C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW) 10-Q 30 Oct 20 2020 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Cover

Cover - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Oct. 28, 2020
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2020
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	000-23189
Entity Registrant Name	C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001043277
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	41-1883630
Entity Address, Address Line One	14701 Charlson Road
Entity Address, City or Town	Eden Prairie
Entity Address, State or Province	MN
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	55347
City Area Code	952
Local Phone Number	937-8500
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.10 par value
Trading Symbol	CHRW
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		135,946,127

Condensed Consolidated Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 252,569	$ 447,858
Receivables, net of allowance for credit loss of $36,086 and $32,838	2,346,384	1,974,381
Contract assets, net of allowance for credit loss	187,973	132,874
Prepaid expenses and other	65,773	85,005
Total current assets	2,852,699	2,640,118
Property and equipment, net	183,244	208,423
Goodwill	1,473,440	1,291,760
Other intangible assets, net	118,741	90,931
Right-of-use lease assets	339,819	310,860
Deferred tax assets	16,631	13,485
Other assets	90,264	85,483
Total assets	5,074,838	4,641,060
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	1,196,797	984,604
Outstanding checks	72,108	78,231
Accrued expenses:
Compensation	130,958	112,784
Transportation expense	147,590	101,194
Income taxes	12,074	12,354
Other accrued liabilities	74,781	62,706
Current lease liabilities	66,692	61,280
Current portion of debt	59,979	142,885
Total current liabilities	1,760,979	1,556,038
Long-term debt	1,093,087	1,092,448
Noncurrent lease liabilities	279,212	259,444
Noncurrent income taxes payable	22,981	22,354
Deferred tax liabilities	44,942	39,776
Other long-term liabilities	278	270
Total liabilities	3,201,479	2,970,330
Stockholders’ investment:
Preferred stock, $0.10 par value, 20,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding	0	0
Common stock, $0.10 par value, 480,000 shares authorized; 179,700 and 179,380 shares issued, 135,900 and 134,895 outstanding	13,590	13,490
Additional paid-in capital	555,416	546,646
Retained earnings	4,293,598	4,144,834
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(70,855)	(76,149)
Treasury stock at cost (43,800 and 44,485 shares)	(2,918,390)	(2,958,091)
Total stockholders’ investment	1,873,359	1,670,730
Total liabilities and stockholders’ investment	$ 5,074,838	$ 4,641,060

Condensed Consolidated Balanc_2

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Receivable, allowance for credit loss	$ 36,086	$ 32,838
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.10	$ 0.10
Preferred stock, authorized (shares)	20,000,000	20,000,000
Preferred stock, issued (shares)	0	0
Preferred stock, outstanding (shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.10	$ 0.10
Common stock, authorized (shares)	480,000,000	480,000,000
Common stock, issued (shares)	179,700,000	179,380,000
Common stock, outstanding (shares)	135,900,000	134,895,000
Treasury stock (shares)	43,800,000	44,485,000

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 4,224,800	$ 3,856,132	$ 11,657,654	$ 11,516,182
Costs and expenses:
Personnel expenses	302,904	320,563	933,607	999,547
Other selling, general, and administrative expenses	118,130	111,783	371,606	354,730
Total costs and expenses	4,056,561	3,655,047	11,191,188	10,863,012
Income from operations	168,239	201,085	466,466	653,170
Interest and other expense	(7,465)	(13,180)	(32,904)	(36,935)
Income before provision for income taxes	160,774	187,905	433,562	616,235
Provision for income taxes	24,245	41,011	74,948	138,373
Net income	136,529	146,894	358,614	477,862
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	13,236	(18,576)	5,294	(18,967)
Comprehensive income	$ 149,765	$ 128,318	$ 363,908	$ 458,895
Basic net income per share (in dollars per share)	$ 1.01	$ 1.08	$ 2.65	$ 3.48
Diluted net income per share (in dollars per share)	$ 1	$ 1.07	$ 2.63	$ 3.45
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (shares)	135,671	136,380	135,385	137,274
Dilutive effect of outstanding stock awards (shares)	1,457	1,096	752	1,099
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (shares)	137,128	137,476	136,137	138,373
Transportation
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 3,944,981	$ 3,608,346	$ 10,835,710	$ 10,751,890
Costs and expenses:
Purchased products and services	3,378,651	2,999,979	9,141,354	8,826,233
Sourcing
Revenues:
Total revenues	279,819	247,786	821,944	764,292
Costs and expenses:
Purchased products and services	$ 256,876	$ 222,722	$ 744,621	$ 682,502

Condensed Consolidated Statem_2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Investment - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 1,704,328	$ 1,587,118	$ 1,670,730	$ 1,659,311	$ 1,652,561	$ 1,595,087	$ 1,670,730	$ 1,595,087
Net income	136,529	143,939	78,146	146,894	169,180	161,788	358,614	477,862
Foreign currency adjustments, net of tax	13,236	24,253	(32,195)	(18,576)	(5,688)	5,297
Dividends declared	(70,188)	(69,791)	(69,871)	(68,855)	(69,268)	(69,683)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans	78,678	7,855	(2,526)	10,818	7,699	7,573
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures			0	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	10,776	10,954	11,397	8,850	14,684	17,123
Repurchase of common stock			(68,563)	(65,346)	(109,857)	(64,624)
Ending balance	$ 1,873,359	$ 1,704,328	$ 1,587,118	$ 1,673,096	$ 1,659,311	$ 1,652,561	$ 1,873,359	$ 1,673,096
Dividends declared, per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.51	$ 0.51	$ 0.51	$ 0.50	$ 0.50	$ 0.50
Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance (in shares)	134,724	134,586	134,895	135,731	136,889	137,284	134,895	137,284
Beginning balance	$ 13,472	$ 13,459	$ 13,490	$ 13,573	$ 13,689	$ 13,728	$ 13,490	$ 13,728
Stock issued for employee benefit plans (in shares)	1,176	138	343	194	129	342
Stock issued for employee benefit plans	$ 118	$ 13	$ 34	$ 20	$ 13	$ 34
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures (in shares)			321	9	23
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures (in shares)						(3)
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures			$ 32	$ 1	$ 2	$ 0
Stock-based compensation expense (in shares)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)			(973)	(782)	(1,310)	(734)
Repurchase of common stock			$ (97)	$ (79)	$ (131)	$ (73)
Ending balance (in shares)	135,900	134,724	134,586	135,152	135,731	136,889	135,900	135,152
Ending balance	$ 13,590	$ 13,472	$ 13,459	$ 13,515	$ 13,573	$ 13,689	$ 13,590	$ 13,515
Additional Paid-in Capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	543,608	533,819	546,646	541,090	527,089	521,486	546,646	521,486
Stock issued for employee benefit plans	1,032	(1,165)	(24,192)	(561)	(681)	(11,520)
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures			(32)	(1)	(2)	0
Stock-based compensation expense	10,776	10,954	11,397	8,850	14,684	17,123
Ending balance	555,416	543,608	533,819	549,378	541,090	527,089	555,416	549,378
Retained Earnings
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	4,227,257	4,153,109	4,144,834	4,037,610	3,937,698	3,845,593	4,144,834	3,845,593
Net income	136,529	143,939	78,146	146,894	169,180	161,788
Dividends declared	(70,188)	(69,791)	(69,871)	(68,855)	(69,268)	(69,683)
Ending balance	4,293,598	4,227,257	4,153,109	4,115,649	4,037,610	3,937,698	4,293,598	4,115,649
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(84,091)	(108,344)	(76,149)	(72,326)	(66,638)	(71,935)	(76,149)	(71,935)
Foreign currency adjustments, net of tax	13,236	24,253	(32,195)	(18,576)	(5,688)	5,297
Ending balance	(70,855)	(84,091)	(108,344)	(90,902)	(72,326)	(66,638)	(70,855)	(90,902)
Treasury Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(2,995,918)	(3,004,925)	(2,958,091)	(2,860,636)	(2,759,277)	(2,713,785)	(2,958,091)	(2,713,785)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans	77,528	9,007	21,632	11,359	8,367	19,059
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0	0	0	0	0
Repurchase of common stock			(68,466)	(65,267)	(109,726)	(64,551)
Ending balance	$ (2,918,390)	$ (2,995,918)	$ (3,004,925)	$ (2,914,544)	$ (2,860,636)	$ (2,759,277)	$ (2,918,390)	$ (2,914,544)

