RLI Insurance v. All Star Transportation, Inc.

KAVANAUGH, Circuit Judge:

The trucking industry consists of three main players: (i) shippers, who typically are manufacturers sending goods to retailers or others; (ii) truckers, who transport the goods; and (iii) brokers, who act as intermediaries between shippers and truckers. When a shipper needs to send goods, it hires a broker. The broker arranges for shipment by finding a trucker to transport the goods. The broker receives money from the shipper and, after taking a cut for itself, pays the trucker.

The problem at the root of this case is that the broker sometimes fails to pay the trucker.…