Rightfully so, the law attempts to protect the company or individual that transported the shipment (carrier or in some cases and o/o who works exclusively for a carrier) to ensure they are compensated for giving benefit to the consignee by delivering the shipment to them.
What Rob (and many others here) are saying is that people who work in the industry not in a peripheral capacity (excluding lawyers, factors, insurance, etc...) have come to know and accept that an o/o working exclusively for a carrier is commonplace and under most circumstances can be treated almost identically to an employee of that carrier operation.
In the eyes of the law, ok, the carrier contracts the o/o to handle the shipment, but I don't need a carrier to tell me he/she employs o/o's , I do need them to tell me if they can't handle my load and want to give it to their 'buddy'.
Keep well,
Mike