8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report: October 27, 2020

(Date of earliest event reported)

C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Commission File Number: 000-23189

Delaware	41-1883630
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

14701 Charlson Road

Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55347

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 952-937-8500

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.10 par value	CHRW	Nasdaq Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Item 2.02    Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

The following information is being "furnished" in accordance with the General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K and shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

Furnished herewith as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, respectively, and incorporated by reference herein are the text of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.'s announcement regarding its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and its earnings conference call slides.

Item 9.01    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)    Exhibits

Number	Description
99.1	Press Release dated October 27, 2020 of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.
99.2	Earnings conference call slides dated October 28, 2020
104	The cover page from the Current Report on Form 8-K formatted in Inline XBRL

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
	By:	/s/ Ben G. Campbell
		Ben G. Campbell
		Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Date: October 27, 2020

EX-99.1

	C.H. Robinson 14701 Charlson Rd. Eden Prairie, MN 55347 www.chrobinson.com
	FOR INQUIRIES, CONTACT: Chuck Ives, Director of Investor Relations Email:chuck.ives@chrobinson.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

C.H. Robinson Reports 2020 Third Quarter Results

MINNEAPOLIS, MN, October 27, 2020 - C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (“C.H. Robinson”) (Nasdaq: CHRW) today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Third Quarter Key Metrics:

•Total revenuesincreased 9.6 percent to $4.2 billion

•Net revenues decreased 7.0 percent to $589.3 million

•Income from operations decreased 16.3 percent to $168.2 million

•Operating margin decreased 310 basis points to 28.6 percent

•Diluted earnings per share (EPS) decreased 6.5 percent to $1.00

•Cash flow from operations decreased $335.9 million to $168.6 million used by operations

“We were able to deliver solid performance across our diversified business portfolio and improve our results as the quarter progressed due to the efforts of our C.H. Robinson team members around the world,” said Bob Biesterfeld, Chief Executive Officer of C.H. Robinson. "We also continued to make progress on our strategic, long-term initiatives around profitable market share gains, productivity improvements and technology advancements."

Biesterfeld continued, “Against a challenging backdrop, we delivered on our contractual commitments with acceptance rates that were above the industry average, while also serving customers' needs in the spot market.”

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Summary of Third Quarter Results Compared to the Third Quarter of 2019

•Total revenues increased 9.6 percent to $4.2 billion, driven primarily by higher pricing and higher volume across most of our service lines.

•Net revenues decreased 7.0 percent to $589.3 million, primarily driven by rising costs and lower margin in truckload services, partially offset by contributions from the acquisition of Prime Distribution Services ("Prime") and higher pricing in most of our service lines.

•Operating expenses decreased 2.6 percent to $421.0 million, primarily due to approximately $40 million of cost savings. Personnel expenses decreased 5.5 percent to $302.9 million, driven primarily by short-term cost reductions. Average headcount decreased 5.6 percent, which included headcount additions from Prime that added approximately 2.0 percentage points. Average full-time equivalents decreased 7.6 percent due to furloughs and reduced work hours that were implemented in the second quarter and ended in the third quarter. Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses of $118.1 million increased 5.7 percent, primarily due to the ongoing expenses from the acquisition of Prime and the prior year period benefiting from a $5.8 million gain on the sale of an office building in Chicago, partially offset by significantly lower travel expenses.

•Income from operations totaled $168.2 million, down 16.3 percent due to declining net revenues. Operating margin of 28.6 percent declined 310 basis points.

•Interest and other expenses totaled $7.5 million, consisting primarily of $11.9 million of interest expense, which decreased $0.8 million versus last year due to a lower average debt balance. The third quarter also included a $3.3 million favorable impact from foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses.

•The effective tax rate in the quarter was 15.1 percent compared to 21.8 percent in the third quarter last year. The lower effective tax rate was due primarily to the discrete benefits from foreign tax credit utilization and additional deductions from increased employee stock option activity in the third quarter.

•Net income totaled $136.5 million, down 7.1 percent from a year ago. Diluted EPS of $1.00 decreased6.5 percent.

Summary of Year-to-Date Results Compared to the Same Period in 2019

•Total revenues increased 1.2 percent to $11.7 billion, driven by higher pricing in air and ocean services, largely offset by a decline in truckload revenue.

•Net revenues decreased 11.7 percent to $1.8 billion, primarily driven by lower margin in truckload services, partially offset by contributions from the Prime acquisition and margin expansion in air services.

