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C. H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC. - Quarter Report: 2021 September (Form 10-Q)

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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q

    QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Quarterly Period Ended September 30, 2021
    TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Transition Period From         to        

Commission File Number: 000-23189
chrw-20210930_g1.jpg
C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 41-1883630
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
14701 Charlson Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55347
(Address of principal executive officers, including zip code)

952-937-8500
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.10 par valueCHRWNasdaq Global Select Market
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes      No  
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Date File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes      No  
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filerAccelerated filerEmerging Growth Company
Non-accelerated filerSmaller reporting company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes      No  
As of October 27, 2021, the number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, was 129,987,462.


Table of Contents
C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
 PART I. Financial Information 
Item 1.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
PART II. Other Information
Item 1.
Item 1A.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
Item 5.
Item 6.



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PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)
 September 30, 2021December 31, 2020
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents$202,649 $243,796 
Receivables, net of allowance for credit loss of $37,114 and $38,113
3,721,571 2,449,577 
Contract assets, net of allowance for credit loss416,971 197,176 
Prepaid expenses and other89,472 51,152 
Total current assets4,430,663 2,941,701 
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization177,418 178,949 
Goodwill1,486,199 1,487,187 
Other intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization96,025 113,910 
Right-of-use lease assets297,249 319,785 
Deferred tax assets26,244 18,640 
Other assets88,808 84,086 
Total assets$6,602,606 $5,144,258 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ INVESTMENT
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable$1,797,441 $1,195,099 
Outstanding checks66,748 88,265 
Accrued expenses:
Compensation173,353 138,460 
Transportation expense319,154 153,574 
Income taxes39,276 43,700 
Other accrued liabilities157,251 154,460 
Current lease liabilities66,470 66,174 
Current portion of debt632,000 — 
Total current liabilities3,251,693 1,839,732 
Long-term debt1,093,950 1,093,301 
Noncurrent lease liabilities245,902 268,572 
Noncurrent income taxes payable25,449 26,015 
Deferred tax liabilities20,259 22,182 
Other long-term liabilities14,553 14,523 
Total liabilities4,651,806 3,264,325 
Stockholders’ investment:
Preferred stock, $0.10 par value, 20,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding
— — 
Common stock, $0.10 par value, 480,000 shares authorized; 179,206 and 179,232 shares issued, 130,376 and 134,298 outstanding
13,038 13,430 
Additional paid-in capital637,182 566,022 
Retained earnings4,779,964 4,372,833 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(65,480)(45,998)
Treasury stock at cost (48,830 and 44,934 shares)
(3,413,904)(3,026,354)
Total stockholders’ investment1,950,800 1,879,933 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ investment$6,602,606 $5,144,258 
See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.
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C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income
(unaudited, in thousands except per share data)
 
 Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
 2021202020212020
Revenues:
Transportation$5,999,901 $3,944,981 $15,800,576 $10,835,710 
Sourcing263,794 279,819 799,714 821,944 
Total revenues6,263,695 4,224,800 16,600,290 11,657,654 
Costs and expenses:
Purchased transportation and related services5,180,390 3,378,651 13,580,980 9,141,354 
Purchased products sourced for resale239,113 256,876 723,562 744,621 
Personnel expenses399,880 302,904 1,123,616 933,607 
Other selling, general, and administrative expenses133,543 118,130 377,430 371,606 
Total costs and expenses5,952,926 4,056,561 15,805,588 11,191,188 
Income from operations310,769 168,239 794,702 466,466 
Interest and other expense(16,662)(7,465)(41,419)(32,904)
Income before provision for income taxes294,107 160,774 753,283 433,562 
Provision for income taxes47,054 24,245 139,136 74,948 
Net income247,053 136,529 614,147 358,614 
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax(12,034)13,236 (19,482)5,294 
Comprehensive income$235,019 $149,765 $594,665 $363,908 
Basic net income per share$1.87 $1.01 $4.61 $2.65 
Diluted net income per share$1.85 $1.00 $4.56 $2.63 
Basic weighted average shares outstanding131,845 135,671 133,201 135,385 
Dilutive effect of outstanding stock awards1,591 1,457 1,460 752 
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding133,436 137,128 134,661 136,137 
See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.


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C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Investment
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)
Common
Shares
Outstanding
AmountAdditional
Paid-in
Capital
Retained
Earnings
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Loss
Treasury
Stock
Total
Stockholders’
Investment
Balance December 31, 2020134,298 $13,430 $566,022 $4,372,833 $(45,998)$(3,026,354)$1,879,933 
Net income173,305 173,305 
Foreign currency adjustments(7,286)(7,286)
Dividends declared, $0.51 per share
(69,606)(69,606)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans357 36 (21,805)18,766 (3,003)
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures(26)(3)— 
Stock-based compensation expense— — 23,989 — 23,989 
Repurchase of common stock(1,386)(139)(129,006)(129,145)
Balance March 31, 2021133,243 13,324 568,209 4,476,532 (53,284)(3,136,594)1,868,187 
Net income193,789 193,789 
Foreign currency adjustments(162)(162)
Dividends declared, $0.51 per share
(69,094)(69,094)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans250 25 418 16,151 16,594 
Stock-based compensation expense— — 29,161 — 29,161 
Repurchase of common stock(1,358)(136)(132,169)(132,305)
Balance June 30, 2021132,135 $13,213 $597,788 $4,601,227 $(53,446)$(3,252,612)$1,906,170 
Net income247,053 247,053 
Foreign currency adjustments(12,034)(12,034)
Dividends declared, $0.51 per share
(68,316)(68,316)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans91 (1,418)5,755 4,346 
Stock-based compensation expense— — 40,812 — 40,812 
Repurchase of common stock(1,850)(184)(167,047)(167,231)
Balance September 30, 2021130,376 $13,038 $637,182 $4,779,964 $(65,480)$(3,413,904)$1,950,800 














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C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Investment, continued
(unaudited, in thousands, except per share data)
Common
Shares
Outstanding
AmountAdditional
Paid-in
Capital
Retained
Earnings
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)Treasury
Stock
Total
Stockholders’
Investment
Balance December 31, 2019134,895 $13,490 $546,646 $4,144,834 $(76,149)$(2,958,091)$1,670,730 
Net income78,146 78,146 
Foreign currency adjustments(32,195)(32,195)
Dividends declared, $0.51 per share
(69,871)(69,871)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans343 34 (24,192)21,632 (2,526)
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures321 32 (32)— 
Stock-based compensation expense— — 11,397 — 11,397 
Repurchase of common stock(973)(97)(68,466)(68,563)
Balance March 31, 2020134,586 13,459 533,819 4,153,109 (108,344)(3,004,925)1,587,118 
Net income143,939 143,939 
Foreign currency adjustments24,253 24,253 
Dividends declared, $0.51 per share
(69,791)(69,791)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans138 13 (1,165)9,007 7,855 
Stock-based compensation expense— — 10,954 — 10,954 
Balance June 30, 2020134,724 $13,472 $543,608 $4,227,257 $(84,091)$(2,995,918)$1,704,328 
Net income136,529 136,529 
Foreign currency adjustments13,236 13,236 
Dividends declared, $0.51 per share
(70,188)(70,188)
Stock issued for employee benefit plans1,176 118 1,032 77,528 78,678 
Stock-based compensation expense— — 10,776 — 10,776 
Balance September 30, 2020135,900 $13,590 $555,416 $4,293,598 $(70,855)$(2,918,390)$1,873,359 
See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.
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C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(unaudited, in thousands)
 
