Cover Page - shares	3 Months Ended
Cover Page - shares	Mar. 31, 2020	Apr. 29, 2020
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 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	Q1
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		134,609,978

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 294,572	$ 447,858
Receivables, net of allowance for credit loss of $32,472 and $32,838	2,092,613	1,974,381
Contract assets, net of allowance for credit loss	123,558	132,874
Prepaid expenses and other	95,896	85,005
Total current assets	2,606,639	2,640,118
Property and equipment, net	211,799	208,423
Goodwill	1,450,999	1,291,760
Other intangible assets, net	132,013	90,931
Right-of-use lease assets	345,908	310,860
Deferred tax assets	14,605	13,485
Other assets	86,357	85,483
Total assets	4,848,320	4,641,060
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	1,098,905	984,604
Outstanding checks	51,649	78,231
Accrued expenses:
Compensation	88,528	112,784
Transportation expense	93,900	101,194
Income taxes	14,473	12,354
Other accrued liabilities	65,930	62,706
Current lease liabilities	70,423	61,280
Current portion of debt	320,917	142,885
Total current liabilities	1,804,725	1,556,038
Long-term debt	1,092,660	1,092,448
Noncurrent lease liabilities	286,210	259,444
Noncurrent income taxes payable	21,576	22,354
Deferred tax liabilities	55,766	39,776
Other long-term liabilities	265	270
Total liabilities	3,261,202	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, 134,586 and 134,895 outstanding	13,459	13,490
Additional paid-in capital	533,819	546,646
Retained earnings	4,153,109	4,144,834
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(108,344)	(76,149)
Treasury stock at cost (45,114 and 44,485 shares)	(3,004,925)	(2,958,091)
Total stockholders’ investment	1,587,118	1,670,730
Total liabilities and stockholders’ investment	$ 4,848,320	$ 4,641,060

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Receivable, allowance for credit loss	$ 32,472	$ 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)	134,586,000	134,895,000
Treasury stock (shares)	45,114,000	44,485,000

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 3,805,008	$ 3,751,210
Costs and expenses:
Personnel expenses	330,220	340,098
Other selling, general, and administrative expenses	128,293	114,152
Total costs and expenses	3,695,568	3,526,660
Income from operations	109,440	224,550
Interest and other expense	(15,228)	(17,140)
Income before provision for income taxes	94,212	207,410
Provision for income taxes	16,066	45,622
Net income	78,146	161,788
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(32,195)	5,297
Comprehensive income	$ 45,951	$ 167,085
Basic net income per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.58	$ 1.17
Diluted net income per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.57	$ 1.16
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (shares)	135,474	137,854
Dilutive effect of outstanding stock awards (shares)	495	1,101
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (shares)	135,969	138,955
Transportation
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 3,542,118	$ 3,504,932
Costs and expenses:
Purchased products and services	3,000,113	2,853,256
Sourcing
Revenues:
Total revenues	262,890	246,278
Costs and expenses:
Purchased products and services	$ 236,942	$ 219,154

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Investment - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 1,670,730	$ 1,595,087
Net income	78,146	161,788
Foreign currency adjustments, net of tax	(32,195)	5,297
Dividends declared	(69,871)	(69,683)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans	(2,526)	7,573
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	11,397	17,123
Repurchase of common stock	(68,563)	(64,624)
Ending balance	$ 1,587,118	$ 1,652,561
Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance (in shares)	134,895	137,284
Beginning balance	$ 13,490	$ 13,728
Stock issued for employee benefit plans (in shares)	343	342
Stock issued for employee benefit plans	$ 34	$ 34
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures (in shares)	321
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures (in shares)		(3)
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures	$ 32	$ 0
Stock-based compensation expense (in shares)	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 0	$ 0
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)	(973)	(734)
Repurchase of common stock	$ (97)	$ (73)
Ending balance (in shares)	134,586	136,889
Ending balance	$ 13,459	$ 13,689
Additional Paid-in Capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	546,646	521,486
Stock issued for employee benefit plans	(24,192)	(11,520)
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures	(32)	0
Stock-based compensation expense	11,397	17,123
Ending balance	533,819	527,089
Retained Earnings
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	4,144,834	3,845,593
Net income	78,146	161,788
Dividends declared	(69,871)	(69,683)
Ending balance	4,153,109	3,937,698
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(76,149)	(71,935)
Foreign currency adjustments, net of tax	(32,195)	5,297
Ending balance	(108,344)	(66,638)
Treasury Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(2,958,091)	(2,713,785)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans	21,632	19,059
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0
Repurchase of common stock	(68,466)	(64,551)
Ending balance	$ (3,004,925)	$ (2,759,277)

