C.H. Robinson Reports Strong Q2 2026 Earnings

C.H. Robinson delivered strong Q2 2026 results, with adjusted operating income rising 20% year-on-year as the company reached mid-cycle operating margin targets in both North American Surface Transportation (NAST) and Global Forwarding despite continued freight market weakness. The company’s Lean AI transformation is driving productivity and scalability, delivering more than 60% productivity improvements since the end of 2022 by embedding AI into workflows to improve decision-making, customer service and operational efficiency. C.H. Robinson continued gaining market share across key logistics segments, with NAST outperforming the Cass Freight Shipment Index for the 13th consecutive quarter and the company leveraging stronger revenue management and multimodal capabilities to maintain profitability through market volatility. C.H. Robinson delivered another quarter of outperformance in Q2 2026, continuing the momentum of a three-year transformation that has reshaped how the company operates. Through a combination of Lean principles, AI-powered innovation , and disciplined execution, C.H. Robinson is building a more agile and scalable business—one capable of delivering stronger results across market cycles. “When I became CEO three years ago, we committed to delivering higher highs and higher lows across freight market cycles. Our second quarter results are yet another example of delivering on that commitment. Despite being in the trough of the freight market demand cycle, with the Cass Freight Shipment Index declining on a year-over-year basis for the 15th consecutive quarter, we hit our mid-cycle operating margin targets in both North American Surface Transportation (“NAST”) and Global Forwarding in Q2.” Q2 2026 highlights Increased adjusted operating income 20% year-over-year Achieved mid-cycle operating margin targets in both NAST and Global Forwarding Expanded NAST operating margin (excluding restructuring costs) by 280 basis points year-over-year to 40.9% Expanded Global Forwarding operating margin (excluding restructuring costs) by 470 basis points year-over-year to 33.4% NAST volume outgrew the Cass Freight Shipment Index for the 13th consecutive quarter Delivered more than 60% productivity improvement since the end of 2022 in both NAST and Global Forwarding Returned $301 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases NAST continued generating market share gains while maintaining truckload adjusted gross profit per shipment despite significant spot-rate inflation Delivering strong profitability despite continued freight demand pressure While freight market demand remained challenged throughout the quarter, C.H. Robinson continued to demonstrate how disciplined execution, productivity gains, and operating leverage can drive earnings growth in any market environment. Despite operating in the trough of the freight market demand cycle, C.H. Robinson delivered a 20% year-over-year increase in adjusted operating income and achieved its mid-cycle operating margin targets in both NAST and Global Forwarding. The results reflect years of disciplined execution, productivity improvements, and a more scalable operating model built to perform across market cycles. Chief Financial Officer Damon Lee highlighted how the combination of disciplined execution and Lean AI continues to translate into stronger financial performance: “Our Q2 results demonstrate again how disciplined execution and our Lean AI strategy are driving secular earnings growth and meaningful progress against our strategic priorities, including market share gains, gross profit optimization, and improved operating leverage.” Lean AI is improving how work gets done across the enterprise Lean AI continues to be a key driver of C.H. Robinson’s transformation. While productivity has improved by more than 60% in both NAST and Global Forwarding since the end of 2022, leadership emphasized that the strategy is about much more than efficiency . By embedding AI directly into workflows, the company is improving decision-making, enhancing customer experiences, and helping employees focus on higher-value work. “This is not about automating tasks or taking people out of the process. It is about fundamentally improving how work gets done, raising the level of service we provide to our customers, and improving the quality of work and experience for our employees, all while enabling the business to scale more efficiently and drive sustainable operating performance in any market environment,” said Arun Rajan, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. A key differentiator is how C.H. Robinson embeds AI into the business. The company owns the application layer and integrates AI agents directly into workflows across the quote-to-cash lifecycle, pairing them with the same operating disciplines that have driven its broader transformation. Global Forwarding is one example of that strategy in action. During the first half of 2026, the team focused on simplifying