 Nine Months Ended September 30,
20212020
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net income$614,147 $358,614 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization68,621 77,067 
Provision for credit losses3,979 12,701 
Stock-based compensation93,962 33,127 
Deferred income taxes(11,683)(9,468)
Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation(10,830)(17,127)
Other operating activities1,384 13,104 
Changes in operating elements, net of acquisitions:
Receivables(1,290,485)(367,538)
Contract assets(220,889)(56,131)
Prepaid expenses and other(38,525)12,331 
Accounts payable and outstanding checks595,036 186,755 
Accrued compensation35,413 16,458 
Accrued transportation expense165,580 46,396 
Accrued income taxes6,400 17,125 
Other accrued liabilities4,947 8,907 
Other assets and liabilities2,043 4,728 
Net cash provided by operating activities19,100 337,049 
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Purchases of property and equipment(26,503)(17,446)
Purchases and development of software(26,062)(22,815)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired(14,749)(223,230)
Other investing activities— 5,525 
Net cash used for investing activities(67,314)(257,966)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from stock issued for employee benefit plans43,183 100,542 
Stock tendered for payment of withholding taxes(25,246)(16,535)
Repurchase of common stock(428,801)(68,563)
Cash dividends(208,926)(207,428)
Payments on long-term borrowings(2,048)— 
Proceeds from short-term borrowings2,768,000 1,043,600 
Payments on short-term borrowings(2,136,251)(1,126,600)
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities9,911 (274,984)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents(2,844)612 
Net change in cash and cash equivalents(41,147)(195,289)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period243,796 447,858 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period$202,649 $252,569 
See accompanying notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements.
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C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1. 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, 2020.
RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
In March 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update ("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 companies may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2022. As of September 30, 2021, we have not utilized any of the expedients discussed within this ASU. We will continue to assess our agreements to determine if LIBOR is included and if the expedients will be utilized during the allowed period through December 31, 2022.
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, 2020, includes a summary of the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
NOTE 2. GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
The change in carrying amount of goodwill is as follows (in thousands):
NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateTotal
Balance, December 31, 2020$1,203,972 $213,982 $69,233 $1,487,187 
Acquisitions243 — 10,754 10,997 
Foreign currency translation(7,894)(2,668)(1,423)(11,985)
Balance September 30, 2021$1,196,321 $211,314 $78,564 $1,486,199 

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 ongoing impacts of the COVID-19
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pandemic 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 September 30, 2021.
Identifiable intangible assets consisted of the following (in thousands):
September 30, 2021December 31, 2020
CostAccumulated AmortizationNetCostAccumulated AmortizationNet
Finite-lived intangibles
Customer relationships$169,540 $(82,115)$87,425 $171,684 $(67,312)$104,372 
Trademarks— — — 1,875 (937)938 
Total finite-lived intangibles169,540 (82,115)87,425 173,559 (68,249)105,310 
Indefinite-lived intangibles
Trademarks8,600 — 8,600 8,600 — 8,600 
Total intangibles$178,140 $(82,115)$96,025 $182,159 $(68,249)$113,910 
Amortization expense for other intangible assets is as follows (in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2021202020212020
Amortization expense$6,130 $9,937 $19,416 $27,968 
Finite-lived intangible assets, by reportable segment, as of September 30, 2021, will be amortized over their remaining lives as follows (in thousands):
NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateTotal
Remaining 2021$2,024 $3,738 $293 $6,055 
20228,096 14,953 1,171 24,220 
20238,096 12,304 1,171 21,571 
20247,991 3,778 1,171 12,940 
20257,857 2,479 1,171 11,507 
Thereafter9,168 403 1,561 11,132 
Total$87,425 

NOTE 3. 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 September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020. There were no transfers between levels during the period.

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NOTE 4. 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 ofCarrying value as of
September 30, 2021December 31, 2020MaturitySeptember 30, 2021December 31, 2020
Revolving credit facility1.20 %— %October 2023$632,000 $— 
Senior Notes, Series A3.97 %3.97 %August 2023175,000 175,000 
Senior Notes, Series B4.26 %4.26 %August 2028150,000 150,000 
Senior Notes, Series C4.60 %4.60 %August 2033175,000 175,000 
Senior Notes (1)
4.20 %4.20 %April 2028593,950 593,301 
Total debt1,725,950 1,093,301 
Less: Current maturities and short-term borrowing(632,000)— 
Long-term debt$1,093,950 $1,093,301 
____________________________________________
(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 1.13 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, if any, approximates fair value because of the short maturity period of the debt.
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 $546.0 million at September 30, 2021.
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.
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COMBINEX CREDIT FACILITY
On June 3, 2021, we assumed a credit facility as part of our acquisition of Combinex Holding B.V. (“Combinex”) with total availability of approximately $3.6 million and a maturity date of January 18, 2027. We paid off the $2.2 million balance of this facility in September 2021. For more information regarding the Combinex acquisition, refer to Note 8, Acquisitions.
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 $680.2 million as of September 30, 2021, based primarily on the market prices quoted from external sources. The carrying value of the Senior Notes was $594.0 million as of September 30, 2021.
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 or enter into sale and leaseback transactions above certain limits; 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.
In addition to the above financing agreements, we have a $15 million discretionary line of credit with US Bank of which $8 million is currently utilized for standby letters of credit related to insurance collateral as of September 30, 2021. These standby letters of credit are renewed annually and were undrawn as of September 30, 2021.
We estimate the fair value of our financing arrangements 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 risk. These are considered Level 2 financial liabilities.
U.S. TRADE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE SECURITIZATION
We had a receivables securitization facility (the “Receivables Securitization Facility”) that expired on December 17, 2020 and was not renewed. The Receivables Securitization Facility was based on the securitization of certain of our U.S. trade accounts receivable and provided funding of up to $250 million. The trade accounts receivable under the facility were owned by C.H. Robinson Receivables LLC and were not available to the creditors of C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., and our subsidiaries. The interest rate on borrowings under the Receivables Securitization Facility was based on one-month LIBOR plus 0.65 percent. There was also a commitment fee we were required to pay on any unused portion of the facility.
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NOTE 5. INCOME TAXES
A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes using the statutory federal income tax rate to our effective income tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021and 2020, is as follows:
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2021202020212020
Federal statutory rate21.0 %21.0 %21.0 %21.0 %
State income taxes, net of federal benefit0.6 2.0 1.5 2.4 
Share based payment awards0.4 (3.8)(0.8)(4.1)
Foreign tax credits(0.1)(5.2)(0.3)(3.1)
Foreign(4.2)0.3 (1.5)1.2 
Other(1.7)0.8 (1.4)(0.1)
Effective income tax rate16.0 %15.1 %18.5 %17.3 %

We have asserted that the unremitted earnings of a limited number of our foreign subsidiaries are permanently reinvested to support expansion of our international business. If we repatriated all foreign earnings that are considered to be permanently reinvested, the estimated effect on income taxes payable would be an increase of approximately $2.0 million as of September 30, 2021.

On March 27, 2020, the U.S. government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act allowed 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 allowed us to defer certain federal payroll deposits and invest this cash back into the business without any interest cost. The CARES Act also provided for a tax credit related to wages and health benefits provided to an employee whose work from March 17, 2020 through June 30, 2021 was impacted by COVID-19. The Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law on December 27, 2020, extended the tax credit through June 30, 2021, and increased the maximum credit per employee from $5,000 per year in 2020 to $7,000 per quarter in 2021. Through September 30, 2021, we have recognized a payroll deferral and tax credit of $28.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively, under the CARES Act and The Consolidated Appropriations Act. We will continue evaluating the impact of both acts over the remainder of 2021.

