brokers realize — with $84 billion in monthly cross-border trade hanging on the outcome. The liability landscape changed last week. Here's how to start this week ahead of it.