•Operating expenses decreased 3.6 percent to $1.3 billion. Personnel expenses decreased 6.6 percent to $933.6 million, driven primarily by cost reductions, including a 2.6 percent decrease in average headcount, and a decline in variable compensation. SG&A expenses increased 4.8 percent to $371.6 million, due primarily to ongoing expenses from the Prime acquisition, an $11.5 million loss on the sale-leaseback of a company-owned data center, and an increase in purchased services, partially offset by significantly lower travel expenses.

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•Income from operations totaled $466.5 million, down 28.6 percent from last year due to declining net revenues. Operating margin of 26.3 percentdecreased 620 basis points.

•Interest and other expenses totaled $32.9 million, which primarily consists of $36.6 million of interest expense. The nine-month period also included a $2.2 million favorable impact from foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses.

•The effective tax rate for the nine months was 17.3 percent compared to 22.5 percent in the year-ago period. The lower effective tax rate was due primarily to the tax benefit related to stock-based compensation and the discrete benefits of foreign tax credit utilization.

•Net income totaled $358.6 million, down 25.0 percent from a year ago. Diluted EPS of $2.63 decreased 23.8 percent.

North American Surface Transportation Results

Summarized financial results of our NAST segment are as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		% change		2020		2019		% change
Total revenues	$	2,923,842	$	2,826,308	3.5	%	$	8,222,879	$	8,495,145	(3.2)	%
Net revenues	367,943		433,760		(15.2)	%	1,120,277		1,406,728		(20.4)	%
Income from operations	122,526		176,200		(30.5)	%	357,898		592,215		(39.6)	%

Third quarter total revenues for C.H. Robinson's NAST segment totaled $2.9 billion, an increase of 3.5 percent over the prior year, primarily driven by higher truckload pricing and an increase in less than truckload ("LTL") shipments. NAST net revenues decreased 15.2 percent in the quarter to $367.9 million, with the March 2020 acquisition of Prime contributing 3.5 percentage points of net revenue growth in the quarter. Net revenues in truckload decreased 24.1 percent, less than truckload net revenues decreased 4.4 percent, and intermodal net revenues increased 6.1 percent versus the year-ago period. Excluding fuel surcharges and costs, average North America truckload linehaul rate per mile charged to customers increased approximately 10.5 percent in the quarter, while truckload linehaul cost per mile increased approximately 16.5 percent. Truckload volume increased 0.5 percent in the quarter, and LTL volumes grew 13.5 percent, both representing market share gains in the quarter when compared to an 8 percent decline in industry volumes, as measured by the Cass Freight Index. Intermodal volumes grew 2.5 percentversus the prior year. Operating expenses decreased 4.7 percent primarily due to short-term cost reductions. Income from operations decreased 30.5 percent to $122.5 million, and operating margin declined 730 basis points to 33.3 percent. NAST average headcount was down 10.0 percent in the quarter,

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with Prime contributing 4.5 percentage points of growth. NAST average full-time equivalents, which excludes furloughed employees and accounts for employees with reduced work hours, was down 13.4 percent.

Global Forwarding Results

Summarized financial results of our Global Forwarding segment are as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		% change		2020		2019		% change
Total revenues	$	831,957	$	597,695	39.2	%	$	2,070,161	$	1,727,745	19.8	%
Net revenues	157,657		135,815		16.1	%	448,931		404,987		10.9	%
Income from operations	46,299		24,676		87.6	%	117,033		65,497		78.7	%

Third quarter total revenues for the Global Forwarding segment increased 39.2 percent to $832.0 million, primarily driven by higher pricing in ocean and higher pricing in air due to reduced air cargo capacity, increased charter flights and larger shipment sizes. Net revenues increased 16.1 percent in the quarter to $157.7 million. Ocean net revenues increased 14.3 percent, driven primarily by higher pricing and a 1.5 percent increase in volumes. Net revenues in air increased 29.2 percent driven by higher pricing, partially offset by a 19.0 percent decline in shipments. Customs net revenues decreased 5.3 percent, primarily driven by a 2.5 percent reduction in transaction volume. Operating expenses increased 0.2 percent, primarily driven by increased incentive compensation in personnel expenses and partially offset by short-term cost reductions. Third quarter average headcount decreased 3.8 percent, and average full-time equivalents decreased 4.7 percent. Income from operations increased 87.6 percent to $46.3 million, and operating margin expanded 1,120 basis points to 29.4 percent in the quarter.