As of September 30, 2021, we have $40.0 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 $5.6 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 2014. We are currently under an Internal Revenue Service audit for 2015, 2016 and 2017 tax years.
NOTE 6. 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 September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2021202020212020
Stock options$4,070 $5,081 $12,064 $15,119 
Stock awards36,012 5,042 79,361 15,736 
Company expense on ESPP discount730 653 2,537 2,272 
Total stock-based compensation expense$40,812 $10,776 $93,962 $33,127 

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 1,765,322 shares were available for stock awards under the plan as of September 30, 2021. Shares subject to
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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 through 2020. The fair value of these options was established based on the market price on the date of grant calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Changes in measured stock price volatility and interest rates were the primary reasons for changes in the fair value. These grants are being expensed based on the terms of the awards. As of September 30, 2021, unrecognized compensation expense related to stock options was $30.6 million. The amount of future expense to be recognized will be based on the passage of time and the employees' continued employment.
Stock Awards - We have awarded performance-based restricted shares through 2020. We have also awarded performance-based 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 based on our earnings and adjusted gross profit 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 24 percent and are calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model-protective put method. Differences in post-holding restrictions, 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 280,255 performance-based restricted stock units and 619,689 time-based restricted stock units on February 3, 2021. The performance-based and time-based awards had a weighted average grant date fair value of $74.76 and $71.28, respectively, and are eligible to vest over a three-year period with a first vesting date of December 31, 2021. The performance-based awards vest based on our earnings and adjusted gross profit growth and include an upside opportunity of 200 percent upon attaining established earnings and adjusted gross profit growth targets.
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 September 30, 2021, there was unrecognized compensation expense of $99.9 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 and adjusted gross profit 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 (dollars in thousands): 
Three Months Ended September 30, 2021
Shares purchased
by employees
Aggregate cost
to employees
Expense recognized
by the company
55,904 $4,134 $730 

NOTE 7. LITIGATION
We 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 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.
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NOTE 8. ACQUISITIONS
Combinex Holding B.V.
On June 3, 2021 we acquired all of the outstanding shares of Combinex to strengthen our European road transportation presence. Total purchase consideration, net of cash acquired was $14.7 million, which was paid in cash.
Identifiable intangible assets and estimated useful lives are as follows (dollars in thousands):
Estimated Life (years)
Customer relationships7$3,942 
There was $10.8 million of goodwill recorded related to the acquisition of Combinex. The Combinex goodwill is a result of acquiring and retaining the Combinex workforce and expected synergies from integrating its business into ours. Purchase accounting is considered preliminary. The goodwill will not be deductible for tax purposes. The results of operations of Combinex have been included as part of the All Other and Corporate segment in our consolidated financial statements since June 3, 2021.
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 $222.7 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$8,879 
Property and equipment7,356 
Right-of-use lease assets35,017 
Other intangible assets55,000 
Goodwill176,727 
Total assets282,979 
Current liabilities12,243 
Lease liabilities35,017 
Deferred tax liabilities13,001 
Net assets acquired$222,718 

Identifiable intangible assets and estimated useful lives are as follows (dollars in thousands):
Estimated Life (years)
Customer relationships7$55,000 
There was $176.7 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 complete. 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.
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NOTE 9. 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 and less than truckload (“LTL”) transportation services.
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, air freight 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 transportation and logistics services including truckload and groupage services 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.
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Reportable segment information as of, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, is as follows (dollars in thousands):

NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateConsolidated
Three Months Ended September 30, 2021
Total revenues$3,814,988 $1,978,901 $469,806 $6,263,695 
Income (loss) from operations149,035 165,155 (3,421)310,769 
Depreciation and amortization6,620 5,427 10,359 22,406 
Total assets(1)
3,437,461 2,438,106 727,039 6,602,606 
Average headcount6,764 5,167 4,037 15,968 
NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateConsolidated
Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues$2,923,842 $831,957 $469,001 $4,224,800 
Income (loss) from operations122,526 46,299 (586)168,239 
Depreciation and amortization7,095 9,385 10,436 26,916 
Total assets(1)
3,041,974 1,148,118 884,746 5,074,838 
Average headcount6,702 4,607 3,595 14,904 
NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateConsolidated
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021
Total revenues$10,611,892 $4,585,734 $1,402,664 $16,600,290 
Income (loss) from operations436,911 363,956 (6,165)794,702 
Depreciation and amortization19,779 17,352 31,490 68,621 
Total assets(1)
3,437,461 2,438,106 727,039 6,602,606 
Average headcount6,650 4,951 3,881 15,482 
NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateConsolidated
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues$8,222,879 $2,070,161 $1,364,614 $11,657,654 
Income (loss) from operations357,898 117,033 (8,465)466,466 
Depreciation and amortization19,550 27,740 29,777 77,067 
Total assets(1)
3,041,974 1,148,118 884,746 5,074,838 
Average headcount6,870 4,716 3,591 15,177 
_________________________________________
(1) All cash and cash equivalents are included in All Other and Corporate.

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NOTE 10. 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 and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 (in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30, 2021
NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateTotal
Major Service Lines
Transportation and logistics services(1)
$3,814,988 $1,978,901 $206,012 $5,999,901 
Sourcing(2)
— — 263,794 263,794 
Total$3,814,988 $1,978,901 $469,806 $6,263,695 
Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateTotal
Major Service Lines
Transportation and logistics services(1)
$2,923,842 $831,957 $189,182 $3,944,981 
Sourcing(2)
— — 279,819 279,819 
Total$2,923,842 $831,957 $469,001 $4,224,800 
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021
NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateTotal
Major Service Lines
Transportation and logistics services(1)
$10,611,892 $4,585,734 $602,950 $15,800,576 
Sourcing(2)
— — 799,714 799,714 
Total$10,611,892 $4,585,734 $1,402,664 $16,600,290 
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
NASTGlobal ForwardingAll Other and CorporateTotal
Major Service Lines
Transportation and logistics services(1)
$8,222,879 $2,070,161 $542,670 $10,835,710 
Sourcing(2)
— — 821,944 821,944 
Total$8,222,879 $2,070,161 $1,364,614 $11,657,654 
____________________________________________
(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 September 30, 2021, and revenue recognized in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 resulting from contract liabilities, were not significant. Contract assets and accrued expenses-transportation expense fluctuate from period to period primarily based upon shipments in-transit at period end.
NOTE 11. 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, Leases, 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.

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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 September 30, 2021.

Information regarding lease expense, remaining lease term, discount rate, and other select lease information is presented below as of September 30, 2021, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 (dollars in thousands):

Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
Lease Costs2021202020212020
Operating lease expense$21,220 $22,373 $64,241 $63,855 
Short-term lease expense2,871 3,626 5,934 10,225 
Total lease expense$24,091 $25,999 $70,175 $74,080 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
Other Lease Information20212020
Operating cash flows from operating leases$70,997 $60,569 
Right-of-use lease assets obtained in exchange for new lease liabilities38,028 88,857 
Lease Term and Discount RateAs of September 30, 2021
Weighted average remaining lease term (in years)(1)
6.5
Weighted average discount rate3.0 %
____________________________________________
(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 4.4 years.