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

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income	$ 78,146	$ 161,788
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	24,393	24,560
Provision for credit losses	5,675	1,774
Stock-based compensation	11,397	17,123
Deferred income taxes	1,622	(364)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation	(3,737)	(4,458)
Other operating activities	788	576
Changes in operating elements (net of acquisitions):
Receivables	(133,142)	117,720
Contract assets	8,713	(5,921)
Prepaid expenses and other	(11,038)	(6,367)
Accounts payable and outstanding checks	98,946	(10,742)
Accrued compensation	(23,879)	(87,259)
Accrued transportation expense	(7,294)	7,331
Accrued income taxes	5,196	39,078
Other accrued liabilities	1,829	1,801
Other assets and liabilities	884	291
Net cash provided by operating activities	58,499	256,931
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Purchases of property and equipment	(7,841)	(8,619)
Purchases and development of software	(6,862)	(5,246)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(223,617)	(44,143)
Other investing activities	0	8
Net cash used for investing activities	(238,320)	(58,000)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from stock issued for employee benefit plans	11,269	19,615
Stock tendered for payment of withholding taxes	(13,795)	(12,042)
Repurchase of common stock	(68,563)	(67,624)
Cash dividends	(69,871)	(69,742)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	765,600	14,000
Payments on short-term borrowings	(587,600)	(19,000)
Net cash used for financing activities	37,040	(134,793)
Effect of exchange rates on cash	(10,505)	2,720
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(153,286)	66,858
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	447,858	378,615
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 294,572	$ 445,473

BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	Mar. 31, 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 ASU (“Accounting Standards Update”) 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 the Company 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 effect the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 326 in the first quarter of 2020. 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 AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

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	176,397		507		—		176,904
Translation	(12,592)		(4,222)		(851)		(17,665)
Balance March 31, 2020	$	1,179,375	$	204,705	$	66,919	$	1,450,999

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 March 31, 2020.

Identifiable intangible assets consisted of the following (in thousands):


	March 31, 2020										December 31, 2019
	Cost		Accumulated Amortization		Net		Cost		Accumulated Amortization		Net
Finite-lived intangibles
Customer relationships	$	282,180	$	(160,642)	$	121,538	$	237,335	$	(156,879)	$	80,456


Indefinite-lived intangibles
Trademarks	10,475		—		10,475		10,475		—		10,475
Total intangibles	$	292,655	$	(160,642)	$	132,013	$	247,810	$	(156,879)	$	90,931

Amortization expense for other intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2020		2019
Amortization expense	$	8,376	$	9,293

Finite-lived intangible assets, by reportable segment, as of March 31, 2020, will be amortized over their remaining lives as follows (in thousands):


	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Total
Remaining 2020	$	6,070	$	19,111	$	450	$	25,631
2021	8,092		13,076		600		21,768
2022	8,092		13,076		600		21,768
2023	8,092		10,969		600		19,661
2024	8,014		3,498		600		12,112
Thereafter	17,024		2,723		851		20,598
Total							$	121,538

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT	3 Months Ended
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT	Mar. 31, 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. We had no Level 3 assets or liabilities as of and during the periods ended March 31, 2020, and December 31, 2019. There were no transfers between levels during the period.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

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
	March 31, 2020		December 31, 2019		Maturity	March 31, 2020		December 31, 2019
Revolving credit facility	1.94	%	—	%	October 2023	$	71,000	$	—
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⁾	1.64	%	2.41	%	December 2020	249,917		142,885
Senior Notes ⁽¹⁾	4.20	%	4.20	%	April 2028	592,660		592,448
Total debt						1,413,577		1,235,333
Less: Current maturities and short-term borrowing						(320,917)		(142,885)
Long-term debt						$	1,092,660	$	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 approximates fair value because of the short maturity period of the debt; therefore, we 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 $511.7 million at March 31, 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 Level 2.

