C.H. Robinson reported solid third-quarter results despite ongoing challenges in global freight markets. The company cited disciplined cost management and the continued rollout of its Lean AI framework as key contributors to improved performance.

During the quarterly earnings call, President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Bozeman said the company had achieved seven consecutive quarters of outperformance through its strategic initiatives. “With seven consecutive quarters of consistent outperformance through the disciplined execution of the strategy that we shared at our 2024 Investor Day, there is no doubt in our minds that we are on the right path to deliver sustainable outperformance,” Bozeman said. He added that the company’s model is designed for scalability and further efficiency gains as automation expands across the quote-to-cash process.

© C.H. Robinson

Third-quarter performance
Income from operations rose 22.6% to US$220.8 million, while the adjusted operating margin increased by 680 basis points to 31.3%. Diluted earnings per share reached US$1.34, up 67.5% from the prior year, and adjusted diluted earnings per share grew 9.4% to US$1.40. Cash generated by operations increased by US$167.4 million to US$275.4 million. The company also raised its 2026 operating income target range to between US$965 million and US$1.04 billion.

Chief Financial Officer Damon Lee said, “Based on the confidence in our strategy, our disciplined execution, and our significant runway for further improvement, we are increasing our 2026 operating income target by roughly US$50 million despite market dynamics that have created greater headwinds than we originally anticipated.”

Lean AI and operational transformation
C.H. Robinson’s current transformation strategy centers on Lean AI, which combines artificial intelligence with Lean management methods to improve logistics efficiency. The company said the approach is already being applied across operations to automate workflows and reduce inefficiencies.

According to the company, the integration of Lean AI aims to create what it calls “Agentic Supply Chains,” where automation and decision support tools improve speed and reliability in freight management.

Navigating market headwinds
The third quarter took place against a backdrop of a prolonged freight recession, weak truckload demand, and continued disruptions in global trade. Despite these conditions, Bozeman said the company’s financial results reflected consistent execution of its cost and efficiency strategy.

“This is a new C.H. Robinson, and we don’t use the macro environment as an excuse,” Bozeman said. “We are a fundamentally different company than we were two years ago.”

Looking ahead, the company said it will continue to focus on cost optimization, operational streamlining, and technology integration to sustain margin growth in 2026.

For more information:
C.H. Robinson
Tel: +1 952 683 2800
Email: [email protected]
www.chrobinson.com