The maturities of lease liabilities as of September 30, 2021, were as follows (in thousands):
Maturity of Lease LiabilitiesOperating Leases
Remaining 2021$14,165 
202279,177 
202365,008 
202444,974 
202533,834 
Thereafter112,063 
Total lease payments349,221 
Less: Interest(36,849)
Present value of lease liabilities$312,372 

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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.
NOTE 12. ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES
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, and our customers' credit ratings, in addition to other customer specific factors. We have also assessed the current macroeconomic environment, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 nine months ended September 30, 2021:
Balance, December 31, 2020$38,113 
Provision2,885 
Write-offs(3,884)
Balance, September 30, 2021$37,114 

Recoveries of amounts previously written off were not significant for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021.
NOTE 13. CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
Accumulated other comprehensive loss is included in Stockholders' investment on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The recorded balance at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, was $65.5 million and $46.0 million, respectively. Accumulated other comprehensive loss is comprised solely of foreign currency adjustments at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020.
Other comprehensive loss was $12.0 million compared to other comprehensive income of $13.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Other comprehensive loss was $19.5 million compared to other comprehensive income of $5.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Other comprehensive loss and income consisted of foreign currency adjustments, including foreign currency translation, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020.
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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
Our quarterly report on Form 10-Q, including this discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations and our disclosures about market risk, contains certain “forward-looking statements.” These statements represent our expectations, beliefs, intentions, or strategies concerning future events that, by their nature, involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements about our future performance, the continuation of historical trends, the sufficiency of our sources of capital for future needs, the effects of acquisitions or dispositions, the expected impact of recently issued accounting pronouncements, and the outcome or effects of litigation. Risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions, including uncertain consumer demand; changes in market demand and pressures on the pricing for our services; fuel price increases or decreases, or fuel shortages; competition and growth rates within the global logistics industry; freight levels and increasing costs and availability of truck capacity or alternative means of transporting freight; changes in relationships with existing contracted truck, rail, ocean, and air carriers; changes in our customer base due to possible consolidation among our customers; cyber-security related risks; risks associated with operations outside of the United States; our ability to successfully integrate the operations of acquired companies with our historic operations; risks associated with litigation, including contingent auto liability and insurance coverage; risks related to the elimination of LIBOR; risks associated with the potential impact of changes in government regulations; risks associated with the produce industry, including food safety and contamination issues; the impact of war on the economy; changes to our capital structure; changes due to catastrophic events including pandemics such as COVID-19, and other risks and uncertainties, detailed in our Annual and Quarterly Reports. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from our expectations based on these and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in Item 1A. Risk Factors of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 19, 2021 as well as the updates to these risk factors included in Part II—“Item 1A, Risk Factors,” herein.
Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update such statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after such date.
OVERVIEW
C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (“C.H. Robinson,” “the company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is one of the world's largest logistics platforms. Our mission is to improve the world's supply chains through our people, processes, and technology by delivering exceptional value to our customers and suppliers. We provide freight transportation services and logistics solutions to companies of all sizes in a wide variety of industries. We operate through a network of offices in North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and South America. We offer a global suite of services using tailored, market-leading solutions built by and for supply chain experts. Our global network of supply chain experts work with our customers to drive better supply chain outcomes by leveraging our experience, data, digital solutions, and scale.
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Our adjusted gross profit and adjusted gross profit margin are non-GAAP financial measures. Adjusted gross profit is calculated as gross profit excluding amortization of internally developed software utilized to directly serve our customers and contracted carriers. Adjusted gross profit margin is calculated as adjusted gross profit divided by total revenues. We believe adjusted gross profit and adjusted gross profit margin are useful measures of our ability to source, add value, and sell services and products that are provided by third parties, and we consider adjusted gross profit to be a primary performance measurement. Accordingly, the discussion of our results of operations often focuses on the changes in our adjusted gross profit and adjusted gross profit margin. The reconciliation of gross profit to adjusted gross profit and gross profit margin to adjusted gross profit margin is presented below (dollars in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2021202020212020
Revenues:
Transportation$5,999,901 $3,944,981 $15,800,576 $10,835,710 
Sourcing263,794 279,819 799,714 821,944 
Total revenues6,263,695 4,224,800 16,600,290 11,657,654 
Costs and expenses:
Purchased transportation and related services5,180,390 3,378,651 13,580,980 9,141,354 
Purchased products sourced for resale239,113 256,876 723,562 744,621 
Direct internally developed software amortization5,152 4,388 14,601 12,124 
Total direct costs5,424,655 3,639,915 14,319,143 9,898,099 
Gross profit / Gross profit margin839,040 13.4 %584,885 13.8 %2,281,147 13.7 %1,759,555 15.1 %
Plus: Direct internally developed software amortization5,152 4,388 14,601 12,124 
Adjusted gross profit / Adjusted gross profit margin$844,192 13.5 %$589,273 13.9 %$2,295,748 13.8 %$1,771,679 15.2 %

