A written carrier-selection standard for a small brokerage

On May 14, 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court decided Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, 9-0: a claim that a broker negligently picked an unsafe carrier is not blocked by federal law, so it can go ahead under state law (Faegre Drinker summary). The ruling adds no form to file. What it changes is what a brokerage may have to show later: how it chose the carrier, and that it did so before the load.

Three things to be able to show

1. A written standard. The checks every carrier must pass before you book: for example active authority, liability insurance on file at or above a minimum you choose, a USDOT number older than a set number of days, no Unsatisfactory or Conditional safety rating, and a cap on loads for brand-new carriers.
2. That it was in force on the day. If you change the standard, keep the old version and the date it changed.
3. That it was followed. For each load, what the carrier's public record showed when you booked, and which rules it met. If you booked a carrier that missed a rule, why.

A standard nobody follows can be worse than none, so start with rules your team will actually apply on every load.

How Carrier Ledger keeps it

• Write your rules once. Every carrier page then shows pass or fail against them, from FMCSA's own files, each fact citing its dataset.
• Save a dated vetting record for each load: a frozen copy of what FMCSA showed, the rules and the result, with a fingerprint anyone can confirm at /verify.
• A printable Carrier selection standard sheet lists your rules, every earlier version with its date, and how many saved loads met the rules, with each exception listed.
• Every check your team runs is logged with what FMCSA showed at that moment.

All of that is on the free plan, which watches 5 carriers. Pro is $29/month for 250 watched carriers, with a 14-day free trial and no card to start.

Start free and write your standard See plans

What public records can't tell you

FMCSA's files show what a carrier filed. They don't prove who is on the phone or in the truck, and an insurer may file only the federal minimum even when the policy is larger. Confirm insurance with the insurer and call the number FMCSA has on file (FMCSA).