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All Other and Corporate Results

Total revenues and net revenues for Robinson Fresh, Managed Services and Other Surface Transportation are summarized as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		% change		2020		2019		% change
Total revenues	$	469,001	$	432,129	8.5	%	$	1,364,614	$	1,293,292	5.5	%
Net revenues:
Robinson Fresh	$	24,449	$	26,382	(7.3)	%	$	82,109	$	86,276	(4.8)	%
Managed Services	24,060		21,574		11.5	%	70,090		61,985		13.1	%
Other Surface Transportation	15,164		15,900		(4.6)	%	50,272		47,471		5.9	%

Third quarter Robinson Fresh net revenues decreased 7.3 percent to $24.4 million, primarily due to a 4.0 percent decrease in case volume, which was driven by a decline in foodservice volume. Managed Services net revenues increased 11.5 percent in the quarter, primarily due to a 17.0 percent increase in volume. Other Surface Transportation net revenues decreased 4.6 percent to $15.2 million. Europe truckload net revenue was down 7 percent in the quarter.

Other Income Statement Items

The third quarter effective tax rate was 15.1 percent, down from 21.8 percent last year. The lower effective tax rate was due primarily to discrete benefits from foreign tax credit utilization and the tax benefit from increased stock option activity in the third quarter. We now expect our 2020 full-year effective tax rate to be 18 to 20 percent.

Interest and other expenses totaled $7.5 million, consisting primarily of $11.9 million of interest expense, which decreased $0.8 million versus last year due to a lower average debt balance. The third quarter also included a $3.3 million favorable impact from foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses.

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding in the quarter were down 0.3 percent due primarily to share repurchases over the past twelve months.

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Cash Flow Generation and Capital Distribution

Cash used by operations totaled $168.6 million in the third quarter, compared to $167.3 million of cash generated in the third quarter of 2019. The $336 million decrease in cash flow was driven primarily by a $362 million sequential increase in accounts receivable and contract assets that coincided with an increase in gross sales.

In the third quarter, $71.9 million was returned to shareholders, with $70.3 million in cash dividends and $1.6 million in share repurchases related to employee benefit plans.

Capital expenditures totaled $15.2 million in the quarter. Full-year 2020 capital expenditures are now expected to be $50 million to $55 million, with the majority dedicated to technology.

Outlook

“We believe we are still in the midst of a strengthening freight cycle that we anticipate will continue into 2021. Freight markets are continuing to tighten in the fourth quarter due to higher demand as we enter the holiday season and lower availability of carrier capacity. At C.H. Robinson, we'll continue to evaluate our global business operations to ensure we manage our business in the most efficient manner, deliver industry leading technology to unlock growth and efficiency, create better outcomes for our customers and carriers by utilizing our unmatched combination of experience, global suite of services, scale and information advantage, grow profitable market share, and drive the transformation of C.H. Robinson, so that we can emerge from this time of uncertainty as an even stronger company,” Biesterfeld stated.

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About C.H. Robinson

C.H. Robinson solves logistics problems for companies across the globe and across industries, from the simple to the most complex. With nearly $20 billion in freight under management and 18 million shipments annually, we are one of the world’s largest logistics platforms. Our global suite of services accelerates trade to seamlessly deliver the products and goods that drive the world’s economy. With the combination of our multimodal transportation management system and expertise, we use our information advantage to deliver smarter solutions for our more than 119,000 customers and 78,000 contract carriers. Our technology is built by and for supply chain experts to bring faster, more meaningful improvements to our customers’ businesses. As a responsible global citizen, we are also proud to contribute millions of dollars to support causes that matter to our company, our Foundation and our employees. For more information, visit us at www.chrobinson.com (Nasdaq: CHRW).

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this release are forward-looking statements that represent our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience or our present expectations, including, but not limited to, such factors such as changes in economic conditions, including uncertain consumer demand; changes in market demand and pressures on the pricing for our services; competition and growth rates within the third party logistics industry; freight levels and increasing costs and availability of truck capacity or alternative means of transporting freight; changes in relationships with existing contracted truck, rail, ocean, and air carriers; changes in our customer base due to possible consolidation among our customers; our ability to successfully integrate the operations of acquired companies with our historic operations; risks associated with litigation, including contingent auto liability and insurance coverage; risks associated with operations outside of the United States; risks associated with the potential impact of changes in government regulations; risks associated with the produce industry, including food safety and contamination issues; fuel price increases or decreases, or fuel shortages; cyber-security related risks; the impact of war on the economy; changes to our capital structure; risks related to the elimination of LIBOR; changes due to catastrophic events including pandemics such as COVID-19; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in our Annual and Quarterly Reports.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update such statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after such date. All remarks made during our financial results conference call will be current at the time of the call, and we undertake no obligation to update the replay.