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 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 $648.5 million as of March 31, 2020, based primarily on the market prices quoted from external sources. The carrying value of the Senior Notes was $592.7 million as of March 31, 2020. If the Senior Notes were measured at fair value in the financial statements, they would be classified as Level 2 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, enter into sales and leaseback transactions 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.

As of March 31, 2020, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under the Credit Agreement, Note Purchase Agreement, Receivables Securitization Facility, and Senior Notes.

INCOME TAXES	3 Months Ended
INCOME TAXES	Mar. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES Our effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and 2019 was 17.1 percent and 22.0 percent, respectively. The effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 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 3.6 percentage points, and foreign tax impacts recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2020. 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 $3.9 million as of March 31, 2020. On March 27, 2020, the U.S. government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). This law included provisions which may benefit us in two primary ways. First, 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 our business without any interest cost. We are in the process of determining the amount of cash to be made available as a result of this provision. Second, the CARES Act 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. We are in the process of determining the amount of any such credit. 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 requiring companies to pay a one-time transition tax on certain unrepatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries and adding new rules for Global Intangible Low-tax Income (“GILTI”) and Foreign Derived Intangible Income (“FDII”). Although enacted more than two years ago, regulatory guidance on the application of FDII has not been finalized. We have included the tax impact of both GILTI and FDII in our income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and 2019, based on our understanding of the rules available at the time of this filing. However, our calculations could be impacted by future regulations as guidance is finalized. We will continue to monitor any new guidance related to FDII and determine any impact it may have on our calculations. As of March 31, 2020, we have $38.6 million of unrecognized tax benefits and related interest and penalties. It is possible the amount of unrecognized tax benefit could change in the next 12 months as a result of a lapse of the statute of limitations and settlements with taxing authorities. The total liability for unrecognized tax benefits is expected to decrease by approximately $2.5 million in the next 12 months due to the lapsing of statutes of limitations. With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to audits of U.S. federal, state and local, or non-U.S. income tax returns before 2013. We are currently under an Internal Revenue Service audit for 2015, 2016 and 2017 tax years.

STOCK AWARD PLANS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

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 March 31,
	2020		2019
Stock options	$	5,013	$	4,249
Stock awards	5,403		11,744
Company expense on ESPP discount	981		1,130
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	11,397	$	17,123

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 2,940,625 shares were available for stock awards under the plan as of March 31, 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 March 31, 2020, unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options was $58.3 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 will 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 will 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 March 31, 2020, there was unrecognized compensation expense of $136.4 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 March 31, 2020
Shares purchased by employees	Aggregate cost to employees		Expense recognized by the company
98,839	$	5,561,671	$	981,471

LITIGATION	3 Months Ended
LITIGATION	Mar. 31, 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 additional 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

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Business Combinations [Abstract]

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 $223.1 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	$	8,197
Property and equipment	7,356
Right-of-use lease assets	35,017
Other intangible assets	55,000
Goodwill	176,397
Total assets	281,967

Current liabilities	10,470
Lease liabilities	35,017
Deferred tax liabilities	13,375
Net assets acquired	$	223,105

Identifiable intangible assets and estimated useful lives are as follows (dollars in thousands):


	Estimated Life (years)
Customer relationships	7	$	55,000

There was $176.4 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 preliminary, subject to revision primarily related to certain potential post-closing and working capital adjustments, as final information was not available as of March 31, 2020. 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. The 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

There was $26.4 million of goodwill recorded related to the acquisition of Space Cargo. The Space Cargo goodwill is a result of acquiring and retaining the Space Cargo workforce and expected synergies from integrating its business into ours. Purchase accounting is considered complete. No goodwill was recognized for Spanish tax purposes from the acquisition. The results of operations of Space Cargo have been included as part of the Global Forwarding segment in our consolidated financial statements since March 1, 2019.