Our adjusted operating margin is a non-GAAP financial measure calculated as operating income divided by adjusted gross profit. We believe adjusted operating margin is a useful measure of our profitability in comparison to our adjusted gross profit, which we consider a primary performance metric as discussed above. The reconciliation of operating margin to adjusted operating margin is presented below (dollars in thousands):
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2021202020212020
Total revenues$6,263,695 $4,224,800 $16,600,290 $11,657,654 
Operating income310,769 168,239 794,702 466,466 
Operating margin5.0 %4.0 %4.8 %4.0 %
Adjusted gross profit$844,192 $589,273 $2,295,748 $1,771,679 
Operating income310,769 168,239 794,702 466,466 
Adjusted operating margin36.8 %28.6 %34.6 %26.3 %
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MARKET TRENDS
The North American surface transportation market continues to be impacted by tight carrier capacity as strong demand combined with ongoing driver availability challenges and supply chain disruptions caused by port congestion and weather events continue to drive purchased transportation costs to new historic levels. Industry freight volumes, as measured by the Cass Freight Index, increased approximately 9 percent during the third quarter of 2021 compared to the third quarter of 2020. This compares to an 8 percent decline for the same index during the third quarter of 2020. One of the metrics we use to measure market conditions is the truckload routing guide depth from our Managed Services business. Routing guide depth represents the number of carriers contacted prior to acceptance when procuring a transportation provider. The average routing guide depth of tender in the third quarter of 2021 was 1.7, representing that on average, the first or second carrier in a shipper's routing guide was executing the shipment in most cases. This routing guide penetration compares to 1.6 in the third quarter of 2020 and is reflective of the tight carrier capacity in both the third quarter of 2021 and 2020.
The global forwarding market continues to be significantly impacted by supply chain disruptions caused by ongoing port congestion along with equipment and labor shortages. These disruptions combined with strong demand have continued to drive purchased transportation costs for both ocean and air freight to historic levels. Due to the unprecedented challenges in the ocean freight market, conversions to air freight have become increasingly common. This has resulted in a continued increase in charter flights and larger than normal shipment sizes as traditional air freight capacity remains strained by a reduction of commercial flights since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
BUSINESS TRENDS
Our third quarter of 2021 surface transportation results continue to be impacted by the rising cost and price environment summarized in the market trends section. We have not, however, experienced the significant year over year volume volatility seen in the industry as measured by the Cass Freight Index. Industry freight volumes increased approximately 9 percent during the third quarter of 2021 compared to an 8 percent decline during the third quarter of 2020. Our combined NAST truckload and less than truckload ("LTL") volume increased 2.5 percent during the third quarter of 2021 compared to an 8.0 percent increase during the third quarter of 2020. We have continued to work with our customers to meet our contractual commitments since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in a higher than normal percentage of shipments with negative adjusted gross profit margins and less volatility in our combined NAST truckload and LTL volumes as compared to the Cass Freight Index. We continue to reshape our portfolio by adapting our pricing to reflect the rising cost environment and participating to a greater extent in the spot market. The strong demand and tight carrier capacity conditions resulted in our average truckload linehaul cost per mile, excluding fuel costs, increasing 26.0 percent during the third quarter of 2021. Our average truckload linehaul rate charged to our customers, excluding fuel surcharges, increased approximately 27.0 percent during the third quarter of 2021.
In our global forwarding business, we continued to experience significant increases in purchased transportation costs for both ocean and air freight due to port congestion in addition to the equipment and labor shortages impacting the global forwarding market. This along with increased volumes has resulted in strong growth in both total revenue and cost of transportation for our ocean and air freight services. Ocean volumes increased 12.0 percent with strong growth in nearly all regions we serve driven by higher award sizes from existing customers and new customer growth. In addition, we experienced strong growth in our air freight services driven by ocean freight conversions resulting from the significant disruptions experienced in the industry.
On June 3, 2021, we acquired Combinex Holding B.V. (“Combinex”) to further expand our European road transportation presence. Our consolidated results include the results of Combinex as of June 3, 2021. 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 $222.7 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 acquisition was effective as of February 29, 2020, and therefore the results of operations of Prime Distribution have been included as part of the NAST segment in our consolidated financial statements since March 1, 2020.
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS
During the three months ended September 30, 2021, our financial results and operations were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions impacting the global forwarding and surface transportation markets as described above and discussed throughout Item 2, “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions impact our financial results and operations for the remainder of 2021 and going forward will depend on future developments which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including fluctuations in the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak and the actions being taken to contain and treat it in addition to actions being taken to resolve issues facing supply chains around the globe.
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We have taken a variety of measures to ensure the availability, continuity, and security of our critical infrastructure, ensure the health and safety of our employees around the globe, and provide service and supply chain continuity to our customers and contracted carriers in order to deliver critical and essential goods and services. We have also adopted work-from-home arrangements, and as of September 30, 2021, approximately 80 percent of our employees were working remotely executing their duties and responsibilities. We do not believe these policies and initiatives will adversely impact our operations.
Due to the ongoing uncertainty around the severity and duration of the outbreak, including the emergence of COVID-19 variants, we are not able at this time to estimate the impact COVID-19 may have on our financial results and operations for the remainder of 2021 and going forward. However, the impact could be material in all business segments and could be material during any future period affected either directly or indirectly by this pandemic. Many businesses have experienced, and may continue to experience, reduced production and output which has resulted, and could continue to result, in a decrease in freight volumes across a number of industries, reducing our contractual and spot-market opportunities. In addition, a significant number of our contracted carriers have reduced, and may continue to reduce, their capacity or charge higher prices in light of the volatile market conditions which has reduced and may continue to reduce our adjusted gross profit margins as we honor our contractual freight rates.
SELECTED OPERATING PERFORMANCE AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT ITEMS
The following summarizes select third quarter 2021 year-over-year operating comparisons to the third quarter 2020:
Total revenues increased 48.3 percent to $6.3 billion, driven primarily by higher pricing and higher volume across most of our services.
Gross profits increased 43.5 percent to $839.0 million. Adjusted gross profits increased 43.3 percent to $844.2 million, primarily driven by higher adjusted gross profit per transaction and higher volume across most of our services.
Personnel expenses increased 32.0 percent to $399.9 million, primarily due to higher incentive compensation costs and also due to the benefit realized in the third quarter of 2020 from our short-term, pandemic-related cost reductions. Average headcount increased 7.1 percent.
Other selling, general, and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses increased 13.0 percent to $133.5 million, primarily due to the benefit realized in the third quarter of 2020 from our short-term, pandemic-related cost reductions.
Income from operations totaled $310.8 million, up 84.7 percent due to the increase in adjusted gross profits.
Adjusted operating margin of 36.8 percent increased 820 basis points.
Interest and other expenses totaled $16.7 million, consisting primarily of $13.1 million of interest expense, which increased $1.2 million versus last year due to a higher average debt balance. The third quarter also included a $3.8 million unfavorable impact from foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses.
The effective tax rate in the quarter was 16.0 percent compared to 15.1 percent in the third quarter last year. The rate increase was due primarily to a lower tax benefit related to stock-based compensation.
Diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 85.0 percent to $1.85.
Cash flow from operations decreased $317.9 million driven by a large increase in working capital as of September 30, 2021.
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CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following table summarizes our results of operations (dollars in thousands, except per share data):
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
20212020% change20212020% change
Revenues:
Transportation$5,999,901$3,944,98152.1 %$15,800,576$10,835,71045.8 %
Sourcing263,794279,819(5.7)%799,714821,944(2.7)%
Total revenues6,263,6954,224,80048.3 %16,600,29011,657,65442.4 %
Costs and expenses:
Purchased transportation and related services5,180,3903,378,65153.3 %13,580,9809,141,35448.6 %
Purchased products sourced for resale239,113256,876(6.9)%723,562744,621(2.8)%
Personnel expenses399,880302,90432.0 %1,123,616933,60720.4 %
Other selling, general, and administrative expenses133,543118,13013.0 %377,430371,6061.6 %
Total costs and expenses5,952,9264,056,56146.7 %15,805,58811,191,18841.2 %
Income from operations310,769168,23984.7 %794,702466,46670.4 %
Interest and other expense(16,662)(7,465)123.2 %(41,419)(32,904)25.9 %
Income before provision for income taxes294,107160,77482.9 %753,283433,56273.7 %
Provision for income taxes47,05424,24594.1 %139,13674,94885.6 %
Net income$247,053$136,52981.0 %$614,147$358,61471.3 %
Diluted net income per share$1.85 $1.00 85.0 %$4.56$2.63 73.4 %
Average headcount15,968 14,904 7.1 %15,482 15,177 2.0 %
Adjusted gross profit margin percentage(1)
Transportation13.7 %14.4 %(70 bps)14.0 %15.6 %(160 bps)
Sourcing9.4 %8.2 %120 bps9.5 %9.4 %10 bps
Total adjusted gross profit margin13.5 %13.9 %(40 bps)13.8 %15.2 %(140 bps)
________________________________ 
(1) Adjusted gross profit margin is a non-GAAP financial measure explained above.