Conference Call Information:

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Third Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call

Wednesday, October 28, 2020; 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time

Presentation slides and a simultaneous live audio webcast of the conference call may be accessed through the Investor Relations link on C.H. Robinson’s website at www.chrobinson.com.

To participate in the conference call by telephone, please call ten minutes early by dialing: 877-269-7756

International callers dial +1-201-689-7817

We invite call participants to submit questions in advance of the conference call, and we will respond to as many of the questions as we can in the time allowed. To submit your question(s) in advance of the call, please email chuck.ives@chrobinson.com.

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Summarized Financial Results

($ in thousands, except per share data)

This table of summary results presents our service line net revenues consistent with our historical presentation and is on an enterprise basis. The service line net revenues in the table differ from the service line net revenues discussed within the segments as our segments have revenues from multiple service lines.

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		% change		2020		2019		% change
Total revenues	$	4,224,800	$	3,856,132	9.6	%	$	11,657,654	$	11,516,182	1.2	%
Net revenues:
Transportation
Truckload	$	251,072	$	317,990	(21.0)	%	$	794,364	$	1,067,334	(25.6)	%
LTL	118,561		124,523		(4.8)	%	339,426		363,743		(6.7)	%
Intermodal	7,455		7,110		4.9	%	22,775		19,484		16.9	%
Ocean	88,927		77,879		14.2	%	237,682		234,884		1.2	%
Air	34,977		27,121		29.0	%	115,720		80,837		43.2	%
Customs	22,464		23,719		(5.3)	%	63,118		68,903		(8.4)	%
Other logistics services	42,874		30,025		42.8	%	121,271		90,472		34.0	%
Total transportation	566,330		608,367		(6.9)	%	1,694,356		1,925,657		(12.0)	%
Sourcing	22,943		25,064		(8.5)	%	77,323		81,790		(5.5)	%
Total net revenues	589,273		633,431		(7.0)	%	1,771,679		2,007,447		(11.7)	%
Operating expenses	421,034		432,346		(2.6)	%	1,305,213		1,354,277		(3.6)	%
Income from operations	168,239		201,085		(16.3)	%	466,466		653,170		(28.6)	%
Net income	$	136,529	$	146,894	(7.1)	%	$	358,614	$	477,862	(25.0)	%
Diluted EPS	$	1.00	$	1.07	(6.5)	%	$	2.63	$	3.45	(23.8)	%

Our total revenues represent the total dollar value of services and goods we sell to our customers. Net revenues are a non-GAAP financial measure calculated as total revenues less the cost of purchased transportation and related services and the cost of purchased products sourced for resale. We believe net revenues are a useful measure of our ability to source, add value, and sell services and products that are provided by third parties, and we consider net revenues to be our primary performance measurement. Accordingly, the discussion of our results of operations often focuses on the changes in our net revenues. The reconciliation of total revenues to net revenues is presented below (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Revenues:
Transportation	$	3,944,981	$	3,608,346	$	10,835,710	$	10,751,890
Sourcing	279,819		247,786		821,944		764,292
Total revenues	4,224,800		3,856,132		11,657,654		11,516,182
Costs and expenses:
Purchased transportation and related services	3,378,651		2,999,979		9,141,354		8,826,233
Purchased products sourced for resale	256,876		222,722		744,621		682,502
Total costs and expenses	3,635,527		3,222,701		9,885,975		9,508,735
Total net revenues	$	589,273	$	633,431	$	1,771,679	$	2,007,447

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income

(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Revenues:
Transportation	$	3,944,981	$	3,608,346	$	10,835,710	$	10,751,890
Sourcing	279,819		247,786		821,944		764,292
Total revenues	4,224,800		3,856,132		11,657,654		11,516,182
Costs and expenses:
Purchased transportation and related services	3,378,651		2,999,979		9,141,354		8,826,233
Purchased products sourced for resale	256,876		222,722		744,621		682,502
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
Net income per share (basic)	$	1.01	$	1.08	$	2.65	$	3.48
Net income per share (diluted)	$	1.00	$	1.07	$	2.63	$	3.45
Weighted average shares outstanding (basic)	135,671		136,380		135,385		137,274
Weighted average shares outstanding (diluted)	137,128		137,476		136,137		138,373

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Business Segment Information

(unaudited, 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
Average full-time equivalents(2)	6,351		4,430		3,449		14,230
	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
Average full-time equivalents(2)	7,332		4,647		3,425		15,404

____________________________________________

⁽¹⁾ All cash and cash equivalents are included in All Other and Corporate.

