Business Segment Information - Financial Information Regarding Company's Operations by Geographic Area (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020		Sep. 30, 2020	[1]	Jun. 30, 2020	[1]	Mar. 31, 2020	[1]	Dec. 31, 2019		Sep. 30, 2019	[2]	Jun. 30, 2019	[2]	Mar. 31, 2019	[2]	Dec. 31, 2020		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		$ 3,169,188	[1]	$ 2,464,797		$ 2,580,632		$ 1,901,864		$ 2,044,941	[2]	$ 2,074,855		$ 2,035,579		$ 2,020,051		$ 10,116,481	[3]	$ 8,175,426	[3]	$ 8,138,365	[3]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[4]																	7,188,790		5,538,958		5,517,992
Salaries and other operating expenses	[5]																	1,987,254		1,869,776		1,823,810
Operating income		281,811	[1]	$ 251,945		$ 247,626		$ 159,055		180,340	[2]	$ 206,550		$ 192,201		$ 187,601		940,437		766,692		796,563
Identifiable assets at period end		4,927,503								3,691,884								4,927,503		3,691,884		3,314,559
Capital expenditures																		47,543		47,022		47,474
Depreciation and amortization																		56,959		50,950		54,019
Equity		2,663,227								2,197,219								2,663,227		2,197,219		1,987,720		$ 1,994,373
Operating Segments | United States Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]																	2,776,546		2,712,067		2,479,812
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[4]																	1,568,461		1,528,815		1,352,924
Salaries and other operating expenses	[5]																	877,117		859,946		816,817
Operating income																		330,968		323,306		310,071
Identifiable assets at period end		2,532,324								1,978,307								2,532,324		1,978,307		1,689,950
Capital expenditures																		31,604		28,666		21,732
Depreciation and amortization																		37,081		31,049		33,511
Equity		1,928,945								1,521,059								1,928,945		1,521,059		1,339,673
Operating Segments | Other North America Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]																	328,427		354,405		355,802
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[4]																	192,875		212,369		216,753
Salaries and other operating expenses	[5]																	100,687		101,654		94,950
Operating income																		34,865		40,382		44,099
Identifiable assets at period end		186,204								153,813								186,204		153,813		161,604
Capital expenditures																		1,886		2,353		4,259
Depreciation and amortization																		1,946		1,881		1,847
Equity		67,243								65,100								67,243		65,100		72,941
Operating Segments | Latin America Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]																	156,163		150,202		156,854
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[4]																	93,249		87,297		94,041
Salaries and other operating expenses	[5]																	48,114		55,512		53,970
Operating income																		14,800		7,393		8,843
Identifiable assets at period end		85,085								72,677								85,085		72,677		53,542
Capital expenditures																		564		1,556		1,042
Depreciation and amortization																		1,194		1,489		1,508
Equity		32,273								29,148								32,273		29,148		26,007
Operating Segments | North Asia Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]																	3,838,332		2,494,556		2,886,322
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[4]																	3,157,086		1,970,662		2,315,826
Salaries and other operating expenses	[5]																	332,978		271,594		289,015
Operating income																		348,268		252,300		281,481
Identifiable assets at period end		876,856								538,526								876,856		538,526		533,071
Capital expenditures																		2,202		1,767		3,057
Depreciation and amortization																		4,961		5,263		5,309
Equity		241,155								247,725								241,155		247,725		200,371
Operating Segments | South Asia Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]																	989,633		743,406		777,863
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[4]																	738,648		544,873		591,925
Salaries and other operating expenses	[5]																	149,269		127,478		125,056
Operating income																		101,716		71,055		60,882
Identifiable assets at period end		272,106								178,336								272,106		178,336		152,646
Capital expenditures																		2,264		1,558		2,182
Depreciation and amortization																		1,876		1,912		2,257
Equity		121,411								94,727								121,411		94,727		100,706
Operating Segments | Europe Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]																	1,544,130		1,280,669		1,330,365
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[4]																	1,080,741		884,968		926,949
Salaries and other operating expenses	[5]																	375,900		342,073		337,970
Operating income																		87,489		53,628		65,446
Identifiable assets at period end		752,589								551,576								752,589		551,576		513,744
Capital expenditures																		6,394		9,231		10,815
Depreciation and amortization																		8,029		7,398		7,727
Equity		196,637								159,308								196,637		159,308		157,003
Operating Segments | Middle East Africa and India Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]																	487,011		443,487		464,071
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[4]																	359,682		311,997		330,209
Salaries and other operating expenses	[5]																	104,968		112,844		108,131
Operating income																		22,361		18,646		25,731
Identifiable assets at period end		240,984								219,953								240,984		219,953		206,367
Capital expenditures																		2,629		1,891		4,387
Depreciation and amortization																		1,872		1,958		1,860
Equity		114,369								114,726								114,369		114,726		123,228
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[3]																	(3,761)		(3,366)		(312,724)
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[4]																	(1,952)		(2,023)		(310,635)
Salaries and other operating expenses	[5]																	(1,779)		(1,325)		(2,099)
Operating income																		(30)		(18)		10
Identifiable assets at period end		(18,645)								(1,304)								(18,645)		(1,304)		3,635
Equity		$ (38,806)								$ (34,574)								$ (38,806)		$ (34,574)		$ (32,209)

[1] During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company’s services experienced record high airfreight tonnage and ocean volumes and high average sell rates and buy rates, when compared to the third quarter of 2020 and the prior year, as demand grew while capacity shortages persisted in particular on exports from North Asia. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the People's Republic of China, including Hong Kong, represented 34% of the Company’s total revenues and 27% of the Company’s total operating income. Airfreight services revenues accounted for the largest increase at 41% from the third quarter of 2020 to the fourth quarter of 2020 and represented 49% of the Company’s total revenues in the fourth quarter of 2020

[2] The fourth quarter of 2019 was significantly impacted by declines in results in our China operations due to the slowing of trade to and from China, which impacted overall freight movement around the globe. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the People's Republic of China, including Hong Kong, represented 25% of the Company’s total revenues and the Company’s total operating income

[3] In 2019, the Company revised its process to record the transfer, between its geographic operating segments, of revenues and the directly related cost of transportation and other expenses for freight service transactions between Company origin and destination locations. This change better aligns revenue reporting with the location where the services are performed, as well as the transactional reporting being developed as part of the Company’s new accounting systems and processes. The change in presentation had no impact on consolidated or segment operating income. The 2019 results also include the effect of changing the presentation of certain import services from a net to a gross basis, which increased segment revenues and directly related operating expenses but did not change operating income. The impact of these changes on reported segment revenues was immaterial and prior year segment revenues have not been revised.

[4] Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses totals operating expenses from airfreight services, ocean freight and ocean services and customs brokerage and other services as shown in the consolidated statements of earnings.

[5] Salaries and other operating expenses totals salaries and related, rent and occupancy, depreciation and amortization, selling and promotion and other as shown in the consolidated statements of earnings.