A reconciliation of our reportable segments to our consolidated results can be found in Note 9, Segment Reporting, in Part I, Financial Information of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Consolidated Results of Operations—Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 Compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues and direct costs. Total transportation revenues and purchased transportation and related services increased significantly, primarily driven by higher pricing in ocean and truckload, in addition to increased volumes in nearly all services. The higher pricing was driven by the continued supply chain disruptions impacting both the global forwarding and surface transportation market discussed above in the market and business trends sections. Our sourcing total revenue and purchased products sourced for resale decreased as a result of a decrease in case volume with retail customers.
Gross profits and adjusted gross profits. Our transportation adjusted gross profit increased due to increased pricing in ocean and truckload services resulting in higher adjusted gross profits per transaction in addition to volume increases in nearly all services. Our transportation adjusted gross profit margin decreased driven by the increased cost of purchased transportation in all of our service lines. Sourcing adjusted gross profits increased driven by an increase in case volume from sourcing managed procurement customers in the food service industry as the prior year period experienced a significant decrease in demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in case volume with retail customers.
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Operating expenses. Personnel expenses increased primarily due to incentive compensation increases reflecting the strong results in the current period, an increase in average headcount, and the impact of steps taken to reduce costs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior period, including furloughs, reduced work hours, and the temporary suspension of the company match to retirement plans for U.S. and Canadian employees. Stock-based compensation expense recognized on performance-based equity awards granted prior to 2021 totaled $22.7 million in the current period compared to none in the prior period. SG&A expenses increased due to increased purchased services primarily due to the impact of short-term pandemic-related cost reductions in the prior year period.
Interest and other expense. Interest and other expense primarily consisted of interest expense of $13.1 million in the third quarter of 2021 and a $3.8 million unfavorable impact of foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses. Interest expense increased driven by a higher average debt balance in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the third quarter of 2020. The third quarter of 2020 included a $3.3 million favorable impact of foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses.
Provision for income taxes. Our effective income tax rate was 16.0 percent for the third quarter of 2021 compared to 15.1 percent for the third quarter of 2020. The effective income tax rate for the third quarter of 2021 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate primarily due to a lower tax rate on foreign earnings which decreased our effective tax rate by 4.2 percentage points in the third quarter of 2021. The effective income tax rate for the third quarter of 2020 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate primarily due to foreign tax credits and the tax impact of share-based payment awards, which reduced the effective tax rate by 5.2 percentage points and 3.8 percentage points, respectively.
Consolidated Results of Operations—Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 Compared to the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues and direct costs. Total transportation revenues and purchased transportation and related services increased driven by higher pricing in nearly all services, most notably in truckload and ocean services. Volumes also increased in nearly all services, most notably in ocean, air freight and LTL services. The increased pricing in truckload and ocean has been driven by strong demand in addition to tight truckload carrier capacity and unprecedented supply chain disruptions in the ocean freight industry. Our sourcing total revenue and purchased products sourced for resale decreased as a result of a decrease in case volume with retail customers.
Gross profits and adjusted gross profits. Our transportation adjusted gross profits increased driven by increased pricing in ocean and truckload services resulting in higher adjusted gross profits per transaction in addition to volume increases in our ocean, LTL, and air freight services. Our transportation adjusted gross profit margin decreased driven by the increased cost of purchased transportation in all of our service lines. Sourcing adjusted gross profits decreased slightly driven by lower adjusted gross profits per case, partially offset by increased case volume from customers in the food service industry which experienced a significant decrease in demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior year.
Operating expenses. Personnel expenses increased primarily due to incentive compensation increases reflecting the strong results in the current year, an increase in average headcount, and the impact of steps taken to reduce costs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior year, including furloughs, reduced work hours, and the temporary suspension of the company match to retirement plans for U.S. and Canadian employees in addition to increased health insurance costs. Stock-based compensation expense recognized on performance-based equity awards granted prior to 2021 totaled $42.4 million in the current year compared to none in the prior year. SG&A expenses increased primarily due to increased purchased services driven by the impact of short-term pandemic-related cost reductions in the prior year period, partially offset by lower credit losses in the current year. The prior year also included an $11.5 million loss on the sale-leaseback of a company owned data center.
Interest and other expense. Interest and other expense primarily consisted of interest expense of $38.0 million and a $8.6 million unfavorable impact of foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses in the nine months ended September 30, 2021. These expenses were partially offset by a $2.9 million local government subsidy in Asia for achieving specified performance criteria that was almost entirely offset by a reduction in foreign tax credits within the provision for income taxes. Interest expense increased driven by a higher average debt balance compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The nine months ended September 30, 2020 included a $2.2 million favorable impact of foreign currency revaluation and realized foreign currency gains and losses.
Provision for income taxes. Our effective income tax rate was 18.5 percent for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 17.3 percent for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate primarily due to a lower tax rate on foreign earnings which reduced the effective tax rate by 1.5 percentage points and the combined tax impact of Global Intangible Low-tax Income ("GILTI") and Foreign Derived Intangible Income ("FDII"), which reduced the effective tax rate by 1.3 percentage
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points. These impacts were partially offset by state income tax expense, net of federal benefit, which increased the effective income tax rate. The effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate primarily due to the tax impact of share-based payment awards, including the tax benefit from the delivery of a one-time deferred stock award that was granted to the company's prior Chief Executive Officer in 2000, which reduced the rate by 4.1 percentage points, in addition to foreign tax credits which reduced the rate by 3.1 percentage points.

