C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. provides freight transportation services and logistics solutions worldwide. The company operates through a network of 214 offices (branches) in North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. In 2006, it handled approximately 5.2 million shipments for approximately 25,000 customers.
Through its relationships with approximately 45,000 transportation companies, including motor carriers, railroads (primarily intermodal service providers), air freight and ocean carriers, the company selects and hires the appropriate transportation to manage its customers’ freight needs. It also provides a range of value-added logistics services, such as supply chain analysis, freight consolidation, core carrier program management, and information reporting.
The company has developed global multimodal transportation and distribution networks to provide logistics services worldwide. In addition to multimodal transportation services, it has two other logistics business lines: fresh produce sourcing and fee-based information services.
Multimodal Transportation Services
The company operates as a third party logistics company. It provides freight transportation and logistics services. It arranges various modes of transportation, on a worldwide basis, including:
Truck: The company, through contracts with motor carriers, has access to dry vans, temperature-controlled units, and flatbeds. It also offers time-definite and expedited truck transportation.
Less Than Truckload (LTL): LTL transportation involves the shipment of small packages and single or multiple pallets of freight, up to and including full trailer-load freight. The company focuses on shipments of a single pallet or larger.
Intermodal: The company’s intermodal transportation service is the shipment of freight in trailers or containers, by a combination of truck and rail. It has intermodal marketing contracts with railroads, and arranges local pickup and delivery through local motor carriers.
Ocean: The company consolidates shipments, determine routing, select ocean carriers, contract for ocean shipments, provides for local pickup and delivery of shipments, and arranges for customs clearance of shipments, including the payment of duties.
Air: The company provides door-to-door service as a full-service air freight forwarder, primarily internationally.
Information Services
Information Services comprises a subsidiary of the company, T-Chek Systems, Inc. T-Chek’s customers are motor carriers and truck stop chains. T-Chek provides its motor carrier customers with fuel management services, funds transfer, fuel and use tax reporting, driver payroll services, permits, and on-line access to information management reports, all through the use of its proprietary automated systems. These systems enable motor carriers to track equipment, manage fleets, and dictate where and when their drivers purchase fuel. For various companies and truck stop chains, T-Chek captures sales and fuel cost data, provides management information to the seller, and invoices the carrier for fuel and cash advances.
Acquisitions
In 2006, the company acquired certain assets of Payne, Lynch & Associates, Inc. (Payne Lynch), a non-asset based third party logistics company that specializes in flatbed and over dimensional freight brokerage. It also acquired certain assets of Triune Freight Private, Ltd. and Triune Logistics Private, Ltd., (Triune), a third party logistics provider based in India.
Customers
The company’s customers include grocery retailers, produce wholesalers, restaurants, and foodservice distributors.
History
CH Robinson Worldwide, Inc. was founded in 1905.
