The Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act: Good Hearts, Bad Outcomes
By fining brokers and funding safety upgrades, the Patrick and Barbara Kowalski Freight Brokers Safety Act aims to deter risky broker-carrier pairings and make highways less dangerous. The basic idea is simple: if a broker hires a driver or carrier that turns out to be unsafe, the broker could face financial penalties.
Supporters say the measure is meant to protect families from preventable crashes by putting more responsibility on the people arranging the freight. Instead of safety falling mainly on the carrier side after a load is booked, the law’s approach would push safety considerations earlier in the process—at the point where loads are being matched to trucks.
For working drivers, the proposal matters because brokers sit at a key chokepoint in the freight market. Many loads are sourced through brokers, and broker decisions can shape which carriers stay busy and which ones get cut out. A law that ties broker decisions to fines could change how loads get offered, how carriers are screened, and how quickly freight moves.
The description of the act also points to a second goal: using the money collected to help fund safety upgrades. In practice, that frames enforcement not only as punishment, but as a way to put resources back into making equipment and operations safer across the system.
In the bigger picture, the act reflects an ongoing debate in trucking safety policy: how far accountability should extend beyond the truck and the carrier to other parties in the load chain. This proposal would place more of that responsibility on freight brokers, on the grounds that their choices can influence whether unsafe operations get work.