Freight Fraud & Brokerage Risk
Highway pushes shared data standards as freight fraud moves into broker-carrier handoffs
· Source: FreightWaves
Carrier-vetting provider Highway says cargo thieves increasingly exploit process gaps among brokers, carriers, insurers, factors and telematics providers rather than defeating one screening rule. Its proposed response is a certified network whose participants attest to data accuracy and timely updates; this is a private industry program, not an FMCSA rule.
Summary and practical context by RoadHouse Recruiting · Reviewed
The first certification phase focuses on insurance data
Highway launched the program with 10 insurance agencies that agreed to standards for certificate-of-insurance accuracy, VIN-level coverage detail and notice of policy changes, cancellations and nonrenewals. Highway plans to extend the model to other providers. Participation and claimed risk reduction are vendor assertions; the program has not been adopted as a government or industrywide standard.
Social engineering makes routine handoffs a control point
FreightWaves reports that Highway is seeing impersonation, intercepted load data and voice-AI calls used to redirect rate confirmations or pickup instructions. Those claims come primarily from Highway's own customer and platform observations. The operational lesson is broader: changing an email address, phone number, driver, tractor, factoring instruction or payment account should trigger an independent callback and documented re-verification.
Broker documentation matters more after Montgomery
The Supreme Court unanimously held in May that the FAAAA does not preempt a state negligent-hiring claim tied to motor-vehicle safety. The opinion did not make brokers automatically liable for carrier accidents, but it allows qualifying state claims to proceed. Highway's certification proposal should therefore be treated as one input to a repeatable carrier-selection and load-security process, not a substitute for checking authority, safety, identity, insurance and shipment-specific risk.
Understanding the update
Highway's network is a commercial proposal and its performance claims have not been independently audited in the sources reviewed. The Supreme Court decision is in effect, but the standard of care and outcome in any particular broker-liability case depend on the facts and applicable state law.
What it means for drivers and carriers
Brokers should map every party that can change carrier, driver, insurance, payment or pickup data; require out-of-band verification for changes; preserve timestamped vetting records; and review liability coverage with qualified counsel and insurance professionals.
Questions to consider
- Which load or payment changes require a callback to a previously verified number?
- Can the brokerage reconstruct the exact carrier, driver, insurance and safety data reviewed when a load was awarded?
- Do vendors contractually stand behind the timeliness and accuracy of the data they provide?
Read the original reporting
This page provides an original summary and practical commentary. The linked source contains the full reporting. Older stories reflect information available on their published dates.
Read the source at FreightWaves ↗ (opens in a new tab)