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At Cottingham & Butler, trucking is what we do. As brokers face increasing scrutiny around carrier selection, insurance quality, safety performance, and operational readiness have become more important than ever. We work with owner-operators and small fleets every day, helping them strengthen the areas that matter most to brokers, shippers, and freight opportunities. Why Brokers Use Us as a Resource Transportation Expertise Our team understands the operational, regulatory, and insurance challenges facing small carriers. From FMCSA requirements and cargo exposures to contractual insurance obligations, we help identify issues before they become obstacles to moving freight. Built for Small Carriers Our dedicated inside sales team was built specifically for 1–10 unit operations. We understand the realities of owner-operators, new ventures, and growing fleets, and we know how to get them properly covered quickly, without friction. Insurance Is More Than a Certificate A certificate confirms coverage exists. It does not tell you whether the carrier’s insurance program appropriately reflects its operations. We help carriers evaluate cargo limits, liability exposures, contractual requirements, and coverage gaps before they become problems. Speed and Responsiveness We know freight doesn’t wait on timelines. Expect fast certificate turnaround and a team that’s reachable when you need answers — not when it’s convenient for us. Why Carrier Quality Matters More Than Ever Carrier qualification has always mattered, but recent developments have increased attention on how transportation providers are selected and monitored. Safety performance, operational discipline, and insurance quality all contribute to a carrier’s ability to secure and maintain freight opportunities. On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously (9-0) in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC that freight brokers can be sued in state court when they’re accused of hiring an unsafe carrier. While the duty of ordinary care remains unchanged, the federal procedural shield utilized by many is no longer available. Brokers, like carriers and shippers before them, are now accountable for that duty in court. What Brokers Should Consider Review not only whether coverage exists, but whether insurance limits and coverages align with the carrier’s operations. Understand who represents the motor carrier and whether their insurance advisor specializes in trucking. Evaluate safety performance, inspection history, and operational trends alongside insurance information. Encourage carriers to proactively address FMCSA profile accuracy, inspection issues, and compliance concerns. Recognize that strong insurance, safety practices, and operational discipline often work together to support carrier quality. If you want to engage about a specialized insurance program for your business or have questions about how this ruling affects your business, your Cottingham & Butler team is ready to help.

Key Wins ~$3M Program Savings Reduced total premium across all lines through a complete program restructure and elimination of unnecessary broker layers. 5 Critical Coverage Gaps Closed Identified and corrected five critical gaps, including missing BI/EE coverage, key coverage exclusions for human consumption, and underinsured equipment. Moved From Entirely E&S to Admitted Package Property, Business Auto, General Liability, and Lead Umbrella placed with a single admitted carrier for the first time, replacing a fragmented non-admitted structure. The Situation One of the country's largest beef processors was facing increased premiums, lack of options, and difficulty obtaining adequate insurance. Despite its scale, the company's insurance program had never been competitively marketed or structurally optimized. The expiring program totaled approximately $6M+ in annual premium, placed inefficiently — resulting in high costs and coverage deficiencies. Five critical coverage gaps existed: the casualty tower carried communicable disease exclusions with no human-consumption carve-back, and Business Auto was priced at nearly double the for-hire benchmark. The Cottingham & Butler Approach C&B conducted a full program audit, benchmarking analysis, claims review, and commissioned risk engineering reports ahead of marketing. Our dedicated Food/Ag expertise and strong niche presence in the meat slaughter/processing space delivered an estimated ~$3M in projected savings across all lines. Property was consolidated into a single master policy for the first time, resolving all five coverage gaps and utilizing stock throughput to leverage capacity. Through our expertise and benchmarking data, we completely restructured the auto and umbrella program for optimal cost savings. This is a testament to the depth of our expertise and our ability to leverage market data, relationships, and intel to secure the most competitive program the marketplace has to offer for our insureds.

