The Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based logistics and transportation group reported net income of USD 136,3 million, or USD 1,12 per diluted share, for the three months ended 31/12/2025. This figure is down from USD 149,3 million, or USD 1,22 per share, in the same period last year. Fourth quarter revenue reached USD 3,91 billion, a 6,5% decrease from USD 4,19 billion.

Speaking on 28/1/2026, CEO Dave Bozeman stated that the fourth quarter occurred amidst a challenging macroeconomic environment, characterized by weak global transportation demand, rising truck spot costs, and falling ocean freight rates. These factors placed significant pressure on business operations. However, the company focused on controllable elements, including improving service quality, enhancing solutions for customers and shipping partners, and maintaining disciplined operations.

According to Bozeman, C.H. Robinson also improved its business model and optimized service costs. This focused approach, combined with artificial intelligence, has helped the company maintain strong performance over the past two years.

In recent quarters, C.H. Robinson has intensified its application of artificial intelligence. Two days before announcing its earnings, the company revealed the deployment of "ai agents" to better analyze data and address missed shipments in the less-than-truckload (LTL) freight segment, a common industry issue.

C.H. Robinson reported full-year net income of USD 587,1 million on revenue of USD 16,2 billion, compared to net income of USD 465,6 million on revenue of USD 17,7 billion in 2024. Photo: C.H. Robinson

CEO Dave Bozeman noted that spot costs for truckload capacity increased sharply in the final five weeks of the quarter due to seasonal factors, three winter storms, and the cumulative impact of stricter regulations for commercial drivers. Meanwhile, international freight continued to be affected by global trade policies, leading to early shipments, disruptions in cargo flow, and a noticeable drop in demand after the peak third quarter. Combined with vessel overcapacity, this caused a sharp decline in ocean freight rates.

For the full year 2025, C.H. Robinson recorded net income of USD 587,1 million, or USD 4,83 per share, on revenue of USD 16,2 billion. In the previous year, 2024, the company achieved net income of USD 465,6 million, or USD 3,86 per share, on revenue of USD 17,7 billion.

Fourth quarter revenue for the north american surface transport (nast) segment saw a slight increase of 0,3% to USD 2,81 billion. This rise was primarily due to higher truckload freight volume, though partially offset by shorter average haul distances. Both linehaul rates and cost per mile increased year-over-year.

Bozeman stated that nast's total volume increased by approximately 1%, with truckload volume up about 3% compared to the same period last year, reflecting the company's continued market share gains. This result was achieved through effective revenue management and an improved outsourced cost advantage. The report indicates nast's truckload and ltl volume increased by 1%, surpassing market indices; costs decreased due to productivity improvements, contributing to a 6,6% increase in operating income to USD 141,3 million.

In the global forwarding segment, revenue decreased by 17,3% to USD 731 million, mainly due to lower ocean freight rates and volume. Operating costs decreased by 9,5% through cost optimization, productivity improvements, and reduced incentive compensation, though partially impacted by restructuring costs associated with workforce reductions. Average headcount decreased by 11,8% year-over-year, leading to a 21,9% reduction in operating income for this segment, which stood at USD 40,5 million.

According to CEO Dave Bozeman, the group continues to restructure the global forwarding segment into a centralized model, featuring standard, streamlined processes supported by artificial intelligence. As a result, overall company productivity improved significantly, with double-digit growth in nast for the full year and high single-digit growth in the global forwarding segment.

C.H. Robinson currently ranks second on transport topics' list of top 100 largest north american logistics companies and 21st among the top 50 global freight companies.

Nhu Y (According to Transport Topics)