⁽²⁾ Average full-time equivalents excludes furloughed employees and accounts for employees with reduced work hours.

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Business Segment Information

(unaudited, dollars in thousands)

	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

____________________________________________

⁽¹⁾ All cash and cash equivalents are included in All Other and Corporate.

11

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(unaudited, in thousands)

	September 30, 2020		December 31, 2019
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	252,569	$	447,858
Receivables, net of allowance for credit loss	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
Right-of-use lease assets	339,819		310,860
Intangible and other assets	1,699,076		1,481,659
Total assets	$	5,074,838	$	4,641,060
Liabilities and stockholders’ investment
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and outstanding checks	$	1,268,905	$	1,062,835
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
Total stockholders’ investment	1,873,359		1,670,730
Total liabilities and stockholders’ investment	$	5,074,838	$	4,641,060

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Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow

(unaudited, in thousands, except operational data)

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		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 expenses	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
Total repurchases of common stock	(85,098)		(255,655)
Cash dividends	(207,428)		(207,865)
Proceeds from long-term borrowings	—		929,000
Payments on long-term borrowings	—		(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	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
	As of September 30,
Operational Data:	2020		2019
Employees	14,695		15,654

Source: C.H. Robinson

CHRW-IR

13

EX-99.2

Bob Biesterfeld, CEO Mike Zechmeister, CFO Chuck Ives, Director of IR Q3 2020 Earnings Presentation October 28, 2020 1

Safe Harbor Statement Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this presentation and the accompanying earnings release are forward-looking statements that represent our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience or our present expectations, including, but not limited to such factors as changes in economic conditions, including uncertain consumer demand; changes in market demand and pressures on the pricing for our services; competition and growth rates within the third party logistics industry; freight levels and increasing costs and availability of truck capacity or alternative means of transporting freight; changes in relationships with existing contracted truck, rail, ocean, and air carriers; changes in our customer base due to possible consolidation among our customers; our ability to successfully integrate the operations of acquired companies with our historic operations; risks associated with litigation, including contingent auto liability and insurance coverage; risks associated with operations outside of the United States; risks associated with the potential impact of changes in government regulations; risks associated with the produce industry, including food safety and contamination issues; fuel price increases or decreases, or fuel shortages; cyber-security related risks; the impact of war on the economy; changes to our capital structure; risks related to the elimination of LIBOR; changes due to catastrophic events including pandemics such as COVID-19; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in our Annual and Quarterly Reports.

Q3 2020 Opening Remarks ▪ Transitional quarter, with net revenue improving through the quarter ▪ Continued market share gains in NAST ▪ Honoring our contractual commitments and capturing more spot market opportunities ▪ Strong portfolio of services continues to benefit our results ▪ Continued productivity improvements driven by technology investments, automation and network architecture enhancements ▪ Technology initiatives providing opportunities to engage customers in new and innovative ways

Engaging Customers in New & Innovative Ways • Forged an alliance with Microsoft to help shippers digitally transform their supply chains • Delivered new tech capabilities for Freightquote by C.H. Robinson • Includes innovative partnership with TaskRabbit for small business e- commerce • Unprecedented 19 TMS & ERP systems integrated into our Navisphere® platform • Reinforces position as the most connected platform • Launched Procure IQTM, which improves upon a decades-old process for buying transportation to deliver increased savings and service reliability for large shippers

Strategies Creating Shareholder Value • Creating better outcomes for our customers and carriers • Utilizing our unmatched combination of experience, scale and information advantage • Leveraging our broad service portfolio • Focusing on profitable market share growth • Delivering industry leading technology to unlock growth and efficiency • Fostering sustainability and an inclusive culture that is supportive of our employees and the communities we serve

