Knight-Swift Cuts Approved Brokerage Carrier Pool by 70%

Knight-Swift Transportation has reduced its approved brokerage carrier pool by about 70% over the past two years as it tightens qualification standards. FreightWaves reported October 27 that CEO Adam Miller linked the change to cargo theft, highway safety and potential broker liability. He said the company has become more selective about which outside motor carriers may haul its brokered freight.

Knight-Swift requires a carrier to have at least one year of operating history before joining its brokerage network, according to Miller. He said organized cargo theft and closer scrutiny of safety records and insurance have increased the need for screening. More restrictive standards could make brokered loads harder to obtain for newly established carriers, especially those dependent on the spot market.

Miller also argued that stricter CDL and safety enforcement, combined with a smaller qualified carrier pool, could support a longer freight-market recovery even without a large increase in demand. That is an industry executive's outlook, not a government forecast. FMCSA's official 2026 non-domiciled CDL guidance confirms that states must apply revised eligibility and verification rules and address credentials that were issued outside applicable federal requirements.

Carriers seeking broker freight should expect to document more than an active USDOT number. Maintain current insurance, process-agent filings, authority status, driver qualification records, inspection history and accurate contact information. Protect business email and identity credentials because fraudsters may impersonate legitimate carriers. A new authority should build verifiable operating history through compliant service rather than misrepresenting age or records. Brokers should use consistent written standards and document why a carrier was approved. The 70% reduction shows that access to freight increasingly depends on safety, identity and operational history as much as price.