FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS	FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS Senior Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility On October 29, 2012, we entered into a senior unsecured revolving credit facility for up to $500 million with a $500 million accordion feature (the “Credit Agreement”), with a syndicate of financial institutions led by U.S. Bank. In December 2014, we amended the credit facility to increase the amount available from $500 million to $900 million and to extend the expiration date from October 2017 to December 2019. This facility allows us to continue to fund working capital, capital expenditures, dividends, and share repurchases. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we had $715 million and $740 million in borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement, which is classified as a current liability on the consolidated balance sheets. At December 31, 2017, we had borrowing availability of $185 million. The recorded amount of borrowings outstanding approximates fair value because of the short maturity period of the debt; therefore, we consider these borrowings to be a Level 2 financial liability. 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 one-month LIBOR plus a specified margin). As of December 31, 2017, the variable rate equaled 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. The weighted average interest rate incurred on borrowings during 2017 was approximately 2.2 percent and at December 31, 2017, was approximately 2.7 percent. The weighted average interest rate incurred on borrowings during 2016 was approximately 1.5 percent and at December 31, 2016, was approximately 1.9 percent. The Credit Agreement contains various restrictions and covenants. Among other requirements, we may not permit our leverage ratio, as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, of (i) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to (ii) Consolidated Total Capitalization to be greater than 0.65 to 1.00. Additionally, as a result of amending the Note Purchase Agreement in February 2015, the ratio of (i) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to (ii) EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, may not exceed 3.00 to 1.00. We were in compliance with the financial debt covenants as of December 31, 2017. 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”) named therein (the “Note Purchase Agreement”). Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, the Purchasers purchased, on August 27, 2013, (i) $175 million aggregate principal amount of the company’s 3.97 percent Senior Notes, Series A, due August 27, 2023 (the “Series A Notes”), (ii) $150 million aggregate principal amount of the company’s 4.26 percent Senior Notes, Series B, due August 27, 2028 (the “Series B Notes”), and (iii) $175 million aggregate principal amount of the company’s 4.60 percent Senior Notes, Series C, due August 27, 2033 (the “Series C Notes” and, together with the Series A Notes and the Series B Notes, the “Notes”). Interest on the fixed-rate Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears. We applied the proceeds of the sale of the Notes for share repurchases. The Note Purchase Agreement contains customary provisions for transactions of this type, including representations and warranties regarding the company and its subsidiaries and various covenants, including covenants that require us to maintain specified financial ratios. The Note Purchase Agreement includes the following financial covenants: we will not permit our leverage ratio, as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, of (i) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to (ii) Consolidated Total Capitalization to be greater than 0.65 to 1.00; we will not permit the interest coverage ratio, as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters and for the twelve-month period ending, of (i) Consolidated EBIT (earnings before income taxes) to (ii) Consolidated Interest Expense to be less than 2.00 to 1.00; we will not permit, as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, Consolidated Priority Debt to exceed 15% of Consolidated Total Assets. The Note Purchase Agreement was amended in February 2015 to conform its financial covenants to be consistent with the amended Credit Agreement. As a result of amending the Note Purchase Agreement in February 2015, the ratio of (i) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to (ii) EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, may not exceed 3.00 to 1.00. We were in compliance with the financial debt covenants as of December 31, 2017. The Note Purchase Agreement provides for customary events of default, generally with corresponding grace periods, including, without limitation, payment defaults with respect to the Notes, covenant defaults, cross-defaults to other agreements evidencing indebtedness of the company or its subsidiaries, certain judgments against the company or its subsidiaries, and events of bankruptcy involving the company or its material subsidiaries. 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,” and accrued and unpaid interest (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) 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. The Notes were issued by the company to such initial Purchasers in a private placement in reliance on Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Notes will not be and have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. The fair value of long-term debt was approximately $546.6 million at December 31, 2017, and $528.0 million at December 31, 2016. We estimate the fair value of our debt 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 own credit risk. If our long-term debt was recorded at fair value, it would be classified as Level 2. U.S. Trade Accounts Receivable Securitization On April 26, 2017, we entered into a receivables purchase agreement and related transaction documents with The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., New York Branch and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association to provide a receivables securitization facility (the “Receivables Securitization Facility”). The Receivables Securitization Facility is based on the securitization of our U.S. trade accounts receivable and provides funding of up to $250 million. The borrowings outstanding under the Receivables Securitization Facility were $250 million as of December 31, 2017, and are classified as long-term debt on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The borrowings under the Receivables Securitization Facility were used to pay down amounts previously outstanding on the Credit Agreement. The interest rate on borrowings under the Receivables Securitization Facility is based on the asset-backed commercial paper rate plus a margin or 30 day LIBOR plus a margin for a combined rate of 2.0 percent for the year ended December 31, 2017. The Receivables Securitization Facility expires on April 26, 2019, unless extended by the parties. There is a commitment fee we are required to pay on any unused portion of the facility. The Receivables Securitization Facility contains various customary affirmative and negative covenants, and it also contains customary default and termination provisions which provide for acceleration of amounts owed under the Receivables Securitization Facility upon the occurrence of certain specified events including, but not limited to, the failure to pay yield, fees, and other amounts due, defaults on certain other indebtedness, failure to discharge certain judgments, insolvency events, change in control, and exceeding certain financial ratios designed to capture events negatively affecting the overall credit quality of the receivables. The recorded amount of borrowings outstanding on the Receivables Securitization Facility approximates fair value because it can be redeemed on short notice and the interest rate floats, therefore, we consider these borrowings to be a Level 2 financial liability. As of December 31, 2017, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under the Credit Agreement, Note Purchase Agreement, and Receivables Securitization Facility.

FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS

Senior Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility

On October 29, 2012, we entered into a senior unsecured revolving credit facility for up to $500 million with a $500 million accordion feature (the “Credit Agreement”), with a syndicate of financial institutions led by U.S. Bank. In December 2014, we amended the credit facility to increase the amount available from $500 million to $900 million and to extend the expiration date from October 2017 to December 2019. This facility allows us to continue to fund working capital, capital expenditures, dividends, and share repurchases.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, we had $715 million and $740 million in borrowings outstanding under the Credit Agreement, which is classified as a current liability on the consolidated balance sheets. At December 31, 2017, we had borrowing availability of $185 million. The recorded amount of borrowings outstanding approximates fair value because of the short maturity period of the debt; therefore, we consider these borrowings to be a Level 2 financial liability.

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 one-month LIBOR plus a specified margin). As of December 31, 2017, the variable rate equaled 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. The weighted average interest rate incurred on borrowings during 2017 was approximately 2.2 percent and at December 31, 2017, was approximately 2.7 percent. The weighted average interest rate incurred on borrowings during 2016 was approximately 1.5 percent and at December 31, 2016, was approximately 1.9 percent.

The Credit Agreement contains various restrictions and covenants. Among other requirements, we may not permit our leverage ratio, as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, of (i) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to (ii) Consolidated Total Capitalization to be greater than 0.65 to 1.00. Additionally, as a result of amending the Note Purchase Agreement in February 2015, the ratio of (i) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to (ii) EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, may not exceed 3.00 to 1.00. We were in compliance with the financial debt covenants as of December 31, 2017.

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”) named therein (the “Note Purchase Agreement”). Pursuant to the Note Purchase Agreement, the Purchasers purchased, on August 27, 2013, (i) $175 million aggregate principal amount of the company’s 3.97 percent Senior Notes, Series A, due August 27, 2023 (the “Series A Notes”), (ii) $150 million aggregate principal amount of the company’s 4.26 percent Senior Notes, Series B, due August 27, 2028 (the “Series B Notes”), and (iii) $175 million aggregate principal amount of the company’s 4.60 percent Senior Notes, Series C, due August 27, 2033 (the “Series C Notes” and, together with the Series A Notes and the Series B Notes, the “Notes”). Interest on the fixed-rate Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears. We applied the proceeds of the sale of the Notes for share repurchases.

The Note Purchase Agreement contains customary provisions for transactions of this type, including representations and warranties regarding the company and its subsidiaries and various covenants, including covenants that require us to maintain specified financial ratios. The Note Purchase Agreement includes the following financial covenants: we will not permit our leverage ratio, as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, of (i) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to (ii) Consolidated Total Capitalization to be greater than 0.65 to 1.00; we will not permit the interest coverage ratio, as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters and for the twelve-month period ending, of (i) Consolidated EBIT (earnings before income taxes) to (ii) Consolidated Interest Expense to be less than 2.00 to 1.00; we will not permit, as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, Consolidated Priority Debt to exceed 15% of Consolidated Total Assets. The Note Purchase Agreement was amended in February 2015 to conform its financial covenants to be consistent with the amended Credit Agreement. As a result of amending the Note Purchase Agreement in February 2015, the ratio of (i) Consolidated Funded Indebtedness to (ii) EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), as of the end of each of our fiscal quarters, may not exceed 3.00 to 1.00. We were in compliance with the financial debt covenants as of December 31, 2017.

The Note Purchase Agreement provides for customary events of default, generally with corresponding grace periods, including, without limitation, payment defaults with respect to the Notes, covenant defaults, cross-defaults to other agreements evidencing indebtedness of the company or its subsidiaries, certain judgments against the company or its subsidiaries, and events of bankruptcy involving the company or its material subsidiaries. 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,” and accrued and unpaid interest (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) 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.

The Notes were issued by the company to such initial Purchasers in a private placement in reliance on Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Notes will not be and have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

The fair value of long-term debt was approximately $546.6 million at December 31, 2017, and $528.0 million at December 31, 2016. We estimate the fair value of our debt 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 own credit risk. If our long-term debt was recorded at fair value, it would be classified as Level 2.

U.S. Trade Accounts Receivable Securitization

On April 26, 2017, we entered into a receivables purchase agreement and related transaction documents with The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., New York Branch and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association to provide a receivables securitization facility (the “Receivables Securitization Facility”). The Receivables Securitization Facility is based on the securitization of our U.S. trade accounts receivable and provides funding of up to $250 million. The borrowings outstanding under the Receivables Securitization Facility were $250 million as of December 31, 2017, and are classified as long-term debt on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The borrowings under the Receivables Securitization Facility were used to pay down amounts previously outstanding on the Credit Agreement. The interest rate on borrowings under the Receivables Securitization Facility is based on the asset-backed commercial paper rate plus a margin or 30 day LIBOR plus a margin for a combined rate of 2.0 percent for the year ended December 31, 2017. The Receivables Securitization Facility expires on April 26, 2019, unless extended by the parties. There is a commitment fee we are required to pay on any unused portion of the facility.

The Receivables Securitization Facility contains various customary affirmative and negative covenants, and it also contains customary default and termination provisions which provide for acceleration of amounts owed under the Receivables Securitization Facility upon the occurrence of certain specified events including, but not limited to, the failure to pay yield, fees, and other amounts due, defaults on certain other indebtedness, failure to discharge certain judgments, insolvency events, change in control, and exceeding certain financial ratios designed to capture events negatively affecting the overall credit quality of the receivables.

The recorded amount of borrowings outstanding on the Receivables Securitization Facility approximates fair value because it can be redeemed on short notice and the interest rate floats, therefore, we consider these borrowings to be a Level 2 financial liability.

As of December 31, 2017, we were in compliance with all of the covenants under the Credit Agreement, Note Purchase Agreement, and Receivables Securitization Facility.