SEGMENT REPORTING

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

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 months ended March 31, 2020, and 2019, is as follows (dollars in thousands):


	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Consolidated
Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
Total revenues	$	2,823,745	$	530,384	$	450,879	$	3,805,008
Net revenues	372,778		128,314		66,861		567,953
Income (loss) from operations	98,526		11,959		(1,045)		109,440
Depreciation and amortization	5,254		9,149		9,990		24,393
Total assets⁽¹⁾	2,942,719		934,625		970,976		4,848,320
Average headcount	7,038		4,824		3,588		15,450

	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Consolidated
Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
Total revenues	$	2,796,784	$	537,567	$	416,859	$	3,751,210
Net revenues	486,550		127,236		65,014		678,800
Income (loss) from operations	211,283		14,203		(936)		224,550
Depreciation and amortization	6,259		8,926		9,375		24,560
Total assets⁽¹⁾	2,693,668		1,001,881		1,001,895		4,697,444
Average headcount	7,424		4,707		3,250		15,381

_________________________________________

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

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

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 months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Total
Major Service Lines
Transportation and logistics services⁽¹⁾	$	2,823,745	$	530,384	$	187,989	$	3,542,118
Sourcing⁽²⁾	—		—		262,890		262,890
Total	$	2,823,745	$	530,384	$	450,879	$	3,805,008

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Total
Major Service Lines
Transportation and logistics services⁽¹⁾	$	2,796,784	$	537,567	$	170,581	$	3,504,932
Sourcing⁽²⁾	—		—		246,278		246,278
Total	$	2,796,784	$	537,567	$	416,859	$	3,751,210

____________________________________________

⁽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 March 31, 2020, and revenue recognized in the three months ended March 31, 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

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Leases [Abstract]

LEASES

We 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 March 31, 2020.

Information regarding lease expense, remaining lease term, discount rate, and other select lease information is presented below as of March 31, 2020, and for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (dollars in thousands):


Lease Costs	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020		Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
Operating lease expense	$	19,974	$	16,822
Short-term lease expense	2,572		2,341
Total lease expense	$	22,546	$	19,163


Other Lease Information	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020		Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$	19,112	$	16,629
Right-of-use lease assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities	60,281		7,732


Lease Term and Discount Rate	As of March 31, 2020
Weighted average remaining lease term (in years)⁽¹⁾	7.2
Weighted average discount rate	3.3	%

____________________________________________

⁽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 4.9 years.

The maturity of lease liabilities as of March 31, 2020, were as follows (in thousands):


Maturity of Lease Liabilities	Operating Leases
Remaining 2020	$	61,390
2021	74,485
2022	62,947
2023	49,726
2024	32,536
Thereafter	123,925
Total lease payments	405,009
Less: Interest	(48,376)
Present value of lease liabilities	$	356,633

In addition to minimum lease payments, we are typically responsible under our lease agreements to pay our pro rata share of maintenance expenses, common charges, and real estate taxes of the buildings in which we lease space. Under ASC 842 we have elected to account for non-lease components such as common area maintenance and parking as a single lease component.

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Credit Loss [Abstract]

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. Topic 326 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, 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 three months ended March 31, 2020:


Balance, December 31, 2019	$	32,838
Provision	5,072
Write-offs	(5,438)
Balance, March 31, 2020	$	32,472

Recoveries of amounts previously written off were not significant for the three months ended March 31, 2020.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for credit loss on financial instrument measured at amortized cost basis, net investment in lease, off-balance sheet credit exposure, and available-for-sale debt security.

