Carrier Assure CEO Cassandra Gaines releases BAVRA Standard for shipper broker vetting

Published Aug 5, 12:00 PM UTC

Carrier Assure CEO Cassandra Gaines has released the BAVRA Standard (Broker Assessment, Verification, Risk and Accountability), a 34-page framework designed to help shippers establish a reasonable and defensible process for selecting and monitoring freight brokers, freight forwarders, and managed transportation providers. The standard is a companion to the CAVRA Standard for carrier vetting, shifting focus to the shipper's responsibility in choosing intermediaries. Gaines emphasizes that transportation risk management begins before freight moves, and that shippers should not rely solely on confirming a broker's authority, bond, or insurance. Instead, BAVRA encourages written qualification standards, meaningful questioning, performance monitoring, and auditing of broker practices. The framework defines a 'reasonable middle ground' between passive outsourcing and excessive operational control, aiming to reduce legal and safety risks associated with broker selection.