Condensed Consolidated Statem_3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Investment (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Dividends declared, per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.51	$ 0.51	$ 0.51	$ 0.50	$ 0.50	$ 0.50

Condensed Consolidated Statem_4

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income	$ 358,614	$ 477,862
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	77,067	75,122
Provision for credit losses	12,701	642
Stock-based compensation	33,127	40,657
Deferred income taxes	(9,468)	(3,360)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	(17,127)	(6,908)
Other operating activities	13,104	(4,471)
Changes in operating elements, net of acquisitions:
Receivables	(367,538)	104,108
Contract assets	(56,131)	9,067
Prepaid expenses and other	12,331	(18,940)
Accounts payable and outstanding checks	186,755	3,871
Accrued compensation	16,458	(45,319)
Accrued transportation expense	46,396	(5,323)
Accrued income taxes	17,125	(7,042)
Other accrued liabilities	8,907	5,210
Other assets and liabilities	4,728	(1,318)
Net cash provided by operating activities	337,049	623,858
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Purchases of property and equipment	(17,446)	(26,661)
Purchases and development of software	(22,815)	(24,282)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(223,230)	(59,188)
Other investing activities	5,525	16,625
Net cash used for investing activities	(257,966)	(93,506)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from stock issued for employee benefit plans	100,542	40,442
Stock tendered for payment of withholding taxes	(16,535)	(14,352)
Repurchase of common stock	(68,563)	(241,303)
Cash dividends	(207,428)	(207,865)
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	0	929,000
Payments on long-term borrowings	0	(1,018,000)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	1,043,600	14,000
Payments on short-term borrowings	(1,126,600)	(19,000)
Net cash used for financing activities	(274,984)	(517,078)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	612	(7,465)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(195,289)	5,809
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	447,858	378,615
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 252,569	$ 384,424

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

BASIS OF PRESENTATION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., and our subsidiaries (“the company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) are a global provider of transportation services and logistics solutions operating through a network of offices located in North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and South America. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., and our majority owned and controlled subsidiaries. Our minority interests in subsidiaries are not significant. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. Our reportable segments are NAST and Global Forwarding with all other segments included in All Other and Corporate. The All Other and Corporate reportable segment includes Robinson Fresh, Managed Services, Other Surface Transportation outside of North America, and other miscellaneous revenues and unallocated corporate expenses. For financial information concerning our reportable segments, refer to Note 9, Segment Reporting . The condensed consolidated financial statements, which are unaudited, have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In our opinion, these financial statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the financial statements for the interim periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. Consistent with SEC rules and regulations, we have condensed or omitted certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. You should read the condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments , and in November 2018 issued a subsequent amendment, ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses . This update changes how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The update replaces the historical “incurred loss” approach with an “expected loss” model for instruments measured at amortized cost. The update affects loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope of this amendment that have the contractual right to receive cash. We adopted this standard on January 1, 2020. We have updated our allowance for credit losses, formerly described as our allowance for doubtful accounts, significant accounting policy below as a result of adopting the new standard. The impact of adoption was not material to our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, which provides optional practical expedients to simplify accounting for reference rate reform. Amongst other practical expedients, the update allows for contract modifications due to reference rate reform for certain receivables and debt contracts to be accounted for by prospectively adjusting the effective interest rate. The amendments in this ASU are effective for all entities beginning on March 12, 2020, and companies may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the effects that adoption of this guidance will have on the consolidated financial statements. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, includes a summary of the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. We have updated these policies below to give effect to the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 326 in the first quarter of 2020.

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE A

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS The change in carrying amount of goodwill is as follows (in thousands): NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Balance, December 31, 2019 $ 1,015,570 $ 208,420 $ 67,770 $ 1,291,760 Acquisitions 176,840 507 — 177,347 Translation 2,689 1,096 548 4,333 Balance, September 30, 2020 $ 1,195,099 $ 210,023 $ 68,318 $ 1,473,440 Goodwill is tested at least annually for impairment on November 30, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. We first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting units is less than their respective carrying value (“Step Zero Analysis”). If the Step Zero Analysis indicates it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting units is less than their respective carrying value, an additional impairment assessment is performed (“Step One Analysis”). We considered whether there were any changes in circumstances indicating that our goodwill might be impaired, including consideration of the impacts of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) on financial markets and our business operations, and determined the more likely than not criteria had not been met, and therefore a Step One Analysis was not required as of September 30, 2020. Identifiable intangible assets consisted of the following (in thousands): September 30, 2020 December 31, 2019 Cost Accumulated Amortization Net Cost Accumulated Amortization Net Finite-lived intangibles Customer relationships $ 294,200 $ (185,934) $ 108,266 $ 237,335 $ (156,879) $ 80,456 Indefinite-lived intangibles Trademarks 10,475 — 10,475 10,475 — 10,475 Total intangibles $ 304,675 $ (185,934) $ 118,741 $ 247,810 $ (156,879) $ 90,931 Amortization expense for other intangible assets is as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Amortization expense $ 9,937 $ 9,731 $ 27,968 $ 28,699 Finite-lived intangible assets, by reportable segment, as of September 30, 2020, will be amortized over their remaining lives as follows (in thousands): NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Remaining 2020 $ 2,026 $ 5,056 $ 161 $ 7,243 2021 8,105 14,603 638 23,346 2022 8,105 14,603 638 23,346 2023 8,105 11,977 638 20,720 2024 7,984 4,174 638 12,796 Thereafter 17,024 2,891 900 20,815 Total $ 108,266