+ References + Details

CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	3 Months Ended
CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	Mar. 31, 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 March 31, 2020, and December 31, 2019, was $108.3 million and $76.1 million, respectively. Accumulated other comprehensive loss is comprised solely of foreign currency adjustments, net of related income tax effects at March 31, 2020, and December 31, 2019. Other comprehensive loss was $32.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020, which consisted of foreign currency adjustments, including foreign currency translation, net of related income tax effects of $1.5 million.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	3 Months Ended
BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	Mar. 31, 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 ASU (“Accounting Standards Update”) 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 the Company 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 March 31, 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 ASSETS (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 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	176,397		507		—		176,904
Translation	(12,592)		(4,222)		(851)		(17,665)
Balance March 31, 2020	$	1,179,375	$	204,705	$	66,919	$	1,450,999

Schedule of Intangible Assets

Identifiable intangible assets consisted of the following (in thousands):


	March 31, 2020										December 31, 2019
	Cost		Accumulated Amortization		Net		Cost		Accumulated Amortization		Net
Finite-lived intangibles
Customer relationships	$	282,180	$	(160,642)	$	121,538	$	237,335	$	(156,879)	$	80,456


Indefinite-lived intangibles
Trademarks	10,475		—		10,475		10,475		—		10,475
Total intangibles	$	292,655	$	(160,642)	$	132,013	$	247,810	$	(156,879)	$	90,931

Schedule of Amortization Expense

Amortization expense for other intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2020		2019
Amortization expense	$	8,376	$	9,293

Schedule of Future Amortization of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets

Finite-lived intangible assets, by reportable segment, as of March 31, 2020, will be amortized over their remaining lives as follows (in thousands):


	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Total
Remaining 2020	$	6,070	$	19,111	$	450	$	25,631
2021	8,092		13,076		600		21,768
2022	8,092		13,076		600		21,768
2023	8,092		10,969		600		19,661
2024	8,014		3,498		600		12,112
Thereafter	17,024		2,723		851		20,598
Total							$	121,538

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 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
	March 31, 2020		December 31, 2019		Maturity	March 31, 2020		December 31, 2019
Revolving credit facility	1.94	%	—	%	October 2023	$	71,000	$	—
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⁾	1.64	%	2.41	%	December 2020	249,917		142,885
Senior Notes ⁽¹⁾	4.20	%	4.20	%	April 2028	592,660		592,448
Total debt						1,413,577		1,235,333
Less: Current maturities and short-term borrowing						(320,917)		(142,885)
Long-term debt						$	1,092,660	$	1,092,448

____________________________________________

⁽¹⁾Net of unamortized discounts and issuance costs.

STOCK AWARD PLANS (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 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 March 31,
	2020		2019
Stock options	$	5,013	$	4,249
Stock awards	5,403		11,744
Company expense on ESPP discount	981		1,130
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	11,397	$	17,123

Schedule Employee Stock Purchase Plan Activity

The following is a summary of the employee stock purchase plan activity:


Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
Shares purchased by employees	Aggregate cost to employees		Expense recognized by the company
98,839	$	5,561,671	$	981,471

ACQUISITIONS (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

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	$	8,197
Property and equipment	7,356
Right-of-use lease assets	35,017
Other intangible assets	55,000
Goodwill	176,397
Total assets	281,967

Current liabilities	10,470
Lease liabilities	35,017
Deferred tax liabilities	13,375
Net assets acquired	$	223,105

Prime Distribution Services

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	$	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)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Summary of Segment Information

Reportable segment information as of, and for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and 2019, is as follows (dollars in thousands):


	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Consolidated
Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
Total revenues	$	2,823,745	$	530,384	$	450,879	$	3,805,008
Net revenues	372,778		128,314		66,861		567,953
Income (loss) from operations	98,526		11,959		(1,045)		109,440
Depreciation and amortization	5,254		9,149		9,990		24,393
Total assets⁽¹⁾	2,942,719		934,625		970,976		4,848,320
Average headcount	7,038		4,824		3,588		15,450

	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Consolidated
Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
Total revenues	$	2,796,784	$	537,567	$	416,859	$	3,751,210
Net revenues	486,550		127,236		65,014		678,800
Income (loss) from operations	211,283		14,203		(936)		224,550
Depreciation and amortization	6,259		8,926		9,375		24,560
Total assets⁽¹⁾	2,693,668		1,001,881		1,001,895		4,697,444
Average headcount	7,424		4,707		3,250		15,381

