Business Segment Information - Financial Information Regarding Company's Operations by Geographic Area (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020		Sep. 30, 2021		Sep. 30, 2020		Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		$ 4,319,261	$ 2,348,713	[1]	$ 11,127,174	[1]	$ 6,603,558	[1]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[2]	3,185,490	1,614,334	[1]	8,031,407	[1]	4,504,452	[1]
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	644,134	482,434		1,809,970		1,440,480
Operating income		489,637	251,945		1,285,797		658,626
Identifiable assets at period end		7,076,383	4,358,554		7,076,383		4,358,554			$ 4,927,503
Capital expenditures		9,870	9,178		24,800		37,419
Equity		3,420,592	2,504,473		3,420,592		2,504,473		$ 3,083,651	$ 2,663,227	$ 2,161,598	$ 2,197,219
Operating Segments | United States Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		1,134,096	686,243	[1]	3,007,053	[1]	1,975,874	[1]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[2]	661,515	379,586	[1]	1,731,032	[1]	1,108,164	[1]
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	238,943	197,749		718,762		631,396
Operating income		233,638	108,908		557,259		236,314
Identifiable assets at period end		3,417,496	2,336,071		3,417,496		2,336,071
Capital expenditures		6,001	4,703		11,931		28,276
Equity		2,451,584	1,791,658		2,451,584		1,791,658
Operating Segments | Other North America Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		116,404	77,414	[1]	311,986	[1]	232,324	[1]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[2]	63,031	44,196	[1]	175,392	[1]	130,300	[1]
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	33,077	25,325		90,114		74,320
Operating income		20,296	7,893		46,480		27,704
Identifiable assets at period end		256,638	163,943		256,638		163,943
Capital expenditures		248	483		434		1,692
Equity		93,084	77,915		93,084		77,915
Operating Segments | Latin America Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		54,303	39,193	[1]	146,148	[1]	114,637	[1]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[2]	34,216	23,361	[1]	86,868	[1]	69,828	[1]
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	14,759	12,359		41,871		36,220
Operating income		5,328	3,473		17,409		8,589
Identifiable assets at period end		110,406	76,173		110,406		76,173
Capital expenditures		175	180		300		498
Equity		37,087	31,324		37,087		31,324
Operating Segments | North Asia Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		1,690,381	795,155	[1]	4,208,811	[1]	2,277,027	[1]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[2]	1,417,283	632,858	[1]	3,471,453	[1]	1,792,933	[1]
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	141,109	81,876		354,841		236,480
Operating income		131,989	80,421		382,517		247,614
Identifiable assets at period end		1,558,109	689,525		1,558,109		689,525
Capital expenditures		435	1,075		1,192		1,785
Equity		368,535	246,557		368,535		246,557
Operating Segments | South Asia Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		538,780	259,069	[1]	1,306,264	[1]	642,302	[1]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[2]	445,970	192,175	[1]	1,051,133	[1]	463,690	[1]
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	54,003	39,926		146,214		109,018
Operating income		38,807	26,968		108,917		69,594
Identifiable assets at period end		457,615	231,771		457,615		231,771
Capital expenditures		351	665		1,462		1,035
Equity		129,941	97,564		129,941		97,564
Operating Segments | Europe Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		564,810	359,107	[1]	1,576,092	[1]	1,024,127	[1]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[2]	389,208	242,384	[1]	1,072,973	[1]	692,872	[1]
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	126,475	96,658		359,338		274,269
Operating income		49,127	20,065		143,781		56,986
Identifiable assets at period end		990,123	642,124		990,123		642,124
Capital expenditures		2,254	1,780		7,908		3,418
Equity		258,805	185,352		258,805		185,352
Operating Segments | Middle East Africa and India Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		221,777	133,447	[1]	574,469	[1]	340,000	[1]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[2]	174,733	100,301	[1]	444,132	[1]	248,088	[1]
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	36,598	28,925		100,899		80,063
Operating income		10,446	4,221		29,438		11,849
Identifiable assets at period end		328,671	228,423		328,671		228,423
Capital expenditures		406	292		1,573		715
Equity		123,304	110,714		123,304		110,714
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax		(1,290)	(915)	[1]	(3,649)	[1]	(2,733)	[1]
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[2]	(466)	(527)	[1]	(1,576)	[1]	(1,423)	[1]
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	(830)	(384)		(2,069)		(1,286)
Operating income		6	(4)		(4)		(24)
Identifiable assets at period end		(42,675)	(9,476)		(42,675)		(9,476)
Equity		$ (41,748)	$ (36,611)		$ (41,748)		$ (36,611)

[1] See Note 9 - Correction of Immaterial Errors.

[2] 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 condensed consolidated statements of earnings.

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