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT Accounting guidance on fair value measurements for certain financial assets and liabilities requires that assets and liabilities carried at fair value be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories: • Level 1 — Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. • Level 2 — Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. • Level 3 — Unobservable inputs reflecting the reporting entity’s own assumptions or external inputs from inactive markets. A financial asset or liability’s classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS	FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS The components of our short-term and long-term debt and the associated interest rates were as follows (dollars in thousands): Average interest rate as of Carrying value as of September 30, 2020 December 31, 2019 Maturity September 30, 2020 December 31, 2019 Revolving credit facility — % — % October 2023 $ — $ — Senior Notes, Series A 3.97 % 3.97 % August 2023 175,000 175,000 Senior Notes, Series B 4.26 % 4.26 % August 2028 150,000 150,000 Senior Notes, Series C 4.60 % 4.60 % August 2033 175,000 175,000 Receivables securitization facility (1) 0.80 % 2.41 % December 2020 59,979 142,885 Senior Notes (1) 4.20 % 4.20 % April 2028 593,087 592,448 Total debt 1,153,066 1,235,333 Less: Current maturities and short-term borrowing (59,979) (142,885) Long-term debt $ 1,093,087 $ 1,092,448 ____________________________________________ (1) Net of unamortized discounts and issuance costs. SENIOR UNSECURED REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITY We have a senior unsecured revolving credit facility (the "Credit Agreement") with a total availability of $1 billion and a maturity date of October 24, 2023. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement generally bear interest at a variable rate determined by a pricing schedule or the base rate (which is the highest of (a) the administrative agent's prime rate, (b) the federal funds rate plus 0.50 percent, or (c) the sum of applicable LIBOR plus 1.125 percent). In addition, there is a commitment fee on the average daily undrawn stated amount under each letter of credit issued under the facility ranging from 0.075 percent to 0.200 percent. The recorded amount of borrowings outstanding, if any, approximates fair value because of the short maturity period of the debt; therefore, we would consider these borrowings to be a Level 2 financial liability. The Credit Agreement contains various restrictions and covenants that require us to maintain certain financial ratios, including a maximum leverage ratio of 3.50 to 1.00. The Credit Agreement also contains customary events of default. If an event of default under the Credit Agreement occurs and is continuing, then the administrative agent may declare any outstanding obligations under the Credit Agreement to be immediately due and payable. In addition, if we become the subject of voluntary or involuntary proceedings under any bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar law, then any outstanding obligations under the Credit Agreement will automatically become immediately due and payable. NOTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT On August 23, 2013, we entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with certain institutional investors (the “Purchasers”). On August 27, 2013, the Purchasers purchased an aggregate principal amount of $500 million of our Senior Notes, Series A, Senior Notes Series B, and Senior Notes Series C (collectively the “Notes”). Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears. The fair value of the Notes approximated $549.7 million at September 30, 2020. We estimate the fair value of the Notes primarily using an expected present value technique, which is based on observable market inputs using interest rates currently available to companies of similar credit standing for similar terms and remaining maturities, and considering our own risk. If the Notes were recorded at fair value, they would be classified as a Level 2 financial liability. The Note Purchase Agreement contains various restrictions and covenants that require us to maintain certain financial ratios, including a maximum leverage ratio of 3.00 to 1.00, a minimum interest coverage ratio of 2.00 to 1.00, and a maximum consolidated priority debt to consolidated total asset ratio of 15 percent. The Note Purchase Agreement provides for customary events of default. The occurrence of an event of default would permit certain Purchasers to declare certain Notes then outstanding to be immediately due and payable. Under the terms of the Note Purchase Agreement, the Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at 100 percent of the principal amount being redeemed together with a “make-whole amount” (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement), and accrued and unpaid interest with respect to each Note. The obligations of the company under the Note Purchase Agreement and the Notes are guaranteed by C.H. Robinson Company, a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, and by C.H. Robinson Company, Inc., a Minnesota corporation and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the company. U.S. TRADE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SECURITIZATION We have a receivables securitization facility (the “Receivables Securitization Facility”) that currently expires on December 17, 2020, unless extended by the parties. The Receivables Securitization Facility is based on the securitization of certain of our U.S. trade accounts receivable and provides funding of up to $250 million. The trade accounts receivable under the facility are owned by C.H. Robinson Receivables LLC and are not available to the creditors of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., and our subsidiaries. The interest rate on borrowings under the Receivables Securitization Facility is based on one-month LIBOR plus 0.65 percent. There is also a commitment fee we are required to pay on any unused portion of the facility. The recorded amount of borrowings outstanding on the Receivables Securitization Facility approximates fair value because it can be redeemed on short notice and the interest rate floats, therefore, we consider these borrowings to be a Level 2 financial liability. The Receivables Securitization Facility contains various customary affirmative and negative covenants, and it also contains customary default and termination provisions which provide for acceleration of amounts owed under the Receivables Securitization Facility upon the occurrence of certain specified events. SENIOR NOTES On April 9, 2018, we issued senior unsecured notes ("Senior Notes") through a public offering. The Senior Notes bear an annual interest rate of 4.20 percent payable semi-annually on April 15 and October 15, until maturity on April 15, 2028. Taking into effect the amortization of the original issue discount and all underwriting and issuance expenses, the Senior Notes have an effective yield to maturity of approximately 4.39 percent per annum. The fair value of the Senior Notes, excluding debt discounts and issuance costs, approximated $703.0 million as of September 30, 2020, based primarily on the market prices quoted from external sources. The carrying value of the Senior Notes was $593.1 million as of September 30, 2020. If the Senior Notes were measured at fair value in the financial statements, they would be classified as a Level 2 financial liability in the fair value hierarchy. We may redeem the Senior Notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time prior to their maturity at the applicable redemption prices described in the Senior Notes. Upon the occurrence of a “change of control triggering event” as defined in the Senior Notes (generally, a change of control of us accompanied by a reduction in the credit rating for the Senior Notes), we will generally be required to make an offer to repurchase the Senior Notes from holders at 101 percent of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase. The Senior Notes were issued under an indenture that contains covenants imposing certain limitations on our ability to incur liens or enter into sales and leaseback transactions above certain limits; and consolidate, or merge or transfer substantially all of our assets and those of our subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. It also provides for customary events of default (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), which include among other things nonpayment, breach of covenants in the indenture, and certain events of bankruptcy and insolvency. If an event of default occurs and is continuing with respect to the Senior Notes, the trustee or holders of at least 25 percent in principal amount outstanding of the Senior Notes may declare the principal and the accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all of the outstanding Senior Notes to be due and payable. These covenants and events of default are subject to a number of important qualifications, limitations, and exceptions that are described in the indenture. The indenture does not contain any financial ratios or specified levels of net worth or liquidity to which we must adhere.

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES Our effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was 15.1 percent and 21.8 percent, respectively, and our effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was 17.3 percent and 22.5 percent, respectively. The effective income tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate primarily due to the tax impact of share-based payment awards, which reduced the effective tax rate by 3.8 percentage points and 4.1 percentage points, respectively. Foreign tax impacts also contributed to a lower federal income tax rate, reducing our effective tax rate in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 by 5.2 percentage points and 3.1 percentage points, respectively. This impact on the tax rate was partially offset by state income tax expense, which increased the effective income tax rate. The effective income tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 was higher than the statutory federal income tax rate due to state income taxes, net of federal benefit, and foreign income taxes, but was partially offset by the tax impact of share-based payment awards and the combined tax impact of Global Intangible Low-tax Income ("GILTI") and Foreign Derived Intangible Income ("FDII"). In 2019, we removed our assertion that the unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries were permanently reinvested with limited exceptions. If we repatriated all foreign earnings that are still considered to be permanently reinvested, the estimated effect on income taxes payable would be an increase of approximately $2.3 million as of September 30, 2020. On March 27, 2020, the U.S. government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act allows for a deferral of the employer share of federal payroll taxes otherwise due through December 31, 2020. 50 percent of the deferred amount is due December 31, 2021 and the remaining 50 percent is due December 31, 2022. This provision allows us to defer certain federal payroll deposits and invest this cash back into the business without any interest cost. The CARES Act also provides for a tax credit of up to $5,000 related to wages and health benefits provided to an employee whose work from March 17, 2020 through December 31, 2020 was impacted by COVID-19. Through September 30, 2020, we have recognized a payroll deferral and tax credit of $19.3 million and $0.7 million, respectively, under the CARES Act. We will continue evaluating the impact of the CARES Act over the remainder of 2020. On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). The Tax Act made broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code, including but not limited to, reducing the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and adding new rules for GILTI and FDII. We have included the tax impact of both GILTI and FDII in our income tax expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, and 2019. The Treasury Department issued final regulatory guidance related to both GILTI and FDII on July 15, 2020. The effective date of these regulations is generally January 1, 2021, absent an election to apply these rules retroactively to a 2018 effective date. We are reviewing these regulations and the potential to elect a 2018 effective date. The impact of this new guidance is not expected to have a material impact on full-year 2020 results. On September 29, 2020, the Treasury Department issued final and proposed regulations on determining the foreign tax credit, and allocating and apportioning deductions, under the Internal Revenue Code. We are still completing our review of these regulations, but they did not have a material impact on the third quarter of 2020 and we do not expect them to have a material impact on full-year 2020 results.

