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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES 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 through a network of offices operating 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. USE OF ESTIMATES. The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates have been prepared on the basis of the most current and best information, and our actual results could differ materially from those estimates. REVENUE RECOGNITION. At contract inception, we assess the goods and services promised in our contracts with customers and identify our performance obligations to provide distinct goods and services to our customers. We have determined that the following distinct goods and services represent our primary performance obligations. Transportation and Logistics Services - As a third party logistics provider, our primary performance obligation under our customer contracts is to utilize our relationships with a wide variety of transportation companies to efficiently and cost-effectively transport our customers’ freight. Revenue is recognized for these performance obligations as they are satisfied over the contract term, which generally represents the transit period. The transit period can vary based upon the method of transport, generally a couple days for over the road, rail, and air transportation, or several weeks in the case of an ocean shipment. Determining the transit period and how much of it has been completed as of the reporting date may require management to make judgments that affect the timing of revenue recognized. When the customers’ freight reaches its intended destination our performance obligation is complete. Pricing for our services is generally a fixed amount and is typically due within 30 days upon completion of our performance obligation. We also provide certain value-added logistics services, such as customs brokerage, fee-based managed services, warehousing services, small parcel, and supply chain consulting and optimization services. These services may include one or more performance obligations which are generally satisfied over the service period as we perform our obligations. The service period may be a very short duration, in the case of customs brokerage and small parcel, or it may be longer in the case of warehousing, managed services and supply chain consulting and optimization services. Pricing for our services is established in the customer contract and is dependent upon the specific needs of the customer but may be agreed upon at a fixed fee per transaction, labor hour, or service period. Payment is typically due within 30 days upon completion of our performance obligation. Sourcing Services - We contract with grocery retailers, restaurants, foodservice distributors, and produce wholesalers to provide sourcing services under the trade name Robinson Fresh. Our primary service obligation under these contracts is the buying, selling, and/or marketing of produce including fresh fruits, vegetables, and other value-added perishable items. Revenue is recognized when our performance obligations under these contracts is satisfied at a point in time, generally when the produce is received by our customer. Pricing under these contracts is generally a fixed amount and is typically due within 30 days upon completion of our performance obligation. In many cases, as additional performance obligations, we contract to arrange logistics and transportation of the products we buy, sell, and/or market. These performance obligations are satisfied over the contract term consistent with our other transportation and logistics services. The contract period is typically less than one year. Pricing for our services is generally a fixed amount and is typically due within 30 days upon completion of our performance obligation. Total revenues represent the total dollar value of revenue recognized from contracts with customers for the goods and services we provide. Substantially all of our revenue is attributable to contracts with our customers. Our net revenues are our total revenues less purchased transportation and related services, including contracted motor carrier, rail, ocean, air, and other costs, and the purchase price and services related to the products we source. Most transactions in our transportation and sourcing businesses are recorded at the gross amount we charge our customers for the service we provide and goods we sell. In these transactions, we are primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the specified good or service to our customer and we have discretion in establishing the price for the specified good or service. Additionally, in our sourcing business, in some cases we take inventory risk before the specified good has been transferred to our customer. Customs brokerage, managed services, freight forwarding, and sourcing managed procurement transactions are recorded at the net amount we charge our customers for the service we provide because many of the factors stated above are not present. CONTRACT ASSETS. Contract assets represent amounts for which we have the right to consideration for the services we have provided while a shipment is still in-transit but for which we have not yet completed our performance obligation or have not yet invoiced our customer. Upon completion of our performance obligations, which can vary in duration based upon the method of transport, and billing our customer these amounts become classified within accounts receivable and are then typically due within 30 days. ACCRUED TRANSPORTATION EXPENSE. Accrued transportation expense represents amounts we owe to vendors, primarily transportation providers, for the services they have provided while a shipment is still in-transit as of the reporting date. ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS. Accounts receivable are reduced by an allowance for amounts that may become uncollectible in the future. We continuously monitor payments from our customers and maintain a provision for uncollectible accounts based upon our customer aging trends, historical loss experience, and any specific customer collection issues that we have identified. FOREIGN CURRENCY. Most balance sheet accounts of foreign subsidiaries are translated or remeasured at the current exchange rate as of the end of the year. Statement of operations items are translated at average exchange rates during the year. We have asserted that we will indefinitely reinvest earnings of foreign subsidiaries to support expansion of our international businesses and accordingly translation adjustments are recorded gross of any related income tax effects. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS. Cash and cash equivalents consist primarily of bank deposits and highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less from the time of purchase. Cash and cash equivalents held outside the United States totaled $320.0 million and $275.3 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017. The majority of our cash and cash equivalents balance is denominated in U.S. dollars although these balances are frequently held in locations where the U.S. dollar is not the functional currency. PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER. Prepaid expenses and other include such items as prepaid rent, software maintenance contracts, insurance premiums, other prepaid operating expenses, and inventories, consisting primarily of produce and related products held for resale. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT. Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Maintenance and repair expenditures are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated lives of the assets. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful lives of the improvements. We recognized the following depreciation expense (in thousands):
2018 |  | $ | 45,155 |
2017 |  | 42,817 |
2016 |  | 36,212 |
A summary of our property and equipment as of December 31, is as follows (in thousands):
| Useful Lives (in years) |  | 2018 |  | 2017
Furniture, fixtures, and equipment | 3 to 12 |  | $ | 272,733 |  |  | $ | 277,014 |
Buildings | 3 to 30 |  | 130,959 |  |  | 130,712 |
Corporate aircraft | 10 |  | 11,337 |  |  | 11,334 |
Leasehold improvements | 3 to 15 |  | 58,929 |  |  | 50,616 |
Land |  |  | 23,648 |  |  | 23,658 |
Construction in progress |  |  | 1,241 |  |  | 4,575 |
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization |  |  | (270,546 | ) |  | (267,583 | )
Net property and equipment |  |  | $ | 228,301 |  |  | $ | 230,326 |
GOODWILL. Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of acquired businesses over the net of the fair value of identifiable tangible net assets and identifiable intangible assets purchased and liabilities assumed. Goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level (operating segment or one level below an operating segment) on an annual basis (November 30 for us) and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. See Note 2, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS. Other intangible assets include definite-lived customer lists, non-competition agreements, and indefinite-lived trademarks. The definite-lived intangible assets are being amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated lives, ranging from five to eight years. Definite-lived intangible assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The indefinite-lived trademarks are not amortized. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable, or annually, at a minimum. See Note 2, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. OTHER ASSETS. Other assets consist primarily of purchased and internally developed software, and the investments related to our nonqualified deferred compensation plan. We amortize software using the straight-line method over three years. We recognized the following amortization expense of purchased and internally developed software (in thousands):
2018 |  | $ | 14,688 |
2017 |  | 13,887 |
2016 |  | 11,404 |
A summary of our purchased and internally developed software as of December 31, is as follows (in thousands):
| 2018 |  | 2017
Purchased software | $ | 32,460 |  |  | $ | 25,805 |
Internally developed software | 68,853 |  |  | 55,165 |
Less accumulated amortization | (66,638 | ) |  | (54,194 | )
Net software | $ | 34,675 |  |  | $ | 26,776 |
INCOME TAXES. Income taxes are accounted for using the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted rates. Annual tax provisions include amounts considered sufficient to pay assessments that may result from examination of prior year tax returns; however, the amount ultimately paid upon resolution of issues raised may differ from the amounts accrued. The financial statement benefits of an uncertain income tax position are recognized when more likely than not, based on the technical merits, the position will be sustained upon examination. Unrecognized tax benefits are, more likely than not, owed to a taxing authority, and the amount of the contingency can be reasonably estimated. Uncertain income tax positions are included in “Accrued income taxes” or “Noncurrent income taxes payable” in the consolidated balance sheets. COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS). Comprehensive income (loss) consists of foreign currency translation adjustments. It is presented on our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income gross of related income tax effects. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION. We issue stock awards, including stock options, performance shares, and restricted stock units, to key employees and outside directors. In general, the awards vest over five years, either based on the company’s earnings growth or the passage of time. The related compensation expense for each award is recognized over the appropriate vesting period. The fair value of each share-based payment award is established on the date of grant. For grants of shares and restricted stock units, the fair value is established based on the market price on the date of the grant, discounted for post-vesting holding restrictions. The discounts on outstanding grants vary from 15 percent to 21 percent and are calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model-protective put method. Changes in measured stock volatility and interest rates are the primary reason for changes in the discount. For grants of options, we use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards. The determination of the fair value of share-based awards is affected by our stock price and a number of assumptions, including expected volatility, expected life, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividends.

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