Summary: On November 2, 2026, FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller told an industry conference that small carriers and brokers should not count on Washington easing FMCSA’s driver crackdown. He said the largest fleets, plus the American Trucking Associations and the Truckload Carriers Association, now want tighter hiring standards. Fuller tied that stance to the non-domiciled CDL crackdown, a May Supreme Court ruling on broker liability, and a Dallas verdict against C.H. Robinson that now totals about $711 million with interest.
What happened
FreightWaves reported the remarks on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from Fuller’s keynote at Optym’s Convergence 2026 conference in Frisco, Texas. People often ask him whether a change in administration would loosen the rules or end enforcement. “And I will say no,” he said. “Follow the money.”
He said the largest motor carriers, along with ATA and TCA, have decided that tighter standards for hiring drivers are “desperately needed” and “the only way that they will survive.” That backing, he argued, will hold no matter which party is in power. He called three developments the most transformative stretch in trucking since deregulation in 1980.
The first is the federal push against non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses. FMCSA published the final rule in February 2026, and it took effect on March 16. In a November 2025 debate, Fuller had said the earlier interim rule could remove 5 percent to 7 percent of drivers.
The second is the U.S. Supreme Court’s May 14, 2026 decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II. As SCOTUSblog explained, the Court ruled 9-0 that a state negligent-hiring claim against a freight broker falls under the safety exception of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, so those lawsuits can proceed.
The third is the July Dallas County jury verdict of $604,025,000 in Lipe v. Lupus Superior, after a March 2021 crash in Mississippi that killed three people. The jury assigned 45 percent of the blame to the driver, 32 percent to the motor carrier and 23 percent to C.H. Robinson. On October 16, 2026, Judge Dianne Jones confirmed the verdict. Overdrive reported that about $107 million in interest at 6.75 percent brings the total to roughly $711 million, and that a “borrowed employee” finding left the broker exposed to nearly all of it. C.H. Robinson has said the carrier held a Satisfactory FMCSA rating when it was selected and after a federal review of the crash, and that it will appeal.
Fuller called the verdict “an oh my god moment” for large brokers. “So now, when you’re a freight broker, you’re hiring capacity, you’re on your own,” he said. FreightWaves also reported that by late May, C.H. Robinson had begun moving carriers to non-certified status based on their safety scores, though the company has not publicly tied that change to the court decision. His closing prediction: “the asset carriers are going to win this round.”
What it means for owner-operators and small fleets
Do not build your 2027 plan around a political rollback. We already covered how the midterms could affect insurance minimums, the highway bill and English-proficiency rules. Fuller’s point is blunter: large fleets now see tighter driver standards as good for their own survival, so pressure on non-domiciled CDLs and related hiring rules is likely to stay.
Brokers have another reason to be picky. After Montgomery and the Dallas judgment, they have to show they chose a carrier with reasonable care. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Justice Samuel Alito, wrote that brokers “should be able to successfully defend against state tort suits if the brokers have acted reasonably.” Clean authority, insurance and safety scores make you capacity a broker can defend. Gaps make you easier to drop. That shift is already showing up in tighter carrier pools, which we walked through in our broker and carrier vetting guide.
There is a rate angle too. Fuller argued that lower hiring barriers sent many drivers into small fleets that booked freight through brokers, and that this extra capacity helped drag out the downturn. As ineligible trucks leave, legitimate owner-operators can see firmer freight, but only if they keep their files clean and price every load against real costs.
What to do now
- Treat file and roadside checks as the new normal. Keep every driver’s CDL, medical card, English-language ability and ELD current before you dispatch.
- Look up your USDOT record in FMCSA’s SAFER system and fix outdated insurance, address or officer information.
- Expect extra broker onboarding questions about safety scores, insurance limits and inspection history, and answer them with documents.
- Know your cost per mile, including diesel, insurance and downtime, and turn down freight that does not cover it.
- Save rate confirmations, bills of lading, app messages and dispatch notes. After the “borrowed employee” finding, who gave instructions on a load may matter later.
- If you use a dispatcher, pick one that vets brokers and keeps your paperwork organized so you look like defensible capacity, not just an available truck.
How Runnex helps
Runnex is a truck dispatch company for owner-operators and small fleets based in St. Petersburg, Florida. We are not a broker. Our truck dispatch services include finding freight, checking the brokers behind the loads we book, and keeping rate confirmations in order. We also handle invoice management, 24/7 driver support, and paperwork and compliance support for Dry Van, Step Deck, Reefer, Flatbed, HotShot and Power Only.
FAQ
Will a new administration reverse the FMCSA crackdown?
Fuller said no, because the largest fleets and their trade groups now want tighter driver standards. Other files, such as the highway bill, could still move with politics, but he argued this crackdown has industry support that will outlast an election.
Why does the C.H. Robinson verdict matter if I am not a broker?
Brokers that fear negligent-hiring lawsuits will hire fewer unvetted trucks. That can mean more document requests for you, and fewer loads for carriers that cannot show a clean safety and insurance file.
Can tighter CDL rules help owner-operator rates?
Fuller has said non-domiciled CDL holders and operators working outside the rules helped keep cheap capacity on the road. If that capacity leaves, compliant carriers are in a stronger position, as long as they do not bid below their costs.
What should I do if a broker asks for extra safety paperwork?
Provide what you have and keep copies. Reasonable vetting is how brokers show they acted carefully. If a request looks like they want to control your driver or your truck, document it and ask questions before you roll.
Talk to Runnex
If you want a dispatcher who treats vetting and paperwork as part of the job, contact Runnex or call (574) 240 6239. You can also email info@runnexlogistics.com.