_________________________________________

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

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 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 months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):


	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Total
Major Service Lines
Transportation and logistics services⁽¹⁾	$	2,823,745	$	530,384	$	187,989	$	3,542,118
Sourcing⁽²⁾	—		—		262,890		262,890
Total	$	2,823,745	$	530,384	$	450,879	$	3,805,008

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
	NAST		Global Forwarding		All Other and Corporate		Total
Major Service Lines
Transportation and logistics services⁽¹⁾	$	2,796,784	$	537,567	$	170,581	$	3,504,932
Sourcing⁽²⁾	—		—		246,278		246,278
Total	$	2,796,784	$	537,567	$	416,859	$	3,751,210

____________________________________________

⁽¹⁾ Transportation and logistics services performance obligations are completed over time.

⁽²⁾ Sourcing performance obligations are completed at a point in time.

LEASES (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 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 March 31, 2020, and for the three months ended March 31, 2020 (dollars in thousands):


Lease Costs	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020		Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
Operating lease expense	$	19,974	$	16,822
Short-term lease expense	2,572		2,341
Total lease expense	$	22,546	$	19,163


Other Lease Information	Three Months Ended March 31, 2020		Three Months Ended March 31, 2019
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$	19,112	$	16,629
Right-of-use lease assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities	60,281		7,732


Lease Term and Discount Rate	As of March 31, 2020
Weighted average remaining lease term (in years)⁽¹⁾	7.2
Weighted average discount rate	3.3	%

____________________________________________

(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 4.9 years.

Schedule of Maturity of Lease Liabilities

The maturity of lease liabilities as of March 31, 2020, were as follows (in thousands):


Maturity of Lease Liabilities	Operating Leases
Remaining 2020	$	61,390
2021	74,485
2022	62,947
2023	49,726
2024	32,536
Thereafter	123,925
Total lease payments	405,009
Less: Interest	(48,376)
Present value of lease liabilities	$	356,633

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 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 three months ended March 31, 2020:


Balance, December 31, 2019	$	32,838
Provision	5,072
Write-offs	(5,438)
Balance, March 31, 2020	$	32,472

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	$ 1,291,760
Acquisitions	176,904
Translation	(17,665)
Balance, end of period	1,450,999
NAST
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	1,015,570
Acquisitions	176,397
Translation	(12,592)
Balance, end of period	1,179,375
Global Forwarding
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	208,420
Acquisitions	507
Translation	(4,222)
Balance, end of period	204,705
All Other and Corporate
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance, beginning of period	67,770
Acquisitions	0
Translation	(851)
Balance, end of period	$ 66,919

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Summary of Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Finite-lived intangibles
Accumulated Amortization	$ (160,642)	$ (156,879)
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	121,538
Indefinite-lived intangibles
Total intangibles, Cost	292,655	247,810
Total intangibles, Net	132,013	90,931
Trademarks
Indefinite-lived intangibles
Indefinite-lived intangibles	10,475	10,475
Customer relationships
Finite-lived intangibles
Finite-lived intangibles, Cost	282,180	237,335
Accumulated Amortization	(160,642)	(156,879)
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	$ 121,538	$ 80,456

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Amortization Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Amortization expense	$ 8,376	$ 9,293

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Amortization Over Remaining Life (Details) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Estimated amortization expense
Remaining 2020	$ 25,631
2021	21,768
2022	21,768
2023	19,661
2024	12,112
Thereafter	20,598
Finite-lived intangible assets, net	121,538
NAST
Estimated amortization expense
Remaining 2020	6,070
2021	8,092
2022	8,092
2023	8,092
2024	8,014
Thereafter	17,024
Global Forwarding
Estimated amortization expense
Remaining 2020	19,111
2021	13,076
2022	13,076
2023	10,969
2024	3,498
Thereafter	2,723
All Other and Corporate
Estimated amortization expense
Remaining 2020	450
2021	600
2022	600
2023	600
2024	600
Thereafter	$ 851

