On CNBC’s Squawk Box, C.H. Robinson President and CEO Dave Bozeman shared how the company is combining its Lean operating model, logistics expertise, and advanced AI to drive transformation. During the discussion, CNBC’s Frank Holland highlighted recent investor commentary describing C.H. Robinson as an undervalued AI play and underscored the company’s role as a trusted partner helping customers manage supply chain complexity in a volatile global market.
Outperforming in a challenging market
Despite a prolonged freight recession, C.H. Robinson has delivered six consecutive quarters of outperformance, lifted profits by 20% year-over-year, and trimmed $30 million in operating expenses. As Holland highlighted, the company’s shares have climbed more than 25% since its July earnings release, propelling the stock—once near $85 in mid-2023—to record highs. That strong market response mirrors growing investor confidence, with analysts at Deutsche Bank, Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan, and First Eagle citing the company’s AI-powered model as a driver of both near-term gains and long-term growth.
A major driver of that performance has been the company’s Lean operating model. Introduced in early 2024, the model emphasizes efficiency, productivity, and customer-centricity. Combined with the company’s deep bench of logistics expertise and advanced technology, the approach has created a competitive moat that is setting the logistics leader apart from industry peers.
Accelerating transformation through industrial AI
According to Bozeman, AI has become the force accelerating the transformation at C.H. Robinson, scaling its Lean operating model and amplifying the impact of its people. While most discussions of AI focus on chipmakers, cloud platforms, or consumer-facing chatbots, C.H. Robinson has been pioneering the application of “industrial AI”, deploying it directly into the workflows that power global trade. By making supply chains the proving ground for AI, the company has carved out a unique position in the market.
With a fleet of over 30 AI agents, C.H. Robinson has automated millions of processes across quoting, order handling, and scheduling. The agents now deliver price quotes in under a minute, handle 5,500 truckload orders each day, and automate more than 75% of less-than-truckload shipments. These efficiencies translate to more than 600 hours saved daily and a 35% leap in productivity over just two years.
Navigating tariff and trade volatility
AI is not only transforming Robinson’s operations; it is also critical to how the company helps customers manage global trade uncertainty. As Holland noted, industries such as furniture manufacturing now face potential tariff increases, prompting questions about how Robinson’s AI-driven insights can guide sourcing strategies and cost controls.
Bozeman emphasized that the company’s global scale—83,000 customers, 37 million shipments, and 1.4 million customs transactions each year—gives it a rich data foundation, while its AI accelerates decision-making across quoting, scheduling, and routing. This combination delivers the speed and efficiency customers need to reroute freight, identify alternative suppliers, and stay ahead of shifting trade rules.
The newly launched Always-on Logistics Planner is a key example. By embedding intelligence into every shipment, lane, and moment, the Planner gives customers continuous visibility and the ability to anticipate and adapt before disruptions take hold. It is designed to ensure that even in volatile environments, whether from tariffs, geopolitical shifts, or seasonal demand surges, supply chains remain agile and predictable.
The Planner also complements the logistics leaders established suite of digital solutions, such as the U.S. Tariff Impact Analysis Tool and ACE Import Intelligence. These tools help shippers quickly evaluate costs, model scenarios, and explore options like new sourcing origins or free trade zones. Together, they provide customers with the speed, insight, and confidence to make smarter decisions in a rapidly changing trade landscape.
Building for the long term
The Squawk Box conversation underscored how C.H. Robinson is not simply waiting for a market recovery. Instead, the company is reinventing itself in real time, leveraging AI, Lean discipline, and human expertise to extend its 120-year legacy of innovation. For customers, that means greater visibility, smarter decision-making, and more resilient supply chains.