Results Q3 2020 Three Months Ended September 30 Nine Months Ended September 30 $ in thousands, except per share amounts 2020 2019 % CHANGE 2020 2019 % CHANGE Total Revenues $4,224,800 $3,856,132 9.6 % $11,657,654 $11,516,182 1.2 % Total Net Revenues $589,273 $633,431 (7.0) % $1,771,679 $2,007,447 (11.7) % Net Revenue Margin % 13.9 % 16.4 % (250 bps) 15.2 % 17.4 % (220 bps) Personnel Expenses $302,904 $320,563 (5.5) % $933,607 $999,547 (6.6) % Selling, General, and Admin $118,130 $111,783 5.7 % $371,606 $354,730 4.8 % Income from Operations $168,239 $201,085 (16.3) % $466,466 $653,170 (28.6) % Operating Margin % 28.6 % 31.7 % (310 bps) 26.3 % 32.5 % (620 bps) Depreciation and Amortization $26,916 $25,480 5.6 % $77,067 $75,122 2.6 % Net Income $136,529 $146,894 (7.1) % $358,614 $477,862 (25.0) % Earnings Per Share (Diluted) $1.00 $1.07 (6.5) % $2.63 $3.45 (23.8) % ITEM MEDICAL/SURGICAL MASK NON-MEDICAL MASK Average Headcount 14,904 15,782 (5.6) % 15,177 15,582 (2.6) % Average Full-Time Equivalents(1) 14,230 15,404 (7.6) % N/A N/A N/A • Decline in net revenues driven primarily by rising costs in truckload, partially offset by contributions from Prime Distribution acquisition and higher pricing in ocean and air Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor • Decrease in operating expenses driven by approximately $40 million of cost reduction initiatives Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor (1) Average full-time equivalents excludes furloughed employees and accounts for employees with reduced work hours. Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor

Q3 2020 Other Income Statement Items Q3 effective tax rate of $3.3 million favorable Interest expense declined 15.1% vs. 21.8% in Q3 impact from currency $0.8 million versus Q3 2019 revaluation, versus a $1.1 2019 due to a lower million unfavorable impact average debt balance Lower tax rate due to discrete in Q3 2019 benefits of foreign tax credit utilization and tax benefit from increased stock option activity in Q3 2020 Expect full-year 2020 effective tax rate to be 18%-20%

Q3 2020 Cash Flow and Capital Distribution Cash Flow from Operations Capital Distribution Share (47.1%) Repurchases $167.3M (200.8%) $135.9M Cash Dividends ($168.6)M $71.9M Q3 2019 Q3 2020 Q3 2019 Q3 2020 • $335.9 million decrease in cash flow driven by • $71.9 million returned to shareholders an increase in accounts receivable that • Opportunistic share repurchase program coincided with an increase in gross sales suspended in March; expected to resume • $15.2 million in capital expenditures in Q4 • Expect 2020 full-year capital expenditures to be • Committed to maintaining dividend $50-55 million

Q3 2020 Balance Sheet $ in thousands September 30, 2020 September 30, 2019 % CHANGE Accounts Receivable, Net(1) $2,534,357 $2,225,018 13.9% Accounts Payable(2) $1,416,495 $1,191,095 18.9% Net Operating Working Capital(3) $1,117,862 $1,033,923 8.1% • Increases in accounts receivable and accounts payable driven by increases in gross sales and purchased transportation, respectively • Total debt balance $1.15 billion • $600 million senior unsecured notes maturing April 2028, 4.20% coupon ITEM MEDICAL/SURGICAL MASK NON-MEDICAL MASK • $500 million private placement debt, 4.28% average coupon • $175 million maturing in August 2023, $150 million maturing in August 2028 and $175 million maturing in August 2033 • $60 million outstanding on $250 million accounts receivable securitization debt facility maturing December Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor 2020, 0.80% average interest rate (LIBOR + 65 bps) • 4.2% weighted average interest rate in the quarter (1) Accounts receivable amount includes contract assets. Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor (2) Accounts payable amount includes outstanding checks and accrued transportation expense. (3) Net operating working capital is defined as net accounts receivable less accounts payable. Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor

Truckload Price and Cost Change(1)(2)(3) 30% 25% YoY Price Change 20% YoY Cost Change 15% 10% 5% PR ICE 0% -5% -10% -15% YO Y % CHANGE IN COST AND -20% 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Truckload Q3 (2)(4) • 60% / 40% truckload contractual to transactional volume mix compared to 70% / Volume 0.5% 30% in Q3 last year Pricing(1)(2)(3) 10.5% Cost(1)(2)(3) 16.5% • After six consecutive quarters with an average routing guide depth (RGD) of 1.2 in our Managed Services business, RGD averaged 1.6 for Q3 and ended Q3 at 1.8 Net Revenue Margin (1) Price and cost change represents YoY change for North America truckload shipments across all segments. (2) Growth rates are rounded to the nearest 0.5 percent. (3) Pricing and cost measures exclude fuel surcharges and costs. (4) Truckload volume growth represents YoY change for NAST truckload shipments.

