Financial research concept

Freight Under Management: Logistics Spend Managed by a Broker

Freight under management is the dollar value of customer freight spend arranged or managed through a logistics provider's platform, distinct from reported accounting revenue.

By Lee BaileyPublished Sep 25, 2026

Research context

See what supports this page, how current it is, and where comparable or historical context is available.

Research date: Sep 25, 2026Use the dated article and cited sources for the definition, examples, and stated limitations.
Operating-model context: 19 connected conceptsPart of the reviewed Freight Brokerage & Forwarding Economics; issuer definitions remain distinct where disclosed.
Company examples: 1 reviewed companyRelationships reflect supported examples, not a normalized cross-company KPI ranking.

C.H. Robinson example
Why it matters
Comparison caution
Source
Part of the Freight Brokerage & Forwarding Economics
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Freight under management describes the dollar value of customer freight spend that a logistics provider arranges or manages through its network.

It is an operating-scale metric, not accounting revenue.

C.H. Robinson example

C.H. Robinson said customers trusted it to manage approximately $23 billion in freight during 2025.

That amount is larger than the company's reported transportation revenue because freight under management describes the value of freight activity moving through the network rather than the revenue recognized by the broker.

Why it matters

The metric can help investors understand:

purchasing scale with carriers;
customer wallet share;
network data density;
procurement leverage; and
the size of the activity base supporting transaction economics.

Comparison caution

Companies can define managed freight differently.

Do not equate freight under management with gross billings, gross merchandise value, or GAAP revenue without reading the issuer's definition.

Source

C.H. Robinson 2025 Form 10-K

Part of the Freight Brokerage & Forwarding Economics

Connect customer freight activity, purchased transportation, brokerage spread, surface-transport pricing, capacity signals, and forwarding volume and profit to understand asset-light logistics economics.

Browse the full operating model in Company Analysis →

Where this concept fits

Network activity, purchased capacity, and retained spreadCurrent relationship
Shipments managed, freight under management, and contract-carrier scale describe the activity and sourcing network. Purchased transportation is the principal direct capacity cost, while adjusted gross profit and adjusted gross profit margin show the spread retained after buying transportation.
Freight Broker Adjusted Gross Profit Adjusted Gross Profit Margin Contract Carrier NetworkFreight Under ManagementCurrent conceptPurchased Transportation Cost Shipments Managed
North American surface pricing, volume, and capacity
Truckload and LTL volume show transaction activity, service-line adjusted gross profit shows retained economics, and customer-versus-carrier linehaul changes frame the truckload pricing spread. Routing-guide depth adds a capacity signal by showing how far a managed load moves through preferred carrier options before acceptance.
LTL Adjusted Gross Profit Broker LTL Volume Growth Routing Guide Depth Truckload Adjusted Gross Profit Carrier Linehaul Cost per Mile Customer Linehaul Rate per Mile Broker Truckload Volume Growth
Global forwarding volume and adjusted gross profit
Ocean, air, and customs volume changes show forwarding activity, while the matching adjusted gross profit measures show whether retained economics move with or diverge from volume as carrier rates, trade conditions, and service mix change.
Air Adjusted Gross Profit Air Volume Growth Customs Adjusted Gross Profit Customs Volume Growth Ocean Adjusted Gross Profit Ocean Volume Growth

See It in Company Research

These companies are examples of how the concept is reported or discussed in public filings. Definitions can differ by issuer; these links open company research rather than a normalized metric comparison.

CHRWOpen operating-model research →19 of 19 reviewed concepts in Freight Brokerage & Forwarding EconomicsNetwork activity, purchased capacity, and retained spread6 of 6 bridge concepts supportedContinue through this bridge:Adjusted Gross Profit Margin Contract Carrier Network Freight Broker Adjusted Gross Profit Purchased Transportation Cost Shipments Managed

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