NAST Segment Results of Operations
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
(dollars in thousands)20212020% change20212020% change
Total revenues$3,814,988 $2,923,842 30.5 %$10,611,892 $8,222,879 29.1 %
Costs and expenses:
Purchased transportation and related services3,354,839 2,555,899 31.3 %9,294,039 7,102,602 30.9 %
Personnel expenses202,304 148,958 35.8 %571,486 474,999 20.3 %
Other selling, general, and administrative expenses108,810 96,459 12.8 %309,456 287,380 7.7 %
Total costs and expenses3,665,953 2,801,316 30.9 %10,174,981 7,864,981 29.4 %
Income from operations$149,035 $122,526 21.6 %$436,911 $357,898 22.1 %
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
20212020% change20212020% change
Average headcount6,764 6,702 0.9 %6,650 6,870 (3.2)%
Service line volume statistics
Truckload4.5 %1.0 %
LTL1.0 %12.5 %
Adjusted gross profits(1)
Truckload$309,787 $226,992 36.5 %$876,665 $722,843 21.3 %
LTL131,166 117,602 11.5 %379,438 335,360 13.1 %
Other 19,196 23,349 (17.8)%61,750 62,074 (0.5)%
Total adjusted gross profits$460,149 $367,943 25.1 %$1,317,853 $1,120,277 17.6 %
________________________________ 
(1) Adjusted gross profit margin is a non-GAAP financial measure explained above.
Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues and direct costs. NAST total revenues increased primarily driven by higher truckload and LTL pricing and an increase in truckload and LTL volumes. Truckload pricing has remained at historic levels during the third quarter of 2021 driven by tight carrier capacity caused by driver availability challenges and the supply chain disruptions facing the industry as discussed above in the market trends section. Total purchased transportation and related services increased, driven by higher average truckload linehaul costs per mile and, to a lesser extent, higher purchased transportation costs per transaction in LTL services and volume increases in both truckload and LTL services.
Gross profits and adjusted gross profits. NAST truckload adjusted gross profits increased driven primarily by increased pricing resulting in higher adjusted gross profits per transaction in addition to an increase in volume. The increased adjusted gross profit per transaction in truckload was the result of an increase in spot market opportunities and continued progress repricing our contractual truckload business to reflect the rising cost environment. Our average truckload linehaul rate per mile charged to our customers, which excludes fuel surcharges, increased approximately 27.0 percent in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the third quarter of 2020. Our truckload transportation costs, excluding fuel surcharges, increased approximately 26.0 percent.
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NAST LTL adjusted gross profits increased due to higher adjusted gross profits per transaction resulting from higher pricing and an increase in volumes.
NAST other adjusted gross profits decreased driven by lower adjusted gross profits per transaction and volume in intermodal.
Operating expenses. NAST personnel expenses increased primarily due to incentive compensation increases reflecting the strong results in the current period, an increase in average headcount, and the impact of steps taken to reduce costs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior period, including furloughs, reduced work hours, and the temporary suspension of the company match to retirement plans for U.S. and Canadian employees. NAST SG&A expenses increased driven by increased investments in technology and increased warehouse expenses and purchased services. The operating expenses of NAST and all other segments include allocated corporate expenses.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 compared to the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues and direct costs. NAST total revenues increased due to higher pricing in truckload and, to a lesser extent, higher pricing in LTL services in addition to volume increases in both LTL and truckload services. The increased pricing in truckload has been driven by tight carrier capacity caused by driver availability challenges and the supply chain disruptions facing the industry as discussed above in the market and business trends section. The prior year was adversely impacted by weakening demand during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in industry volume decreases. Total purchased transportation and related services increased, driven by higher average truckload linehaul costs per mile in addition to higher purchased transportation costs per transaction in LTL services and volume increases in both LTL and truckload services.
Gross profits and adjusted gross profits. NAST truckload adjusted gross profits increased driven by increased adjusted gross profits per transaction due to the higher pricing discussed above. Our average truckload linehaul rate per mile charged to our customers increased approximately 34.0 percent. Our truckload transportation costs, excluding fuel costs, increased approximately 35.5 percent.
NAST LTL adjusted gross profits increased due to increased volumes.
NAST other adjusted gross profits decreased slightly as lower adjusted gross profits per transaction and lower volume in intermodal were mostly offset by incremental warehousing services related to the acquisition of Prime Distribution.
Operating expenses. NAST personnel expense increased primarily due to incentive compensation increases reflecting the strong results in the current year and the impact of steps taken to reduce costs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior year, including furloughs, reduced work hours, and the temporary suspension of the company match to retirement plans for U.S. and Canadian employees. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in average headcount. NAST SG&A expenses increased driven by increased investments in technology and increased warehouse expenses partially offset by a reduction in credit loss.
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Global Forwarding Segment Results of Operations
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
(dollars in thousands)20212020% change20212020% change
Total revenues$1,978,901 $831,957 137.9 %$4,585,734 $2,070,161 121.5 %
Costs and expenses:
Purchased transportation and related services1,668,003 674,300 147.4 %3,821,782 1,621,230 135.7 %
Personnel expenses96,298 71,095 35.4 %260,243 205,310 26.8 %
Other selling, general, and administrative expenses49,445 40,263 22.8 %139,753 126,588 10.4 %
Total costs and expenses1,813,746 785,658 130.9 %4,221,778 1,953,128 116.2 %
Income from operations$165,155 $46,299 256.7 %$363,956 $117,033 211.0 %
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
20212020% change20212020% change
Average headcount5,1674,60712.2 %4,9514,7165.0 %
Service line volume statistics
Ocean12.0 %22.0 %
Air(1)
50.5 %47.5 %
Customs10.5 %18.5 %
Adjusted gross profits(2)
Ocean$214,824 $88,878 141.7 %$501,136 $237,422 111.1 %
Air59,621 33,836 76.2 %157,047 112,254 39.9 %
Customs25,468 22,463 13.4 %75,203 63,115 19.2 %
Other 10,985 12,480 (12.0)%30,566 36,140 (15.4)%
Total adjusted gross profits$310,898 $157,657 97.2 %$763,952 $448,931 70.2 %
________________________________ 
(1) Beginning in the second quarter of 2021 reported air volumes represent metric tons shipped. Previously reported statistics were based on transactional volumes and have been restated to conform with the current period presentation.
(2) Adjusted gross profit margin is a non-GAAP financial measure explained above.
Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues and direct costs. Global Forwarding total revenues and direct costs increased driven by higher pricing in our ocean services and, to a lesser extent, higher pricing in air freight and increased volumes in both our ocean and air freight services. The higher ocean and air freight pricing and costs were driven by the continued supply chain disruptions impacting the global forwarding market discussed above in the market and business trends section. Increased air freight volumes were driven by ocean freight conversions resulting from the significant disruptions experienced in the industry and the continued increase in charter flights and larger than normal shipment sizes as traditional air freight capacity remains strained by a reduction of commercial flights.
Gross profits and adjusted gross profits. Ocean and air freight transportation adjusted gross profits increased driven by higher pricing resulting in higher adjusted gross profits per transaction in addition to an increase in volumes. Customs adjusted gross profits increased driven by an increase in transaction volume.
Operating expenses. Personnel expenses increased primarily due to an increase in average headcount and incentive compensation increases reflecting the strong results in the current period. The prior period included the impact of steps taken to reduce costs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including furloughs and reduced work hours. SG&A expenses increased driven by increased investments in technology, partially offset by a reduction of amortization expense due to the completion of amortization related to intangible assets from a prior acquisition.
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Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 compared to the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues and direct costs. Total revenues and direct costs increased driven by higher pricing and volumes in our ocean services and, to a lesser extent, higher pricing and volumes in our air freight services. The increased ocean pricing was driven by the unprecedented supply chain disruptions impacting the industry combined with strong demand. The first half of 2020 was also severely impacted by reduced demand and production due to the COVID-19 pandemic which led to significant volume declines in all services in the prior year.
Gross profits and adjusted gross profits. Ocean and air freight transportation adjusted gross profits increased driven by higher pricing resulting in higher adjusted gross profits per transaction in addition to increased volumes. Customs adjusted gross profits increased driven by an increase in transaction volumes.
Operating expenses. Personnel expenses increased primarily due to an increase in average headcount and incentive compensation increases reflecting the strong results in the current period. The prior year included the impact of steps taken to reduce costs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including furloughs and reduced work hours. SG&A expenses increased driven by increased investments in technology and increased purchased services, partially offset by a reduction of amortization expense due to the completion of amortization related to intangible assets from a prior acquisition.
All Other and Corporate Segment Results of Operations
All Other and Corporate includes our Robinson Fresh and Managed Services segment, as well as Other Surface Transportation outside of North America and other miscellaneous revenues and unallocated corporate expenses.
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
(dollars in thousands)20212020% change20212020% change
Total revenues$469,806 $469,001 0.2 %$1,402,664 $1,364,614 2.8 %
Income from operations(3,421)(586)N/M(6,165)(8,465)N/M
Adjusted gross profits(1)
Robinson Fresh26,651 24,449 9.0 %81,539 82,109 (0.7)%
Managed Services26,720 24,060 11.1 %78,510 70,090 12.0 %
Other Surface Transportation19,774 15,164 30.4 %53,894 50,272 7.2 %
Total adjusted gross profits$73,145 $63,673 14.9 %$213,943 $202,471 5.7 %
________________________________ 
(1) Adjusted gross profit margin is a non-GAAP financial measure explained above.
Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues were essentially flat driven by higher truckload pricing and volumes in Other Surface Transportation, including a 9.5 percentage point increase from the acquisition of Combinex, which was mostly offset by a decline in our Robinson Fresh business driven by a decrease in case volume with retail customers.
Robinson Fresh adjusted gross profits increased driven by an increase in case volume primarily from sourcing managed procurement customers in the food service industry as the prior year period experienced a significant decrease in demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase was partially offset by a decrease in case volume with retail customers. Managed Services adjusted gross profits increased driven by increased transaction volumes resulting from an increase in freight under management. Other Surface Transportation adjusted gross profits increased as a result of higher adjusted gross profits per transaction and a 13.5 percentage point increase from the acquisition of Combinex.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 compared to the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020
Total revenues increased driven by higher truckload pricing and volumes in Other Surface Transportation, including a 4.5 percentage point increase from the acquisition of Combinex partially offset by a decline in Robinson Fresh driven by lower pricing.
Robinson Fresh adjusted gross profits decreased slightly driven by lower adjusted gross profits per case, partially offset by increased case volume from customers in the food service industry which experienced a significant decrease in demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior year. Managed Services adjusted gross profits increased driven by increased transaction volumes resulting from an increase in freight under management. Other Surface Transportation adjusted gross profits increased primarily due to a 5.5 percentage point increase from the acquisition of Combinex.
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
We have historically generated substantial cash from operations, which has enabled us to fund our organic growth while paying cash dividends and repurchasing stock. In addition, we maintain the following debt facilities as described in Note 4, Financing Arrangements (dollars in thousands):
DescriptionCarrying Value as of September 30, 2021Borrowing CapacityMaturity
Revolving credit facility$632,000 $1,000,000 October 2023
Senior Notes, Series A175,000 175,000 August 2023
Senior Notes, Series B150,000 150,000 August 2028
Senior Notes, Series C175,000 175,000 August 2033
Senior Notes (1)
593,950 600,000 April 2028
Total debt$1,725,950 $2,100,000 
______________________________________________
(1) Net of unamortized discounts and issuance costs.