Q3 2020 NAST Results by Service Line Truckload, Less Than Truckload and Intermodal Three Months Ended September 30 Net Revenues ($ in thousands) 2020 2019 % Change • Net revenue margin compression in Truckload $226,992 $299,065 (24.1) % truckload due to rising cost environment LTL $117,602 $122,959 (4.4) % • Added 4,000 new carriers in the quarter Intermodal $7,297 $6,878 6.1 % Other $16,052 $4,858 230.4 % • Increase in Other net revenue due Total Net Revenues $367,943 $433,760 (15.2) % primarily to Prime Distribution's value- Net Revenue Margin % 12.6 % 15.3 % (270 bps) added warehouse services • Prime Distribution net revenue impact to Truckload LTL Intermodal NAST(3): ITEM MEDICAL/SURGICAL MASK NON-MEDICAL MASK Pricing(1)(2) • LTL +4 ppts Cost(1)(2) • Other +183 ppts Volume • Total NAST +4 ppts Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Net Revenue per Transaction Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor (1) Represents price and cost YoY change for North America shipments across all segments. (2) Pricing and cost measures exclude fuel surcharges and costs. (3) Growth rates are rounded to the nearest percent. Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor

Q3 2020 NAST Operating Income Operating Income Operating Margin % (30.5%) (730 bps) $176.2M 40.6% 33.3% $122.5M Q3 2019 Q3 2020 Q3 2019 Q3 2020 • Decrease in truckload net revenues due to rising costs in a tight capacity environment • Personnel expenses reduced by 12.2% • Average headcount including furloughed employees decreased 10.0%(1) • Prime Distribution acquisition contributed 4.5 percentage points of growth to NAST headcount(1) • Average full-time equivalents decreased 13.4%(2) (1) Growth rates are rounded to the nearest 0.5 percent. (2) Average full-time equivalents excludes furloughed employees and accounts for employees with reduced work hours.

Q3 2020 Global Forwarding Results by Service Line Ocean, Air and Customs Three Months Ended September 30 • Air and ocean net revenue increased due Net Revenues ($ in thousands) 2020 2019 % Change to higher pricing and market share gains Ocean $88,878 $77,777 14.3 % • Air market impacted by reduced air cargo Air $33,836 $26,195 29.2 % capacity, increased charter flights and Customs $22,463 $23,719 (5.3) % larger shipment sizes Other $12,480 $8,124 53.6 % • Customs net revenue declined due to Total Net Revenues $157,657 $135,815 16.1 % lower volume Net Revenue Margin % 19.0 % 22.7 % (370 bps) • Increase in Other net revenue driven by Ocean Air Project Logistics business ITEM MEDICAL/SURGICAL MASK NON-MEDICAL MASK Pricing Volume Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Net Revenue per Transaction Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor

Q3 2020 Global Forwarding Operating Income Operating Income Operating Margin % $46.3M 87.6% 1,120 bps 29.4% $24.7M 18.2% Q3 2019 Q3 2020 Q3 2019 Q3 2020 • Improved operating leverage from • 16.1% increase in net revenues • Higher pricing in air and ocean and higher ocean volumes • 3.8% decrease in average headcount and • 4.7% decrease in average full-time equivalents(1) (1) Average full-time equivalents excludes furloughed employees and accounts for employees with reduced work hours.

Q3 2020 All Other and Corporate Results Robinson Fresh, Managed Services and Other Surface Transportation Three Months Ended September 30 Net Revenues ($ in thousands) 2020 2019 % Change Robinson Fresh $24,449 $26,382 (7.3)% Managed Services $24,060 $21,574 11.5% Other Surface Transportation $15,164 $15,900 (4.6)% Total $63,673 $63,856 (0.3)% Robinson Fresh • Case volume decline of 4% driven by a decrease in foodservice volume(1) • Cost controls led to improved operating income and 440 bps improvement in operating margin ITEM MEDICAL/SURGICAL MASK NON-MEDICAL MASK Managed Services • 17% increase in volume and 530 bps improvement in operating margin • Strong growth from new customers and service scope expansion with existing customers Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Other Surface Transportation • 7% decrease in Europe truckload net revenue due to margin compression (1) Growth rates are rounded to the nearest 0.5 percent. Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor Lorem ipsum dolor

