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On The Desk

Broker Liability

3PL victory: TQL tossed as defendant in Colorado liability trial

TQL caught a rare break in a Colorado federal court, where Judge Nina Wang dismissed the broker as a defendant in a wrongful-death suit over a June 2024 crash on U.S. 285 that killed Scott Miller when steel beams fell off a truck and onto his pickup. His widow, Deann Miller, had amended her original complaint to add TQL along with the shipment’s two customers, Intsel Steel West and Triple-S Steel Holdings, and a delivery contractor, Searing Industries. Judge Wang dismissed TQL, Intsel and Triple-S — without prejudice, so Miller can refile with a different legal theory — finding she hadn’t alleged facts tying TQL to the driver, Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza, through any hiring or principal-agent relationship. TQL had originally leaned on F4A preemption before dropping that defense after the Supreme Court’s Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II ruling. The dismissal lands the same week C.H. Robinson executives told investors at two separate conferences that insurance costs remain a minor line item despite the post-Montgomery legal climate.

John Kingston  |  September 10, 2026  |  Read More →

Broker Transparency

Pink Cheetah, TQL fight it out as transparency rule awaited

The D.C. Circuit heard oral arguments last week in Pink Cheetah’s appeal of a broker-transparency dispute with TQL, even as FMCSA’s long-pending rule on broker disclosure requirements sits in its final review at the White House regulatory office. The fight traces back to a 2023 ice cream shipment: Pink Cheetah says TQL’s carrier contract improperly waived its right to broker records required under federal law, backed by a November 2023 FMCSA email; TQL argues that email was non-binding guidance and that it complied regardless. Pink Cheetah’s attorney told the panel the pending rulemaking has nothing to do with a dispute that predates it, while TQL’s counsel argued the open question of whether disclosure rights can be contractually waived should carry weight. A side detail drew attention: Pink Cheetah’s filing says it received only 56% of the linehaul payment, implying roughly a 40% broker commission against the 14-16% the Transportation Intermediaries Association cites as typical.

John Kingston  |  September 14, 2026  |  Read More →

The Stack

M&A

PE firms buy 3PL Navajo Expedited, target other acquisitions

Private equity firms Centre Partners and Altivare Capital Partners have acquired Navajo Expedited, an eight-year-old, Lakeland, Florida-based truckload broker previously part of the Denver carrier Navajo Express. Terms weren’t disclosed. The company runs dry van and temperature-controlled freight for food, beverage, CPG and industrial shippers through a vetted network of roughly 8,000 carriers, using a proprietary platform for driver vetting and pricing automation. Founder and CEO Brandon Bodine, a 15-year industry veteran, said the new capital backs further investment in automation; Centre managing partner Bruce Pollack pointed to the company’s agentic AI tools already improving driver vetting and load execution. Part of the deal was funded through Centre Strategic Solutions I, a fund built for independent-sponsor transactions in the lower middle market, and both backers said they’re looking to fund additional bolt-on acquisitions.

Todd Maiden  |  September 10, 2026  |  Read More →

Broker Liability

At tech/AI confab, C.H. Robinson tackles insurance and liability

C.H. Robinson took its broker-liability story to an unusual stage this week, Citi’s tech-focused Global TMT Conference, where CEO Dave Bozeman, CFO Damon Lee and chief strategy officer Arun Rajan fielded questions on both AI and litigation. The company is still waiting on a Dallas County judge to rule on entry of the $604 million verdict from July’s Lipe v. Lupus Superior trial over a fatal 2021 Mississippi crash; the jury assigned 45% of fault to the deceased driver, 32% to carrier Lupus Superior and 23% to C.H. Robinson, though C.H. Robinson is also on the hook for the driver’s share under a “statutory employer” finding it plans to appeal. Lee said the company turned down a chance to settle, expects to prevail on appeal, and doesn’t see insurance as a material risk — auto liability coverage runs under 25 basis points of gross revenue, he said, with most of any increase passed through to shippers. Bozeman downplayed Montgomery’s practical impact and said he’s lobbying FMCSA and DOT next week for clearer broker-liability standards. On the tech side, Rajan credited AI coding tools and agentic systems for a 60% jump in gross profit per employee alongside roughly 30% lower headcount.

John Kingston  |  September 8, 2026  |  Read More →

Tweet Of The Week

Warehousing & Real Estate

Spartan Logistics expands warehouse footprint through acquisition

Spartan Logistics, the asset-based, Columbus, Ohio-based 3PL, has acquired fellow warehouse operator Allen Logistics, adding 100,000 square feet in Whitehouse, Ohio and bringing its Ohio footprint to 11 locations, seven of them in the Northwest Ohio market. Terms weren’t disclosed. The deal extends Spartan’s network to more than 20 dry-storage and food-grade warehouses totaling 4.5 million square feet across nine Midwest and Southern states, including a sizable presence at the ports of Charleston and Savannah. CEO Steve Harmon called Toledo a longtime key market and framed the acquisition as another investment there. Spartan also runs about 50 tractors for local shuttle and regional freight service, plus cross-docking, fulfillment, warehouse management and real estate construction/brokerage arms — pairing that fleet with warehousing lets it offer more integrated delivery and fulfillment for customers.

Todd Maiden  |  September 11, 2026  |  Read More →

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