STOCK AWARD PLANS

STOCK AWARD PLANS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
STOCK AWARD PLANS	STOCK AWARD PLANS Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the value of the award and is recognized as expense as it vests. A summary of our total compensation expense recognized in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for stock-based compensation is as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Stock options $ 5,081 $ 4,829 $ 15,119 $ 13,539 Stock awards 5,042 3,470 15,736 24,798 Company expense on ESPP discount 653 551 2,272 2,320 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 10,776 $ 8,850 $ 33,127 $ 40,657 On May 9, 2019, our shareholders approved an amendment and restatement of our 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) to increase the number of shares authorized for award by 4,000,000 shares. The Plan allows us to grant certain stock awards, including stock options at fair market value and performance shares and restricted stock units, to our key employees and outside directors. A maximum of 17,041,803 shares can be granted under this plan following the amendment and restatement. Approximately 2,974,170 shares were available for stock awards under the plan as of September 30, 2020. Shares subject to awards that expire or are canceled without delivery of shares or that are settled in cash generally become available again for issuance under the plan. Stock Options - We have awarded stock options to certain key employees. The fair value of these options is established based on the market price on the date of grant, discounted for post-vesting holding restrictions, calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Changes in measured stock price volatility and interest rates are the primary reasons for changes in the discount. These grants are being expensed based on the terms of the awards. As of September 30, 2020, unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options was $48.0 million. The amount of future expense to be recognized will be based on the passage of time and the employees' continued employment. We granted 1,660,548 stock options on February 5, 2020. These awards had a weighted average exercise price of $72.74 and a weighted average grant date fair value of $13.88. These awards are eligible to vest over a five-year period with a first vesting date of December 31, 2020. Stock Awards - We have awarded performance-based restricted shares and restricted stock units and time-based restricted stock units to certain key employees and non-employee directors. Performance-based awards are subject to certain vesting requirements over a five-year period, based on our earnings growth. Time-based awards vest primarily based on the employee's continued employment. The awards also contain restrictions on the awardees’ ability to sell or transfer vested awards for a specified period of time. The fair value of these awards is established based on the market price on the date of grant, discounted for post-vesting holding restrictions. The discounts on outstanding grants vary from 12 percent to 22 percent and are calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model-protective put method. Changes in measured stock price volatility and interest rates are the primary reasons for changes in the discount. These grants are being expensed based on the terms of the awards. We granted 405,776 performance-based restricted shares and restricted stock units and 329,586 time-based restricted shares and restricted stock units on February 5, 2020. These awards had a weighted average grant date fair value of $59.34 and are eligible to vest over a five-year period with a first vesting date of December 31, 2020. We have also issued restricted stock units to certain key employees and non-employee directors, which are fully vested upon issuance. These units contain restrictions on the awardees’ ability to sell or transfer vested units for a specified period of time. The fair value of these units is established using the same method discussed above. These grants have been expensed during the year they were earned. As of September 30, 2020, there was unrecognized compensation expense of $125.3 million related to previously granted full value awards. The amount of future expense to be recognized will be based on the passage of time, the company’s earnings growth, and certain other conditions. Employee Stock Purchase Plan - Our 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") allows our employees to contribute up to $10,000 of their annual cash compensation to purchase company stock. Purchase price is determined using the closing price on the last day of each quarter discounted by 15 percent. Shares vest immediately. The following is a summary of the employee stock purchase plan activity: Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Shares purchased by employees Aggregate cost to employees Expense recognized by the company 42,445 $ 3,699,626 $ 652,875

LITIGATION

LITIGATION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
LITIGATION	LITIGATIONWe are not subject to any pending or threatened litigation other than routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of our business operations, including certain contingent auto liability cases. For some legal proceedings, we have accrued an amount that reflects the aggregate liability deemed probable and estimable, but this amount is not material to our condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. Because of the preliminary nature of many of these proceedings, the difficulty in ascertaining the applicable facts relating to many of these proceedings, the inconsistent treatment of claims made in many of these proceedings, and the difficulty of predicting the settlement value of many of these proceedings, we are often unable to estimate an amount or range of any reasonably possible losses. However, based upon our historical experience, the resolution of these proceedings is not expected to have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

ACQUISITIONS

ACQUISITIONS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Business Combinations [Abstract]
ACQUISITIONS	ACQUISITIONS Prime Distribution Services On March 2, 2020, we acquired all of the outstanding shares of Prime Distribution Services (“Prime Distribution”), a leading provider of retail consolidation services in North America, for $222.7 million in cash. This acquisition adds scale and value-added warehouse capabilities to our retail consolidation platform, adding to our global suite of services. The following is a summary of the allocation of purchase consideration to the estimated fair value of net assets for the acquisition of Prime Distribution. Current assets $ 8,879 Property and equipment 7,356 Right-of-use lease assets 35,017 Other intangible assets 55,000 Goodwill 176,840 Total assets 283,092 Current liabilities 12,243 Lease liabilities 35,017 Deferred tax liabilities 13,114 Net assets acquired $ 222,718 Identifiable intangible assets and estimated useful lives are as follows (dollars in thousands): Estimated Life (years) Customer relationships 7 $ 55,000 There was $176.8 million of goodwill recorded related to the acquisition of Prime Distribution. The Prime Distribution goodwill is a result of acquiring and retaining the Prime Distribution workforce and expected synergies from integrating its business into ours. Purchase accounting is considered substantially complete. The goodwill will not be deductible for tax purposes. The acquisition was effective as of February 29, 2020, and therefore the results of operations of Prime Distribution have been included as part of the North American Surface Transportation segment in our consolidated financial statements since March 1, 2020. Dema Service S.p.A On May 22, 2019, we acquired all of the outstanding shares of Dema Service S.p.A. (“Dema Service”) to strengthen our existing footprint in Italy. Total purchase consideration, net of cash acquired was $14.2 million, which was paid in cash. Identifiable intangible assets and estimated useful lives are as follows (dollars in thousands): Estimated Life (years) Customer relationships 7 $ 4,252 There was $7.8 million of goodwill recorded related to the acquisition of Dema Service. The Dema Service goodwill is a result of acquiring and retaining the Dema Service workforce and expected synergies from integrating its business into ours. Purchase accounting is considered complete. No goodwill was recognized for Italian tax purposes from the acquisition. Th e results of operations of Dema Service have been included as part of the All Other and Corporate segment in our consolidated financial statements since May 23, 2019. The Space Cargo Group On February 28, 2019, we acquired all of the outstanding shares of The Space Cargo Group (“Space Cargo”) for the purpose of expanding our presence and capabilities in Spain and Colombia. Total purchase consideration, net of cash acquired, was $45.5 million, which was paid in cash. Identifiable intangible assets and estimated useful lives are as follows (dollars in thousands): Estimated Life (years) Customer relationships 7 $ 16,439

SEGMENT REPORTING

SEGMENT REPORTING	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
SEGMENT REPORTING	SEGMENT REPORTING Our reportable segments are based on our method of internal reporting, which generally segregates the segments by service line and the primary services they provide to our customers. We identify two reportable segments in addition to All Other and Corporate as summarized below: • North American Surface Transportation— NAST provides freight transportation services across North America through a network of offices in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The primary services provided by NAST include truckload, less than truckload (“LTL”), and intermodal. • Global Forwarding— Global Forwarding provides global logistics services through an international network of offices in North America, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and South America and also contracts with independent agents worldwide. The primary services provided by Global Forwarding include ocean freight services, airfreight services, and customs brokerage. • All Other and Corporate— All Other and Corporate includes our Robinson Fresh and Managed Services segments, as well as Other Surface Transportation outside of North America and other miscellaneous revenues and unallocated corporate expenses. Robinson Fresh provides sourcing services including the buying, selling, and marketing of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other perishable items. Managed Services provides Transportation Management Services, or Managed TMS ® . Other Surface Transportation revenues are primarily earned by Europe Surface Transportation. Europe Surface Transportation provides services similar to NAST across Europe. The internal reporting of segments is defined, based in part, on the reporting and review process used by our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), our Chief Executive Officer. The accounting policies of our reportable segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies. We do not report our intersegment revenues by reportable segment to our CODM and do not believe they are a meaningful metric for evaluating the performance of our reportable segments. Reportable segment information as of, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, is as follows (dollars in thousands): NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Total revenues $ 2,923,842 $ 831,957 $ 469,001 $ 4,224,800 Net revenues 367,943 157,657 63,673 589,273 Income (loss) from operations 122,526 46,299 (586) 168,239 Depreciation and amortization 7,095 9,385 10,436 26,916 Total assets (1) 3,041,974 1,148,118 884,746 5,074,838 Average headcount 6,702 4,607 3,595 14,904 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 Total revenues $ 2,826,308 $ 597,695 $ 432,129 $ 3,856,132 Net revenues 433,760 135,815 63,856 633,431 Income from operations 176,200 24,676 209 201,085 Depreciation and amortization 5,734 9,186 10,560 25,480 Total assets (1) 2,649,259 995,137 992,153 4,636,549 Average headcount 7,448 4,790 3,544 15,782 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Total Revenues $ 8,222,879 $ 2,070,161 $ 1,364,614 $ 11,657,654 Net Revenues 1,120,277 448,931 202,471 1,771,679 Income (loss) from operations 357,898 117,033 (8,465) 466,466 Depreciation and amortization 19,550 27,740 29,777 77,067 Total assets (1) 3,041,974 1,148,118 884,746 5,074,838 Average headcount 6,870 4,716 3,591 15,177 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Total Revenues $ 8,495,145 $ 1,727,745 $ 1,293,292 $ 11,516,182 Net Revenues 1,406,728 404,987 195,732 2,007,447 Income (loss) from operations 592,215 65,497 (4,542) 653,170 Depreciation and amortization 18,124 27,427 29,571 75,122 Total assets (1) 2,649,259 995,137 992,153 4,636,549 Average headcount 7,436 4,748 3,398 15,582 _________________________________________

