Business Segment Information - Financial Information Regarding Company's Operations by Geographic Area (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	$ 16,523,517	$ 9,584,393	$ 7,942,417
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[1],[2]	12,058,155	6,656,702	5,305,949
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	2,556,036	1,987,254	1,869,776
Operating income		1,909,326	940,437	766,692
Identifiable assets at period end		7,609,929	4,927,503	3,691,884
Capital expenditures		36,247	47,543	47,022
Depreciation and amortization		51,312	56,959	50,950
Equity		3,497,991	2,663,227	2,197,219	$ 1,987,720
Operating Segments | United States Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	4,344,825	2,776,537	2,720,923
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[1],[2]	2,491,947	1,568,452	1,537,671
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	1,019,236	877,117	859,946
Operating income		833,642	330,968	323,306
Identifiable assets at period end		3,699,748	2,532,324	1,978,307
Capital expenditures		19,527	31,604	28,666
Depreciation and amortization		29,826	37,081	31,049
Equity		2,599,804	1,928,945	1,521,059
Operating Segments | Other North America Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	440,226	325,878	345,800
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[1],[2]	245,842	190,326	203,764
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	123,147	100,687	101,654
Operating income		71,237	34,865	40,382
Identifiable assets at period end		265,872	186,204	153,813
Capital expenditures		983	1,886	2,353
Depreciation and amortization		1,780	1,946	1,881
Equity		111,952	67,243	65,100
Operating Segments | Latin America Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	209,161	156,163	151,972
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[1],[2]	125,940	93,249	89,067
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	57,779	48,114	55,512
Operating income		25,442	14,800	7,393
Identifiable assets at period end		122,327	85,085	72,677
Capital expenditures		471	564	1,556
Depreciation and amortization		1,079	1,194	1,489
Equity		41,743	32,273	29,148
Operating Segments | North Asia Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	6,363,054	3,425,510	2,323,959
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[1],[2]	5,295,612	2,744,264	1,800,065
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	515,703	332,978	271,594
Operating income		551,739	348,268	252,300
Identifiable assets at period end		1,587,659	876,856	538,526
Capital expenditures		1,786	2,202	1,767
Depreciation and amortization		5,047	4,961	5,263
Equity		224,765	241,155	247,725
Operating Segments | South Asia Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	2,046,569	961,989	725,039
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[1],[2]	1,666,792	711,004	526,506
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	204,574	149,269	127,478
Operating income		175,203	101,716	71,055
Identifiable assets at period end		572,980	272,106	178,336
Capital expenditures		2,057	2,264	1,558
Depreciation and amortization		1,965	1,876	1,912
Equity		140,129	121,411	94,727
Operating Segments | Europe Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	2,258,911	1,455,746	1,239,026
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[1],[2]	1,558,705	992,357	843,325
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	494,760	375,900	342,073
Operating income		205,446	87,489	53,628
Identifiable assets at period end		1,089,963	752,589	551,576
Capital expenditures		9,507	6,394	9,231
Depreciation and amortization		9,228	8,029	7,398
Equity		294,348	196,637	159,308
Operating Segments | Middle East Africa and India Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	865,509	486,331	439,064
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[1],[2]	675,303	359,002	307,574
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	143,581	104,968	112,844
Operating income		46,625	22,361	18,646
Identifiable assets at period end		350,843	240,984	219,953
Capital expenditures		1,916	2,629	1,891
Depreciation and amortization		2,387	1,872	1,958
Equity		123,598	114,369	114,726
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Excluding Assessed Tax	[1]	(4,738)	(3,761)	(3,366)
Directly related cost of transportation and other expenses	[1],[2]	(1,986)	(1,952)	(2,023)
Salaries and other operating expenses	[3]	(2,744)	(1,779)	(1,325)
Operating income		(8)	(30)	(18)
Identifiable assets at period end		(79,463)	(18,645)	(1,304)
Equity		$ (38,348)	$ (38,806)	$ (34,574)

[1] See Note 11 – 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 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 consolidated statements of earnings.