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

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS - Components of Short-term and Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 1,413,577	$ 1,235,333
Less: Current maturities and short-term borrowing	(320,917)	(142,885)
Long-term debt	$ 1,092,660	$ 1,092,448
Line of Credit \| Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Average interest rate (percent)	1.94%	0.00%
Total debt	$ 71,000	$ 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)	1.64%	2.41%
Total debt	$ 249,917	$ 142,885
Unsecured Debt \| Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Average interest rate (percent)	4.20%	4.20%
Total debt	$ 592,660	$ 592,448

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS - Narrative (Details)	3 Months Ended
FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS - Narrative (Details)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Aug. 27, 2013 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, fair value	$ 511,700,000
Long-term debt	1,413,577,000	$ 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	$ 71,000,000	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	$ 648,500,000
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	$ 592,660,000	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	3.00
Minimum interest coverage ratio	2.00
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	$ 249,917,000	$ 142,885,000
Secured Debt \| Receivables Securitization Facility \| LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)	0.65%

INCOME TAXES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
INCOME TAXES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective income tax (percent)	17.10%	22.00%
Effective income tax reduction due to tax impact of share-based awards (percent)	3.60%
Estimated increase in income taxes payable if all foreign earnings were repatriated	$ 3.9
Unrecognized tax benefits and related interest and penalties, all of which would affect our effective tax rate if recognized	38.6
Decrease in unrecognized tax benefits due to lapse of statute of limitations	$ 2.5

STOCK AWARD PLANS - Total Compensation Expense Recognized (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 11,397,000	$ 17,123,000
Stock options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	5,013,000	4,249,000
Stock awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	5,403,000	11,744,000
Company expense on ESPP discount
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 981,471	$ 1,130,000

STOCK AWARD PLANS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)			3 Months Ended
STOCK AWARD PLANS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Feb. 05, 2020	May 09, 2019	Mar. 31, 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)			2,940,625
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
1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan 1997
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 options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense			$ 58,300,000
Award vesting period	5 years
Stock awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense			$ 136,400,000
Award vesting period	5 years
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
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

STOCK AWARD PLANS - Employee Stock Purchase Plan Activity (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares purchased by employees (shares)	98,839
Aggregate cost to employees	$ 5,561,671
Expense recognized by the company	11,397,000	$ 17,123,000
Company expense on ESPP discount
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expense recognized by the company	$ 981,471	$ 1,130,000

ACQUISITIONS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands				3 Months Ended
ACQUISITIONS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 02, 2020	May 22, 2019	Feb. 28, 2019	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase consideration net of cash acquired				$ 223,617	$ 44,143
Goodwill recorded in acquisition				$ 176,904
Prime Distribution Services
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition	$ 223,100
Goodwill recorded in acquisition	$ 176,400
Dema Service
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase consideration net of cash acquired		$ 14,200
Goodwill recorded in acquisition		$ 7,800
Space Cargo
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase consideration net of cash acquired			$ 45,500
Goodwill recorded in acquisition			$ 26,400

ACQUISITIONS - Allocation of Purchase Consideration (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 02, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Allocation of Purchase Consideration
Goodwill	$ 1,450,999		$ 1,291,760
Prime Distribution Services
Allocation of Purchase Consideration
Current assets		$ 8,197
Property and equipment		7,356
Right-of-use lease assets		35,017
Other intangible assets		55,000
Goodwill		176,397
Total assets		281,967
Current liabilities		10,470
Lease liabilities		35,017
Deferred tax liabilities		13,375
Net assets acquired		$ 223,105

ACQUISITIONS - Identifiable Intangible Assets and Estimated Useful Lives (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 02, 2020	May 22, 2019	Feb. 28, 2019
Prime Distribution Services
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Identifiable intangible assets	$ 55,000
Customer relationships \| Prime Distribution Services
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 (Details)	3 Months Ended
SEGMENT REPORTING - Narrative (Details)	Mar. 31, 2020 segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments (segment)	2