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUS

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS	REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS A summary of our total revenues disaggregated by major service line and timing of revenue recognition is presented below for each of our reportable segments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Major Service Lines Transportation and logistics services (1) $ 2,923,842 $ 831,957 $ 189,182 $ 3,944,981 Sourcing (2) — — 279,819 279,819 Total $ 2,923,842 $ 831,957 $ 469,001 $ 4,224,800 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Major Service Lines Transportation and logistics services (1) $ 2,826,308 $ 597,695 $ 184,343 $ 3,608,346 Sourcing (2) — — 247,786 247,786 Total $ 2,826,308 $ 597,695 $ 432,129 $ 3,856,132 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Major Service Lines Transportation and logistics services (1) $ 8,222,879 $ 2,070,161 $ 542,670 $ 10,835,710 Sourcing (2) — — 821,944 821,944 Total $ 8,222,879 $ 2,070,161 $ 1,364,614 $ 11,657,654 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Major Service Lines Transportation and logistics services (1) $ 8,495,145 $ 1,727,745 $ 529,000 $ 10,751,890 Sourcing (2) — — 764,292 764,292 Total $ 8,495,145 $ 1,727,745 $ 1,293,292 $ 11,516,182 ____________________________________________ (1) Transportation and logistics services performance obligations are completed over time. (2) Sourcing performance obligations are completed at a point in time. We typically do not receive consideration and amounts are not due from our customer prior to the completion of our performance obligation and as such contract liabilities, as of September 30, 2020, and revenue recognized in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 resulting from contract liabilities was not significant. Contract assets and accrued expenses-transportation expense fluctuate from period to period primarily based upon shipments in-transit at period end.

LEASES

LEASES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
LEASES	LEASESWe determine if our contractual agreements contain a lease at inception. A lease is identified when a contract allows us the right to control an identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration. Our lease agreements consist primarily of operating leases for office space, warehouses, office equipment, and a small number of intermodal containers. We do not have material financing leases. Frequently, we enter into contractual relationships with a wide variety of transportation companies for freight capacity, and utilize those relationships to efficiently and cost-effectively arrange the transport of our customers’ freight. These contracts typically have a term of 12 months or less and do not allow us to direct the use or obtain substantially all of the economic benefits of a specifically identified asset. Accordingly, these agreements are not considered leases. In addition, we have made a policy election to not apply the guidance of ASC 842 to leases with a term of 12 months or less as allowed by the standard. These leases are recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Our operating leases are included on the consolidated balance sheets as right-of-use lease assets and lease liabilities. A right-of-use lease asset represents our right to use an underlying asset over the term of a lease while a lease liability represents our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Current and noncurrent lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date at the present value of lease payments, including non-lease components, which consist primarily of common area maintenance charges. Right-of-use lease assets are also recognized at commencement date as the total lease liability plus prepaid rents and less any deferred rent liability that existed under ASC 840, Leases, upon transition. As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use our fully collateralized incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate is influenced by our credit rating and lease term and as such may differ for individual leases. Our lease agreements typically do not contain variable lease payments, residual value guarantees, purchase options, or restrictive covenants. Many of our leases include the option to renew for a period of months to several years. The term of our leases may include the option to renew when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option although these occurrences are seldom. We have lease agreements with lease components (e.g., payments for rent) and non-lease components (e.g., payments for common area maintenance and parking), which are all accounted for as a single lease component. We do not have material lease agreements that have not yet commenced that are expected to create significant rights or obligations as of September 30, 2020. Information regarding lease expense, remaining lease term, discount rate, and other select lease information is presented below as of September 30, 2020, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 (dollars in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, Lease Costs 2020 2019 2020 2019 Operating lease expense $ 22,373 $ 16,905 $ 63,855 $ 50,684 Short-term lease expense 3,626 2,605 10,225 8,022 Total lease expense $ 25,999 $ 19,510 $ 74,080 $ 58,706 Nine Months Ended September 30, Other Lease Information 2020 2019 Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 60,569 $ 49,925 Right-of-use lease assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities 88,857 42,387 Lease Term and Discount Rate As of September 30, 2020 Weighted average remaining lease term (in years) (1) 6.9 Weighted average discount rate 3.2 % ____________________________________________ (1) The weighted average remaining lease term is significantly impacted by a 15-year lease related to office space in Chicago, IL, that commenced in 2018. Excluding this lease, the weighted average remaining lease term of our agreements is 4.8 years. The maturities of lease liabilities as of September 30, 2020, were as follows (in thousands): Maturity of Lease Liabilities Operating Leases Remaining 2020 $ 14,997 2021 80,817 2022 68,698 2023 55,810 2024 38,087 Thereafter 132,101 Total lease payments 390,510 Less: Interest (44,606) Present value of lease liabilities $ 345,904

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Credit Loss [Abstract]
ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES	ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES We adopted ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments (Topic 326), as of January 1, 2020. Prior period information was not restated and continues to be presented under guidance effective for those periods. This ASU changes how entities measure credit losses for certain financial assets including accounts receivable by replacing the historical “incurred loss” approach with an “expected loss” model. We have updated our significant accounting policy for allowance for credit losses as discussed in Note 1, Basis of Presentation . Our allowance for credit losses is computed using a number of factors including our past credit loss experience, the aging of amounts due from our customers, and our customers' credit ratings, in addition to other customer specific factors. We have also assessed the current macroeconomic environment, including the impact of COVID-19, to determine our ending allowance for credit losses for both accounts receivable and contract assets. The allowance for credit losses on contract assets was not significant. A rollforward of our allowance for credit losses on our accounts receivable balance is presented below for the nine months ended September 30, 2020: Balance, December 31, 2019 $ 32,838 Provision 11,670 Write-offs (8,422) Balance, September 30, 2020 $ 36,086

CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER CO

CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSSAccumulated other comprehensive loss is included in Stockholders' investment on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The recorded balance at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, was $70.9 million and $76.1 million, respectively. Accumulated other comprehensive loss is comprised solely of foreign currency adjustments, net of related income tax effects at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019. Other comprehensive income was $13.2 million and $5.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. Other comprehensive income consisted of foreign currency adjustments, including foreign currency translation, net of related income tax effects of $1.0 million and $0.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies

BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., and our subsidiaries (“the company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) are a global provider of transportation services and logistics solutions operating through a network of offices located in North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and South America. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., and our majority owned and controlled subsidiaries. Our minority interests in subsidiaries are not significant. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. Our reportable segments are NAST and Global Forwarding with all other segments included in All Other and Corporate. The All Other and Corporate reportable segment includes Robinson Fresh, Managed Services, Other Surface Transportation outside of North America, and other miscellaneous revenues and unallocated corporate expenses. For financial information concerning our reportable segments, refer to Note 9, Segment Reporting . The condensed consolidated financial statements, which are unaudited, have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In our opinion, these financial statements include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of the financial statements for the interim periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. Consistent with SEC rules and regulations, we have condensed or omitted certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. You should read the condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.
RECENTLY ADOPTED AND ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS	RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments , and in November 2018 issued a subsequent amendment, ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses . This update changes how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The update replaces the historical “incurred loss” approach with an “expected loss” model for instruments measured at amortized cost. The update affects loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope of this amendment that have the contractual right to receive cash. We adopted this standard on January 1, 2020. We have updated our allowance for credit losses, formerly described as our allowance for doubtful accounts, significant accounting policy below as a result of adopting the new standard. The impact of adoption was not material to our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, which provides optional practical expedients to simplify accounting for reference rate reform. Amongst other practical expedients, the update allows for contract modifications due to reference rate reform for certain receivables and debt contracts to be accounted for by prospectively adjusting the effective interest rate. The amendments in this ASU are effective for all entities beginning on March 12, 2020, and companies may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the effects that adoption of this guidance will have on the consolidated financial statements.
ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES	ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES. Accounts receivable and contract assets are reduced by an allowance for expected credit losses. We determine our allowance for expected credit losses by evaluating two approaches that consider our past credit loss experience, our customers' credit ratings, and other customer-specific and macroeconomic factors. The first approach is pooling our customers by credit rating and applying an expected loss ratio based upon credit rating and number of days the receivable has been outstanding, (i.e. aging approach). The second approach is to compute an expected loss ratio for each credit rating pool based upon our historical write-off experience and apply it to our accounts receivable, (i.e. loss ratio approach). These two approaches are evaluated in consideration of other known information and customer specific and macroeconomic factors, including the price of diesel fuel, for purposes of determining the expected credit loss allowance.
GOODWILL	Goodwill is tested at least annually for impairment on November 30, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. We first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting units is less than their respective carrying value (“Step Zero Analysis”). If the Step Zero Analysis indicates it is more likely than not that the fair value of our reporting units is less than their respective carrying value, an additional impairment assessment is performed (“Step One Analysis”). We considered whether there were any changes in circumstances indicating that our goodwill might be impaired, including consideration of the impacts of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) on financial markets and our business operations, and determined the more likely than not criteria had not been met, and therefore a Step One Analysis was not required as of September 30, 2020.
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT Accounting guidance on fair value measurements for certain financial assets and liabilities requires that assets and liabilities carried at fair value be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories: • Level 1 — Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. • Level 2 — Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. • Level 3 — Unobservable inputs reflecting the reporting entity’s own assumptions or external inputs from inactive markets. A financial asset or liability’s classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE_2