On May 20, 2026, transportation and logistics experts from SPG Logistics, Scopelitis, and Cottingham & Butler gathered for a webinar to break down the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in the Montgomery case and what it means for freight brokers, carriers, and shippers. With over 550 industry professionals in attendance, the discussion covered the history of FAAAA preemption, what the court actually decided, and the practical implications for day-to-day brokerage operations. Here are the top three takeaways from the conversation: The Supreme Court ruling eliminates FAAAA preemption as a defense for brokers in interstate negligent hiring cases. The Montgomery decision means brokers can no longer get negligent hiring claims dismissed early through legal motions — they'll now have to defend these cases all the way through trial, significantly increasing litigation costs and settlement values. Brokers must establish and strictly follow a reasonable carrier vetting policy. At minimum, this means verifying active motor carrier authority, securing a broker-carrier contract, confirming adequate insurance, and consistently checking safety data. Critically, whatever standards you set must be followed 100% of the time — exceptions to your own rules are exactly the kind of evidence that will hurt you in court. The ruling creates both risk and opportunity across the supply chain. Smaller brokers and carriers face the greatest risk, insurance costs are expected to rise, and capacity may shrink as some carriers exit the market. At the same time, carriers with strong safety records and higher insurance limits will be in high demand are expected to thrive. Since most brokers and carriers do not carry high limits, excess coverage becomes a significant competitive differentiator, especially for carriers looking to build direct shipper relationships in an environment where liability exposure is top of mind. Click this link to see where the FAAAA preemption decisions were made by the federal district and circuit court systems. Webinar Presenters Greg Feary President & Managing Partner, Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary A national thought leader in transportation law and one of the most recognized voices in the industry. Greg serves as Vice Chair of the ATA/NAFC Risk Management & Insurance Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Lawyer's Subcommittee of the ATA Insurance Task Force, and previously served as ATA's national transportation insurance counsel. Nathaniel Saylor Partner, Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary A go-to attorney for freight brokers, forwarders, and 3PLs on contracts, regulatory compliance, and carrier selection issues. Nathaniel serves on the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) Programs Committee and is a regular speaker on broker-carrier contracting. Justin Olsen Chief Risk Officer – Liability & Casualty, SPG Cargo & Logistics 35 years of transportation law experience, including more than a decade as VP of Legal & Risk at England Logistics. Justin serves on the TIA Board of Directors, has chaired TIA's In-House Legal Committee, and was directly involved in the TIA amicus brief work on Montgomery v. Caribe Transport. Scott Cornell Chief Risk Officer - Crime and Theft Specialist, SPG Cargo and Logistics A nationally recognized authority on transportation risk, cargo theft, and supply chain security. Scott chairs the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA), Americas Chapter, serves on the TIA Cargo Fraud Task Force, has testified before Congress on cargo theft, and was recently named one of Insurance Business' 100 Best Insurance Leaders in the USA.

A leading provider of risk management and employee benefits insurance & consulting services for domestic and international markets. Better Every Day That is our promise to our clients, company, and people. It’s a commitment to challenging conventional wisdom, innovating, and improving how we serve our clients and grow as industry professionals. 3rd largest privately and independently held insurance broker in the U.S. At Cottingham & Butler, we sell a promise – to show up and deliver for our clients during life’s toughest moments. Every day, we pair brilliant ideas with strategy, empathy and hard work that produces results that are the rival of the industry. SEE HOW WE HELPED BUSINESSES LIKE YOURS Trusted Insurance Advisors Cottingham & Butler is a privately-held, national insurance broker, and a leading provider of risk management and employee benefits insurance & consulting services. Property & Casualty Employee Benefits Solutions Captives & Programs Safety Management Services Claims Management Featured Insights Cottingham & Butler Surpasses $1 Million in Scholarships to Students Our motto at C&B is ‘Better Every Day’, and this scholarship is way to help students take the next step in their journey of lifelong learning. To date, over 360 high school seniors have received this scholarship for their future education and over $1 Million has been given! Articles Helping Brokers Identify Small Fleets Articles Beef Processor: Rebuilt a Fragmented, Overpriced Program and Saved ~$3M Case Studies 2026 Property Market Update: Are We Approaching the Bottom? Articles VIEW ALL INDUSTRY NEWS & EVENTS “The relationship that we have, and have always had, with Cottingham & Butler is trust. We listen to them, and they haven’t steered us wrong yet. Without Cottingham & Butler, it’d be hard for us to be where we are today.” David Freymiller | CEO, Freymiller People Who Make A Difference What makes Cottingham & Butler so special? It’s simple – our people. Our team is made up of extraordinarily talented individuals who consistently prioritize the success of our clients and their teammates, working to achieve the very best in everything they do. EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES

We help clients lower their total cost of risk by challenging the status quo, solving complex business problems and delivering creative insurance solutions. Our technical expertise and proprietary programs, combined with our commitment to client service is the foundation of the value we bring to our clients every day. Case Study Leveraged best practices and good loss experience to return $80,000 year after year Read More Article HR’s Role in Mergers and Acquisitions Read More Article Coverage Basics: Cyber Insurance Read More

Manufacturing Leveraged best practices and good loss experience to return $80,000 year after year Up Published on Written by: Page View A best-in-class processing equipment manufacturer had been seeing a decrease in their loss experience, yet they were not seeing a decrease in how much they were paying for insurance. They were curious to learn if there was a way to incentivize their increased focus on safety and best practices. Their current program was "off the shelf" and was not designed to meet their specific needs. After engaging with Cottingham & Butler's Risk Management Assessment (RMA) , they quickly learned that there was not only a better way to buy insurance, but that there were significant coverage deficiencies in their program. The company recognized the value of a customized loss-sensitive program, as well as having a broker partner who would advocate on their behalf for claims. Program Design Delivered a loss-sensitive program option, Horizon, that would allow the company to receive up to 50% of their premium back for good loss years. Identified 3 carriers that had never seen the account before, and had an interest in the business. Coverage Identified 20 coverage deficiencies in their existing program. Significant deficiencies include: Multiple sub-limits were inadequate compared to their operations. The policy was designed for Architect and Engineering Professionals, NOT for Manufacturers. Multiple exclusions related to the core business operations of the company were present. No flood/earthquake coverage in a high-risk area. Contractual Risk Transfer Highlighted areas of concern and how their current risk transfer methods were inadequate for their industry and line of work. Cottingham & Butler put together recommendations and corrected critical mistakes in policy language Stability After joining Horizon, the company experienced a large loss in its first year of implementation. Even after the loss, their spend was similar. By paying in guaranteed cost, they avoided the increases they would have seen in the standard market. Since then, the company has received $80,000+ each year for their good loss experience. Claims Advocacy While the company had great loss experience, they had not previously received any claims reviews or advocacy services. After being made aware of the impacts of delayed reporting, their claims reporting processes were improved and consistent claim reviews were scheduled with the team. April 25, 2023 Cottingham & Butler View All Posts TAGS: Article Case Study Employee Benefits Manufacturing Property & Casualty Claims Management Coverage Basics Cyber Loss Control & Prevention Mergers & Acquisitions Upcoming Events WEBINAR July 13, 2026 Leave of Absence Management in Trucking When an employee goes on leave, the compliance clock starts immediately. In this session, Cottingham & Butler VP of Compliance Bret McKitrick, JD breaks down the layered framework employers must navigate — from applicable law to plan documents to handbook policies — so you can handle every leave situation consistently and compliantly. Register Now! Register Now! WEBINAR August 4, 2026 Too Good to Be True? The Truth About Captive Insurance for Trucking If you've heard the pitch on captive insurance—dividends, pricing stability, control over claims—and thought it sounded a little too good to be true, you're not alone. In a market where commercial auto premiums seem to climb without end, bold claims about captives deserve a closer look. Register Now! Register Now! WEBINAR SERIES September 24, 2026 Open Enrollment – Renewal Checklist Open enrollment season comes with a long to-do list — this webinar helps you work through it with confidence. We'll walk through key tasks from plan review and employee communications to system updates and post-enrollment audits, plus a regulatory and legislative update on recent changes that may impact your 2027 offerings and year-end compliance items to help you close out the year strong. Register Now! Register Now! View All Events Connect with a C&B Representative Today!