BASIS OF PRESENTATION

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

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.

On January 1, 2019, we reorganized our enterprise transportation services structure to combine our North American Surface Transportation (“NAST”) and Robinson Fresh transportation networks. The newly combined transportation network will be managed by and reported under the NAST reportable segment. Our reportable segments are NAST and Global Forwarding with all other segments included in All Other and Corporate. We have determined that the remaining Robinson Fresh segment no longer meets the requirements of a reportable segment. Robinson Fresh will be included in the All Other and Corporate reportable segment with Managed Services, Other Surface Transportation outside of North America, and other miscellaneous revenues and unallocated corporate expenses. Prior period information has been reclassified to conform with this presentation. 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, 2018.

RECENTLY ADOPTED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). This update requires a lessee to recognize on the balance sheet a liability to make lease payments and a corresponding right-of-use lease asset. The guidance also requires certain qualitative and quantitative disclosures about the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which provides another transition method no longer requiring application to previously reported periods. Therefore, prior period balances will not be restated. We adopted Topic 842 during the first quarter of 2019 by recognizing right-of-use lease assets and lease liabilities of $265.4 million and $273.3 million, respectively, on January 1, 2019. The adoption of this standard did not have a significant impact on our consolidated results of operations or consolidated statements of cash flows. Refer to Note 11, Leases, for further information.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which amends existing guidance for reporting comprehensive income to reflect changes resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”). The amendment provides the option to reclassify stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act within accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) to retained earnings. This amendment became effective for us on January 1, 2019. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, and in November 2018 issued a subsequent amendment, ASU 2018-19, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. This update significantly changes how entities will measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The update will replace today’s “incurred loss” approach with an “expected loss” model for instruments measured at amortized cost. The update will affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope of this amendment that have the contractual right to receive cash. This update is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and is effective for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020. The adoption of this standard will impact our accounting policy for allowance for doubtful accounts, which is a significant accounting policy, but we do not expect the impact to be material to our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

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, 2018, includes a summary of the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. We have expanded these policies below to effect the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 842 in the first quarter of 2019.

RIGHT-OF-USE LEASE ASSETS. Right-of-use lease assets are recognized upon lease commencement and represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term.

LEASE LIABILITIES. Lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date and represent our obligation to make the lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis.