Higginbotham Transportation Practice Becomes Full Division, Addresses Shifting Industry Landscape

First ReFuel Conference as a Division Will Focus on Legal, Insurance and Operational Concerns

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Higginbotham's rapidly growing Transportation specialty practice has become a full division, giving the team greater ability to invest in transportation-specific staff, services and industry initiatives. The milestone comes as trucking companies, freight brokers and insurers face a convergence of legal, insurance and operating pressures — issues Higginbotham will bring industry leaders together to address Oct. 27–28 at its biennial ReFuel Leadership Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The transportation industry faces pressure from multiple directions. Fuel, payroll and insurance — often a trucking company's largest individual costs — are all under strain. At the same time, motor carriers must navigate legal and regulatory environments that shift as they cross state lines. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, has added another layer of complexity by exposing brokers to a risk of being held responsible for harm resulting from accidents involving carriers that they select.

"After Montgomery, transportation brokers need to think more carefully about their own exposure," said Brent Allred, Higginbotham Managing Partner and Transportation Division Leader. "That may affect the insurance they carry, the requirements they put on the trucking companies they work with and, ultimately, the shippers whose freight is being moved. It could have a ripple effect all the way through the chain."

Montgomery will be a major topic at Higginbotham's 2026 ReFuel conference, with Joe DiPaola of U.S. Marine Insurance Group speaking on the ruling and its potential impact on the transportation industry. Other sessions will address claims, compliance and the changing legal environment, including a panel with leaders from the Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama trucking associations on how neighboring states can work together on issues affecting an industry that routinely crosses state lines.

"The goal with ReFuel is to get motor carriers, insurance carriers and other people across the industry together to bridge some of the gaps between them," Allred said. "The more we can sit down with each other and talk about the issues that affect us all, the better prepared we'll be for what comes next."

The industry complexity driving the ReFuel agenda is also reflected in the ongoing growth of Higginbotham's transportation operation.

The specialty practice originated at Memphis-based Lipscomb & Pitts, which partnered with Higginbotham in 2020. Allred, who is based in Chattanooga, assumed leadership of the specialty practice in March 2021 and focused immediately on building a strong service and support team. Fourteen employees joined within his first 10 months leading the practice, more than doubling the team at the time.

The group continued adding specialized personnel and expanding across the Southeast and Midwest before becoming Higginbotham's Transportation Division in 2026. The division now includes 31 team members with a combined 372 years of transportation insurance experience.

Division status gives the team greater ability to invest in transportation-specific resources, including a customized version of Higginbotham's Day Two Services®. In the division's Day Two model, claims and loss prevention professionals come from transportation backgrounds and can tailor their approach to the size, insurance and operational needs of each client.

"Transportation insurance is a highly specialized business," said Higginbotham Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid. "The claims, legal environments, insurance markets and operating risks are different. This team knows what they're doing, deeply. And that gives us tremendous ability to keep serving our clients — and keep growing."

ReFuel will be held Oct. 27–28, 2026, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. For more information or to register, visit refuelleadershipconference.com.

ABOUT HIGGINBOTHAM 

Higginbotham is an employee-owned leader in insurance, financial services and employee benefits. Since 1948, the company has combined national reach with local expertise, ranking as the 16th largest independent insurance brokerage in the U.S. in 2026 according to The Hales Report. Higginbotham delivers customized programs supported by its Day Two Services®, designed to ensure that clients receive proactive guidance and support throughout the life of every policy.

Guided by a values-driven culture, the company is committed to its employees, clients, carrier partners and the communities it serves. Learn more at higginbotham.com.

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SOURCE Higginbotham