Appendix 16

Q3 2020 Transportation Results(1) Three Months Ended September 30 Nine Months Ended September 30 Transportation ($ in thousands) 2020 2019 % Change 2020 2019 % Change Total Revenues $3,944,981 $3,608,346 9.3% $10,835,710 $10,751,890 0.8% Total Net Revenues $566,330 $608,367 (6.9%) $1,694,356 $1,925,657 (12.0%) Net Revenue Margin % 14.4% 16.9% (250 bps) 15.6% 17.9% (230 bps) Transportation Net Revenue Margin % 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Q1 17.2% 16.9% 16.3% 15.3% 16.8% 19.7% 17.3% 16.4% 18.6% 15.3% Q2 16.2% 14.9% 15.4% 16.0% 17.5% 19.3% 16.2% 16.2% 18.3% 17.5% Q3 16.4% 15.6% 15.0% 16.2% 18.4% 17.6% 16.4% 16.6% 16.9% 14.4% Q4 16.3% 15.8% 15.1% 15.9% 19.0% 17.2% 16.6% 17.7% 15.6% Total 16.5% 15.8% 15.4% 15.9% 17.9% 18.4% 16.6% 16.7% 17.3% (1) Includes results across all segments.

Q3 2020 NAST Results Three Months Ended September 30 Nine Months Ended September 30 $ in thousands 2020 2019 % Change 2020 2019 % Change Total Revenues $2,923,842 $2,826,308 3.5% $8,222,879 $8,495,145 (3.2%) Total Net Revenues $367,943 $433,760 (15.2%) $1,120,277 $1,406,728 (20.4%) Net Revenue Margin % 12.6% 15.3% (270 bps) 13.6% 16.6% (300 bps) Income from Operations $122,526 $176,200 (30.5%) $357,898 $592,215 (39.6%) Operating Margin % 33.3% 40.6% (730 bps) 31.9% 42.1% (1,020 bps) Depreciation and Amortization $7,095 $5,734 23.7% $19,550 $18,124 7.9% Total Assets $3,041,974 $2,649,259 14.8% $3,041,974 $2,649,259 14.8% Average Headcount 6,702 7,448 (10.0%) 6,870 7,436 (7.6%) Average Full-Time Equivalents(1) 6,351 7,332 (13.4%) N/A N/A N/A (1) Average full-time equivalents excludes furloughed employees and accounts for employees with reduced work hours.

Q3 2020 Global Forwarding Results Three Months Ended September 30 Nine Months Ended September 30 $ in thousands 2020 2019 % Change 2020 2019 % Change Total Revenues $831,957 $597,695 39.2% $2,070,161 $1,727,745 19.8% Total Net Revenues $157,657 $135,815 16.1% $448,931 $404,987 10.9% Net Revenue Margin % 19.0% 22.7% (370 bps) 21.7% 23.4% (170 bps) Income from Operations $46,299 $24,676 87.6% $117,033 $65,497 78.7% Operating Margin % 29.4% 18.2% 1,120 bps 26.1 % 16.2 % 990 bps Depreciation and Amortization $9,385 $9,186 2.2% $27,740 $27,427 1.1% Total Assets $1,148,118 $995,137 15.4% $1,148,118 $995,137 15.4% Average Headcount 4,607 4,790 (3.8%) 4,716 4,748 (0.7%) Average Full-Time Equivalents(1) 4,430 4,647 (4.7%) N/A N/A N/A (1) Average full-time equivalents excludes furloughed employees and accounts for employees with reduced work hours.

Q3 2020 All Other and Corporate Results Three Months Ended September 30 Nine Months Ended September 30 $ in thousands 2020 2019 % Change 2020 2019 % Change Total Revenues $469,001 $432,129 8.5% $1,364,614 $1,293,292 5.5% Total Net Revenues $63,673 $63,856 (0.3%) $202,471 $195,732 3.4% Income from Operations ($586) $209 NM ($8,465) ($4,542) NM Depreciation and Amortization $10,436 $10,560 (1.2%) $29,777 $29,571 0.7% Total Assets $884,746 $992,153 (10.8%) $884,746 $992,153 (10.8%) Average Headcount 3,595 3,544 1.4% 3,591 3,398 5.7% Average Full-Time Equivalents(1) 3,449 3,425 0.7% N/A N/A N/A (1) Average full-time equivalents excludes furloughed employees and accounts for employees with reduced work hours.

Thank you 21

XML

Cover Page	Oct. 27, 2020
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Oct. 27, 2020
Entity Registrant Name	C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001043277
Amendment Flag	false
Entity File Number	000-23189
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
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.10 par value
Trading Symbol	CHRW
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false