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Goodwill	The change in carrying amount of goodwill is as follows (in thousands): NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Balance, December 31, 2019 $ 1,015,570 $ 208,420 $ 67,770 $ 1,291,760 Acquisitions 176,840 507 — 177,347 Translation 2,689 1,096 548 4,333 Balance, September 30, 2020 $ 1,195,099 $ 210,023 $ 68,318 $ 1,473,440
Schedule of Intangible Assets	Identifiable intangible assets consisted of the following (in thousands): September 30, 2020 December 31, 2019 Cost Accumulated Amortization Net Cost Accumulated Amortization Net Finite-lived intangibles Customer relationships $ 294,200 $ (185,934) $ 108,266 $ 237,335 $ (156,879) $ 80,456 Indefinite-lived intangibles Trademarks 10,475 — 10,475 10,475 — 10,475 Total intangibles $ 304,675 $ (185,934) $ 118,741 $ 247,810 $ (156,879) $ 90,931
Schedule of Amortization Expense	Amortization expense for other intangible assets is as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Amortization expense $ 9,937 $ 9,731 $ 27,968 $ 28,699
Schedule of Future Amortization of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets	Finite-lived intangible assets, by reportable segment, as of September 30, 2020, will be amortized over their remaining lives as follows (in thousands): NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Remaining 2020 $ 2,026 $ 5,056 $ 161 $ 7,243 2021 8,105 14,603 638 23,346 2022 8,105 14,603 638 23,346 2023 8,105 11,977 638 20,720 2024 7,984 4,174 638 12,796 Thereafter 17,024 2,891 900 20,815 Total $ 108,266

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS (Tables)

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of Short-term and Long-term Debt	The components of our short-term and long-term debt and the associated interest rates were as follows (dollars in thousands): Average interest rate as of Carrying value as of September 30, 2020 December 31, 2019 Maturity September 30, 2020 December 31, 2019 Revolving credit facility — % — % October 2023 $ — $ — Senior Notes, Series A 3.97 % 3.97 % August 2023 175,000 175,000 Senior Notes, Series B 4.26 % 4.26 % August 2028 150,000 150,000 Senior Notes, Series C 4.60 % 4.60 % August 2033 175,000 175,000 Receivables securitization facility (1) 0.80 % 2.41 % December 2020 59,979 142,885 Senior Notes (1) 4.20 % 4.20 % April 2028 593,087 592,448 Total debt 1,153,066 1,235,333 Less: Current maturities and short-term borrowing (59,979) (142,885) Long-term debt $ 1,093,087 $ 1,092,448 ____________________________________________ (1) Net of unamortized discounts and issuance costs.

STOCK AWARD PLANS (Tables)

STOCK AWARD PLANS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Schedule of Stock-based Compensation	A summary of our total compensation expense recognized in our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for stock-based compensation is as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Stock options $ 5,081 $ 4,829 $ 15,119 $ 13,539 Stock awards 5,042 3,470 15,736 24,798 Company expense on ESPP discount 653 551 2,272 2,320 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 10,776 $ 8,850 $ 33,127 $ 40,657
Schedule Employee Stock Purchase Plan Activity	The following is a summary of the employee stock purchase plan activity: Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Shares purchased by employees Aggregate cost to employees Expense recognized by the company 42,445 $ 3,699,626 $ 652,875

ACQUISITIONS (Tables)

ACQUISITIONS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Prime Distribution
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Schedule of Allocation of Purchase Consideration to Estimated Fair Value of Net Assets	The following is a summary of the allocation of purchase consideration to the estimated fair value of net assets for the acquisition of Prime Distribution. Current assets $ 8,879 Property and equipment 7,356 Right-of-use lease assets 35,017 Other intangible assets 55,000 Goodwill 176,840 Total assets 283,092 Current liabilities 12,243 Lease liabilities 35,017 Deferred tax liabilities 13,114 Net assets acquired $ 222,718
Schedule of Identifiable Intangible Assets and Estimated Useful Lives	Identifiable intangible assets and estimated useful lives are as follows (dollars in thousands): Estimated Life (years) Customer relationships 7 $ 55,000
Dema Service
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Schedule of Identifiable Intangible Assets and Estimated Useful Lives	Identifiable intangible assets and estimated useful lives are as follows (dollars in thousands): Estimated Life (years) Customer relationships 7 $ 4,252
Space Cargo
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Schedule of Identifiable Intangible Assets and Estimated Useful Lives	Identifiable intangible assets and estimated useful lives are as follows (dollars in thousands): Estimated Life (years) Customer relationships 7 $ 16,439

SEGMENT REPORTING (Tables)

SEGMENT REPORTING (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Summary of Segment Information	Reportable segment information as of, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, is as follows (dollars in thousands): NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 Total revenues $ 2,923,842 $ 831,957 $ 469,001 $ 4,224,800 Net revenues 367,943 157,657 63,673 589,273 Income (loss) from operations 122,526 46,299 (586) 168,239 Depreciation and amortization 7,095 9,385 10,436 26,916 Total assets (1) 3,041,974 1,148,118 884,746 5,074,838 Average headcount 6,702 4,607 3,595 14,904 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 Total revenues $ 2,826,308 $ 597,695 $ 432,129 $ 3,856,132 Net revenues 433,760 135,815 63,856 633,431 Income from operations 176,200 24,676 209 201,085 Depreciation and amortization 5,734 9,186 10,560 25,480 Total assets (1) 2,649,259 995,137 992,153 4,636,549 Average headcount 7,448 4,790 3,544 15,782 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Total Revenues $ 8,222,879 $ 2,070,161 $ 1,364,614 $ 11,657,654 Net Revenues 1,120,277 448,931 202,471 1,771,679 Income (loss) from operations 357,898 117,033 (8,465) 466,466 Depreciation and amortization 19,550 27,740 29,777 77,067 Total assets (1) 3,041,974 1,148,118 884,746 5,074,838 Average headcount 6,870 4,716 3,591 15,177 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Consolidated Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Total Revenues $ 8,495,145 $ 1,727,745 $ 1,293,292 $ 11,516,182 Net Revenues 1,406,728 404,987 195,732 2,007,447 Income (loss) from operations 592,215 65,497 (4,542) 653,170 Depreciation and amortization 18,124 27,427 29,571 75,122 Total assets (1) 2,649,259 995,137 992,153 4,636,549 Average headcount 7,436 4,748 3,398 15,582 _________________________________________

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH C_2

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Summary of Total Revenues Disaggregated by Major Service Line and Timing of Revenue Recognition	A summary of our total revenues disaggregated by major service line and timing of revenue recognition is presented below for each of our reportable segments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Major Service Lines Transportation and logistics services (1) $ 2,923,842 $ 831,957 $ 189,182 $ 3,944,981 Sourcing (2) — — 279,819 279,819 Total $ 2,923,842 $ 831,957 $ 469,001 $ 4,224,800 Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Major Service Lines Transportation and logistics services (1) $ 2,826,308 $ 597,695 $ 184,343 $ 3,608,346 Sourcing (2) — — 247,786 247,786 Total $ 2,826,308 $ 597,695 $ 432,129 $ 3,856,132 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Major Service Lines Transportation and logistics services (1) $ 8,222,879 $ 2,070,161 $ 542,670 $ 10,835,710 Sourcing (2) — — 821,944 821,944 Total $ 8,222,879 $ 2,070,161 $ 1,364,614 $ 11,657,654 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 NAST Global Forwarding All Other and Corporate Total Major Service Lines Transportation and logistics services (1) $ 8,495,145 $ 1,727,745 $ 529,000 $ 10,751,890 Sourcing (2) — — 764,292 764,292 Total $ 8,495,145 $ 1,727,745 $ 1,293,292 $ 11,516,182 ____________________________________________ (1) Transportation and logistics services performance obligations are completed over time. (2) Sourcing performance obligations are completed at a point in time.