SEGMENT REPORTING - Reportable Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($) employee	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) employee	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 3,805,008	$ 3,751,210
Net revenues	567,953	678,800
Income (loss) from operations	109,440	224,550
Depreciation and amortization	24,393	24,560
Total assets	$ 4,848,320	$ 4,697,444	$ 4,641,060
Average headcount (employee) \| employee	15,450	15,381
Operating Segments \| NAST
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 2,823,745	$ 2,796,784
Net revenues	372,778	486,550
Income (loss) from operations	98,526	211,283
Depreciation and amortization	5,254	6,259
Total assets	$ 2,942,719	$ 2,693,668
Average headcount (employee) \| employee	7,038	7,424
Operating Segments \| Global Forwarding
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 530,384	$ 537,567
Net revenues	128,314	127,236
Income (loss) from operations	11,959	14,203
Depreciation and amortization	9,149	8,926
Total assets	$ 934,625	$ 1,001,881
Average headcount (employee) \| employee	4,824	4,707
Operating Segments \| All Other and Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 450,879	$ 416,859
Net revenues	66,861	65,014
Income (loss) from operations	(1,045)	(936)
Depreciation and amortization	9,990	9,375
Total assets	$ 970,976	$ 1,001,895
Average headcount (employee) \| employee	3,588	3,250

REVENUE FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS - Total Revenues Disaggregated by Major Service Line and Timing of Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 3,805,008	$ 3,751,210
Operating Segments \| NAST
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	2,823,745	2,796,784
Operating Segments \| Global Forwarding
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	530,384	537,567
Operating Segments \| All Other and Corporate
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	450,879	416,859
Transportation and logistics services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	3,542,118	3,504,932
Transportation and logistics services \| Performance obligations completed over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	3,542,118	3,504,932
Transportation and logistics services \| Operating Segments \| NAST \| Performance obligations completed over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	2,823,745	2,796,784
Transportation and logistics services \| Operating Segments \| Global Forwarding \| Performance obligations completed over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	530,384	537,567
Transportation and logistics services \| Operating Segments \| All Other and Corporate \| Performance obligations completed over time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	187,989	170,581
Sourcing
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	262,890	246,278
Sourcing \| Performance obligations completed at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	262,890	246,278
Sourcing \| Operating Segments \| NAST \| Performance obligations completed at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	0	0
Sourcing \| Operating Segments \| Global Forwarding \| Performance obligations completed at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	0	0
Sourcing \| Operating Segments \| All Other and Corporate \| Performance obligations completed at a point in time
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 262,890	$ 246,278

LEASES - Lease Data (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
LEASES - Lease Data (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Lease Costs
Operating lease expense	$ 19,974	$ 16,822
Short-term lease expense	2,572	2,341
Total lease expense	22,546	19,163
Other Lease Information
Operating cash flows from operating leases	19,112	16,629
Right-of-use lease assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities	$ 60,281	$ 7,732
Lease Term and Discount Rate
Weighted average remaining lease term (in years)	7 years 2 months 12 days
Weighted average discount rate (percent)	3.30%
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining lease term, excluding Chicago office space (in years)	4 years 10 months 24 days
Chicago Office Space
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Lease term (in years)			15 years

LEASES - Maturity of Lease Liabilities (Details) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Maturity of Lease Liabilities
Remaining 2020	$ 61,390
2021	74,485
2022	62,947
2023	49,726
2024	32,536
Thereafter	123,925
Total lease payments	405,009
Less: Interest	(48,376)
Present value of lease liabilities	$ 356,633

ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020
Rollforward of Allowance for Credit Loss
Allowance for credit loss, beginning balance	$ 32,838
Accounts Receivable, Credit Loss Expense (Reversal)	5,072
Write-offs	(5,438)
Allowance for credit loss, ending balance	$ 32,838	$ 32,472

CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$ 108,344		$ 76,149
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(32,195)	$ 5,297
Other comprehensive loss, related income tax effects	$ 1,500