(Editor’s note: FreightWaves streamed news and commentary from the arguments before the Supreme Court in Montgomery vs. Caribe II earlier Wednesday. That can be found here). During the U.S. Supreme Court hearing of Montgomery vs. Caribe Transport II, the issue of freight broker liability has drawn significant attention from the 3PL industry. The core of the case is whether the safety exception clause in the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (F4A) allows state laws to sue freight brokers over safety incidents. C.H. Robinson's attorney, Theodore Boutrous, argued that F4A should not include freight brokers under its liability scope, but justices, particularly Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, expressed skepticism. Paul Clement, representing Montgomery, argued that freight brokers are closely related to motor vehicles, as their negligent hiring could lead to third-party harm. The case, previously ruled in favor of C.H. Robinson in the Illinois District Court and the Fourth Circuit Court, was brought to the Supreme Court by Montgomery. Inconsistencies among the three parts of F4A have led to different circuit court rulings, and the Supreme Court's decision may clarify these discrepancies. C.H. Robinson emphasized the need for a unified federal framework to maintain the safety and efficiency of interstate commerce.