LEASES (Tables)

LEASES (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of Lease Expense, Remaining Lease Terms, Discount Rate and Other Information	Information regarding lease expense, remaining lease term, discount rate, and other select lease information is presented below as of September 30, 2020, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 (dollars in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, Lease Costs 2020 2019 2020 2019 Operating lease expense $ 22,373 $ 16,905 $ 63,855 $ 50,684 Short-term lease expense 3,626 2,605 10,225 8,022 Total lease expense $ 25,999 $ 19,510 $ 74,080 $ 58,706 Nine Months Ended September 30, Other Lease Information 2020 2019 Operating cash flows from operating leases $ 60,569 $ 49,925 Right-of-use lease assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities 88,857 42,387 Lease Term and Discount Rate As of September 30, 2020 Weighted average remaining lease term (in years) (1) 6.9 Weighted average discount rate 3.2 % ____________________________________________
Schedule of Maturity of Lease Liabilities	The maturities of lease liabilities as of September 30, 2020, were as follows (in thousands): Maturity of Lease Liabilities Operating Leases Remaining 2020 $ 14,997 2021 80,817 2022 68,698 2023 55,810 2024 38,087 Thereafter 132,101 Total lease payments 390,510 Less: Interest (44,606) Present value of lease liabilities $ 345,904

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES (Ta

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Credit Loss [Abstract]
Schedule of Allowance for Credit Loss on Accounts Receivable	A rollforward of our allowance for credit losses on our accounts receivable balance is presented below for the nine months ended September 30, 2020: Balance, December 31, 2019 $ 32,838 Provision 11,670 Write-offs (8,422) Balance, September 30, 2020 $ 36,086

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE_3

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	$ 1,291,760
Acquisitions	177,347
Translation	4,333
Balance, end of period	1,473,440
NAST
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	1,015,570
Acquisitions	176,840
Translation	2,689
Balance, end of period	1,195,099
Global Forwarding
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	208,420
Acquisitions	507
Translation	1,096
Balance, end of period	210,023
All Other and Corporate
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	67,770
Acquisitions	0
Translation	548
Balance, end of period	$ 68,318

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE_4

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Summary of Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Finite-lived intangibles
Accumulated Amortization	$ (185,934)	$ (156,879)
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	108,266
Indefinite-lived intangibles
Total intangibles, Cost	304,675	247,810
Total intangibles, Net	118,741	90,931
Trademarks
Indefinite-lived intangibles
Indefinite-lived intangibles	10,475	10,475
Customer relationships
Finite-lived intangibles
Finite-lived intangibles, Cost	294,200	237,335
Accumulated Amortization	(185,934)	(156,879)
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	$ 108,266	$ 80,456

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE_5

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Amortization Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Amortization expense	$ 9,937	$ 9,731	$ 27,968	$ 28,699

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE_6

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Amortization Over Remaining Life (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Estimated amortization expense
Remaining 2020	$ 7,243
2021	23,346
2022	23,346
2023	20,720
2024	12,796
Thereafter	20,815
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	108,266
NAST
Estimated amortization expense
Remaining 2020	2,026
2021	8,105
2022	8,105
2023	8,105
2024	7,984
Thereafter	17,024
Global Forwarding
Estimated amortization expense
Remaining 2020	5,056
2021	14,603
2022	14,603
2023	11,977
2024	4,174
Thereafter	2,891
All Other and Corporate
Estimated amortization expense
Remaining 2020	161
2021	638
2022	638
2023	638
2024	638
Thereafter	$ 900

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT (Details

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT (Details) - Level 3 - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Level 3 Fair Value
Assets at fair value	$ 0	$ 0
Liabilities at fair value	$ 0	$ 0

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS - Compon

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS - Components of Short-term and Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 1,153,066	$ 1,235,333
Less: Current maturities and short-term borrowing	(59,979)	(142,885)
Long-term debt	$ 1,093,087	$ 1,092,448
Line of Credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Average interest rate (percent)	0.00%	0.00%
Total debt	$ 0	$ 0
Senior Notes | Senior Notes, Series A
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Average interest rate (percent)	3.97%	3.97%
Total debt	$ 175,000	$ 175,000
Senior Notes | Senior Notes, Series B
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Average interest rate (percent)	4.26%	4.26%
Total debt	$ 150,000	$ 150,000
Senior Notes | Senior Notes, Series C
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Average interest rate (percent)	4.60%	4.60%
Total debt	$ 175,000	$ 175,000
Secured Debt | Receivables securitization facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Average interest rate (percent)	0.80%	2.41%
Total debt	$ 59,979	$ 142,885
Unsecured Debt | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Average interest rate (percent)	4.20%	4.20%
Total debt	$ 593,087	$ 592,448

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS - Narrat

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS - Narrative (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)	Aug. 27, 2013USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 549,700,000
Long-term debt	1,153,066,000	$ 1,235,333,000
Line of Credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 1,000,000,000
Maximum leverage ratio	3.50
Long-term debt	$ 0	0
Line of Credit | Revolving credit facility | Federal Funds Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)	0.50%
Line of Credit | Revolving credit facility | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)	1.125%
Line of Credit | Revolving credit facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee (percent)	0.075%
Line of Credit | Revolving credit facility | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Commitment fee (percent)	0.20%
Unsecured Debt | Senior Notes Due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 703,000,000
Debt instrument, redemption price (percent)	101.00%
Debt instrument, annual interest rate (percent)	4.20%
Debt instrument, effective yield (percent)	4.39%
Long-term debt	$ 593,087,000	592,448,000
Threshold for holders of principal outstanding to declare principal and unpaid interest payable (percent)	25.00%
Senior Notes | Note Purchase Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum leverage ratio	3
Minimum interest coverage ratio	2
Debt instrument principal amount			$ 500,000,000
Maximum priority debt to total assets ratio (percent)	15.00%
Debt instrument, redemption price (percent)	100.00%
Secured Debt | Receivables Securitization Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 250,000,000
Long-term debt	$ 59,979,000	$ 142,885,000
Secured Debt | Receivables Securitization Facility | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)	0.65%

INCOME TAXES (Details)

INCOME TAXES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective income tax (percent)		15.10%	21.80%	17.30%	22.50%
Effective tax reduction due to tax impact of share-based awards (percent)		3.80%		4.10%
Effective tax rate reduction related to foreign tax impacts (percent)		5.20%		3.10%
Estimated increase in income taxes payable if all foreign earnings were repatriated	$ 2.3
Payroll tax deferral, CARES Act				$ 19.3
Payroll tax credit, CARES Act				0.7
Unrecognized tax benefits and related interest and penalties, all of which would affect our effective tax rate if recognized	39	$ 39		39
Decrease in unrecognized tax benefits due to lapse of statute of limitations	$ 2.1	$ 2.1		$ 2.1

STOCK AWARD PLANS - Total Compe

STOCK AWARD PLANS - Total Compensation Expense Recognized (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 10,776,000	$ 8,850,000	$ 33,127,000	$ 40,657,000
Stock options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	5,081,000	4,829,000	15,119,000	13,539,000
Stock awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	5,042,000	3,470,000	15,736,000	24,798,000
Company expense on ESPP discount
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 652,875	$ 551,000	$ 2,272,000	$ 2,320,000