We expect to use our current debt facilities and potentially other indebtedness incurred in the future to assist us in continuing to fund working capital, capital expenditures, possible acquisitions, dividends, and share repurchases.
Cash and cash equivalents totaled $202.6 million as of September 30, 2021 and $243.8 million as of December 31, 2020. Cash and cash equivalents held outside the United States totaled $170.6 million as of September 30, 2021 and $230.9 million as of December 31, 2020.
We prioritize our investments to grow the business, as we require some working capital and a relatively small amount of capital expenditures to grow. We are continually looking for acquisitions, but those acquisitions must fit our culture and enhance our growth opportunities.
The following table summarizes our major sources and uses of cash and cash equivalents (dollars in thousands):
Nine Months Ended September 30,
20212020% change
Sources (uses) of cash:
Cash provided by operating activities$19,100 $337,049 (94.3)%
Capital expenditures(52,565)(40,261)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired(14,749)(223,230)
Other investing activities— 5,525 
Cash used for investing activities(67,314)(257,966)(73.9)%
Repurchase of common stock(428,801)(68,563)
Cash dividends(208,926)(207,428)
Net borrowing (payments) on debt629,701 (83,000)
Other financing activities17,937 84,007 
Cash provided by (used for) financing activities9,911 (274,984)N/M
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents(2,844)612 
Net change in cash and cash equivalents$(41,147)$(195,289)

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Cash flow from operating activities. Cash flow from operating activities decreased significantly during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020 due to unfavorable changes in working capital. The unfavorable changes in working capital were primarily related to a sequential increase in accounts receivable and contract assets partially offset by a related increase in accounts payable and accrued transportation expense. Both increases were driven by a sequential increase in pricing and volumes in nearly all services, most notably in global forwarding, during the third quarter of 2021. The increase in accounts receivable was driven by our global forwarding business where our days sales outstanding ratio is approximately double that of our NAST business. Despite the increase in accounts receivable, we are not experiencing a deterioration in the quality of our accounts receivables balance, and the results of the nine months ended September 30, 2021 include sequential and year-over-year improvements in the percent of accounts receivable that are past due. Additionally, given the COVID-19 pandemic, we are closely monitoring credit and collections activities to minimize risk as well as working with our customers to facilitate the movement of goods across their supply chains while also ensuring timely payment.
Cash used for investing activities. Capital expenditures consisted primarily of investments in hardware and software, which are intended to increase employee productivity, automate interactions with our customers and contracted carriers, and improve our internal workflows to help expand our adjusted operating margins and grow the business. We used $14.7 million for the acquisition of Combinex during the nine months ended September 30, 2021. We used $222.7 million for the acquisition of Prime Distribution during the nine months ended September 30, 2020.
Cash used for financing activities. Net borrowings on debt in the nine months ended September 30, 2021 were to fund working capital needs and share repurchases. Net repayments on debt in the nine months ended September 30, 2020 were used to reduce the outstanding balance of the Receivables Securitization Facility. The increase in cash used for share repurchases was due to an increase in the number of shares repurchased during the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as we temporarily suspended our share repurchase activity in 2020 as we continued to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of shares we repurchase, if any, during future periods will vary based on our cash position, other potential uses of our cash, and market conditions. Over the long term, we remain committed to our quarterly dividend and share repurchases to enhance shareholder value. Such repurchases, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, our liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. We may seek to retire or purchase our outstanding Senior Notes through open market cash purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise.
Although there is uncertainty related to the anticipated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our future results, we believe that, assuming no change in our current business plan, our available cash, together with expected future cash generated from operations, the amount available under our credit facilities, and credit available in the market, will be sufficient to satisfy our anticipated needs for working capital, capital expenditures, and cash dividends for at least the next 12 months. We also believe we could obtain funds under lines of credit or other forms of indebtedness on short notice, if needed.
As of September 30, 2021, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under the Credit Agreement, Note Purchase Agreement, and Senior Notes.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements 
Refer to Note 1, Basis of Presentation, contained in this quarterly report and in the company's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of recently issued accounting pronouncements.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
Refer to the company's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a complete discussion regarding our critical accounting policies and estimates. As of September 30, 2021, there were no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Refer to the company’s 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion on the company’s market risk. As of September 30, 2021, there were no material changes in market risk from those disclosed in the company’s 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
(a) Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms; and (ii) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of September 30, 2021. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level as of September 30, 2021.
(b) Changes in internal controls over financial reporting.
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) that occurred during the three months ended September 30, 2021, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II-OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We are not subject to any pending or threatened litigation other than routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of our business operations. 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 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.
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors disclosed in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which could materially affect our business, financial condition, or future results. The risks described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K are not the only risks facing our company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and/or operating results.

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
The following table provides information about purchases by the company during the quarter ended September 30, 2021 of shares of the company's common stock.
Total Number
of Shares
(or Units)
Purchased (1)
Average Price
Paid Per
Share
(or Unit)
Total Number of
Shares (or Units)
Purchased as Part of
Publicly Announced
Plans or Programs (2)
Maximum Number of
Shares (or Units)
That May Yet Be
Purchased Under the
Plans or Programs (2)
July 2021555,897 $92.39 541,223 4,503,932 
August 2021664,807 90.34 662,908 3,841,024 
September 2021654,293 88.93 645,519 3,195,505 
Third Quarter 20211,874,997 $90.45 1,849,650 3,195,505 
________________________________
(1) The total number of shares purchased based on trade date includes: (i) 1,849,650 shares of common stock purchased under the authorization described below; and (ii) 25,347 shares of common stock surrendered to satisfy minimum statutory tax obligations under our stock incentive plans.
(2) In May 2018, the Board of Directors increased the number of shares authorized for repurchase by 15,000,000 shares. As of September 30, 2021, there were 3,195,505 shares remaining for future repurchases. Purchases can be made in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, including Rule 10b5-1 plans and accelerated repurchase programs.
ITEM 3. DEFAULTS ON SENIOR SECURITIES
None.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable. 
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
None.

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ITEM 6. EXHIBITS    
Exhibits filed with, or incorporated by reference into, this report:
31.1
31.2
32.1
32.2
101Financial statements from the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the company for the period ended September 30, 2021 formatted in Inline XBRL (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
104The cover page from the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the company for the period ended September 30, 2021 formatted in Inline XBRL (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on October 29, 2021.
 
C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC.
By: /s/ Robert C. Biesterfeld, Jr.
 Robert C. Biesterfeld, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
 
By: /s/ Michael P. Zechmeister
Michael P. Zechmeister
 Chief Financial Officer

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