The Load Letter — May 19, 2026

Capacity is getting squeezed from multiple directions at once — Roadcheck enforcement, Supreme Court ruling ripple effects on carrier insurance, and oil sitting at $111 a barrel are all hitting the same pressure point simultaneously. Today's briefing covers why flatbed is the mode under the most stress right now, with a Fontaine Fusion trailer recall pulling equipment out of service on top of an already tightening market, and what Maverick's four-cent driver pay increase signals about where flatbed costs are heading into summer. We also get into Home Depot's pivot to pro contractor fulfillment and what that means for building materials brokers, four straight months of manufacturing expansion and why you shouldn't let that lull you into cutting carrier relationships, and a new Target chief supply chain officer who's coming in to rebuild — which means shipper relationships and vendor compliance are about to get scrutinized. Shore up your coverage before Friday. The brokers who are scrambling then are already behind.