STOCK AWARD PLANS - Narrative (

STOCK AWARD PLANS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Feb. 05, 2020	May 09, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of additional shares authorized (shares)		4,000,000
Maximum shares that can be granted under stock plan (shares)			17,041,803
Shares available for stock awards (shares)			2,974,170
Stock options granted (shares)	1,660,548
Weighted average exercise price (in dollars per share)	$ 72.74
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 13.88
Stock options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense			$ 48,000,000
Award vesting period	5 years
Stock awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense			$ 125,300,000
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 59.34
Stock awards | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Discount on outstanding grants (percent)			12.00%
Stock awards | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Discount on outstanding grants (percent)			22.00%
Performance-based restricted stock and restricted stock units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	5 years		5 years
Stock awards granted (shares)	405,776
Time-based restricted stock and restricted stock units
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock awards granted (shares)	329,586
1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Maximum employee contribution to purchase company stock			$ 10,000
Discount rate used to determine the purchase price			15.00%

STOCK AWARD PLANS - Employee St

STOCK AWARD PLANS - Employee Stock Purchase Plan Activity (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares purchased by employees (shares)	42,445
Aggregate cost to employees	$ 3,699,626
Expense recognized by the company	10,776,000	$ 8,850,000	$ 33,127,000	$ 40,657,000
Company expense on ESPP discount
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expense recognized by the company	$ 652,875	$ 551,000	$ 2,272,000	$ 2,320,000

ACQUISITIONS - Narrative (Detai

ACQUISITIONS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Mar. 02, 2020	May 22, 2019	Feb. 28, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase consideration net of cash acquired				$ 223,230,000	$ 59,188,000
Goodwill recorded in acquisition				$ 177,347,000
Prime Distribution
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition	$ 222,700,000
Goodwill recorded in acquisition	$ 176,800,000
Dema Service
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase consideration net of cash acquired		$ 14,200,000
Goodwill recorded in acquisition		7,800,000
Goodwill recognized for foreign tax purposes		$ 0
Space Cargo
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase consideration net of cash acquired			$ 45,500,000
Goodwill recorded in acquisition			26,400,000
Goodwill recognized for foreign tax purposes			$ 0

ACQUISITIONS - Allocation of Pu

ACQUISITIONS - Allocation of Purchase Consideration (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Mar. 02, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Allocation of Purchase Consideration
Goodwill	$ 1,473,440		$ 1,291,760
Prime Distribution
Allocation of Purchase Consideration
Current assets		$ 8,879
Property and equipment		7,356
Right-of-use lease assets		35,017
Other intangible assets		55,000
Goodwill		176,840
Total assets		283,092
Current liabilities		12,243
Lease liabilities		35,017
Deferred tax liabilities		13,114
Net assets acquired		$ 222,718

ACQUISITIONS - Identifiable Int

ACQUISITIONS - Identifiable Intangible Assets and Estimated Useful Lives (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 02, 2020	May 22, 2019	Feb. 28, 2019
Prime Distribution
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Identifiable intangible assets	$ 55,000
Customer relationships | Prime Distribution
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated life (years)	7 years
Identifiable intangible assets	$ 55,000
Customer relationships | Dema Service
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated life (years)		7 years
Identifiable intangible assets		$ 4,252
Customer relationships | Space Cargo
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated life (years)			7 years
Identifiable intangible assets			$ 16,439

SEGMENT REPORTING - Narrative (

SEGMENT REPORTING - Narrative (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments (segment)	2

SEGMENT REPORTING - Reportable

SEGMENT REPORTING - Reportable Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)employee	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)employee	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)employee	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)employee	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 4,224,800	$ 3,856,132	$ 11,657,654	$ 11,516,182
Net revenues	589,273	633,431	1,771,679	2,007,447
Income (loss) from operations	168,239	201,085	466,466	653,170
Depreciation and amortization	26,916	25,480	77,067	75,122
Total assets	$ 5,074,838	$ 4,636,549	$ 5,074,838	$ 4,636,549	$ 4,641,060
Average headcount (employee) | employee	14,904	15,782	15,177	15,582
Operating Segments | NAST
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 2,923,842	$ 2,826,308	$ 8,222,879	$ 8,495,145
Net revenues	367,943	433,760	1,120,277	1,406,728
Income (loss) from operations	122,526	176,200	357,898	592,215
Depreciation and amortization	7,095	5,734	19,550	18,124
Total assets	$ 3,041,974	$ 2,649,259	$ 3,041,974	$ 2,649,259
Average headcount (employee) | employee	6,702	7,448	6,870	7,436
Operating Segments | Global Forwarding
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 831,957	$ 597,695	$ 2,070,161	$ 1,727,745
Net revenues	157,657	135,815	448,931	404,987
Income (loss) from operations	46,299	24,676	117,033	65,497
Depreciation and amortization	9,385	9,186	27,740	27,427
Total assets	$ 1,148,118	$ 995,137	$ 1,148,118	$ 995,137
Average headcount (employee) | employee	4,607	4,790	4,716	4,748
Operating Segments | All Other and Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 469,001	$ 432,129	$ 1,364,614	$ 1,293,292
Net revenues	63,673	63,856	202,471	195,732
Income (loss) from operations	(586)	209	(8,465)	(4,542)
Depreciation and amortization	10,436	10,560	29,777	29,571
Total assets	$ 884,746	$ 992,153	$ 884,746	$ 992,153
Average headcount (employee) | employee	3,595	3,544	3,591	3,398

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH C_3

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 4,224,800	$ 3,856,132	$ 11,657,654	$ 11,516,182
Operating Segments | NAST
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	2,923,842	2,826,308	8,222,879	8,495,145
Operating Segments | Global Forwarding
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	831,957	597,695	2,070,161	1,727,745
Operating Segments | All Other and Corporate
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	469,001	432,129	1,364,614	1,293,292
Transportation and logistics services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	3,944,981	3,608,346	10,835,710	10,751,890
Transportation and logistics services | Performance obligations completed over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	3,944,981	3,608,346	10,835,710	10,751,890
Transportation and logistics services | Operating Segments | NAST | Performance obligations completed over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	2,923,842	2,826,308	8,222,879	8,495,145
Transportation and logistics services | Operating Segments | Global Forwarding | Performance obligations completed over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	831,957	597,695	2,070,161	1,727,745
Transportation and logistics services | Operating Segments | All Other and Corporate | Performance obligations completed over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	189,182	184,343	542,670	529,000
Sourcing
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	279,819	247,786	821,944	764,292
Sourcing | Performance obligations completed at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	279,819	247,786	821,944	764,292
Sourcing | Operating Segments | NAST | Performance obligations completed at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Sourcing | Operating Segments | Global Forwarding | Performance obligations completed at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Sourcing | Operating Segments | All Other and Corporate | Performance obligations completed at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 279,819	$ 247,786	$ 821,944	$ 764,292

LEASES - Lease Data (Details)

LEASES - Lease Data (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Lease Costs
Operating lease expense		$ 22,373	$ 16,905	$ 63,855	$ 50,684
Short-term lease expense		3,626	2,605	10,225	8,022
Total lease expense		$ 25,999	$ 19,510	74,080	58,706
Other Lease Information
Operating cash flows from operating leases				60,569	49,925
Right-of-use lease assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities				$ 88,857	$ 42,387
Lease Term and Discount Rate
Weighted average remaining lease term (in years)	6 years 10 months 24 days	6 years 10 months 24 days		6 years 10 months 24 days
Weighted average discount rate (percent)	3.20%	3.20%		3.20%
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining lease term, excluding Chicago office space (in years)	4 years 9 months 18 days
Chicago Office Space
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Lease term (in years)						15 years

LEASES - Maturities of Lease Li

LEASES - Maturities of Lease Liabilities (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Maturities of lease liabilities
Remaining 2020	$ 14,997
2021	80,817
2022	68,698
2023	55,810
2024	38,087
Thereafter	132,101
Total lease payments	390,510
Less: Interest	(44,606)
Present value of lease liabilities	$ 345,904

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES (De

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Rollforward of Allowance for Credit Loss
Allowance for credit loss, beginning balance	$ 32,838
Provision	11,670
Write-offs	(8,422)
Allowance for credit loss, ending balance	$ 36,086

CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER _2

CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$ 70,855		$ 70,855		$ 76,149
Other comprehensive income	13,236	$ (18,576)	5,294	$ (18,967)
Other comprehensive income, related income tax effects	$ 1,000		$ 200