Financial research concept

Freight Broker LTL Volume Growth

Freight broker LTL volume growth measures the change in less-than-truckload activity arranged through the broker, distinct from an LTL carrier's own shipment or tonnage metrics.

By Lee BaileyPublished Sep 25, 2026

Research context

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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
Investor use
Source
Part of the Freight Brokerage & Forwarding Economics
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Freight broker LTL volume growth measures the year-over-year change in less-than-truckload transactions arranged by a freight intermediary.

It should not be confused with an LTL carrier's LTL Shipments per Day or tonnage measures.

C.H. Robinson example

C.H. Robinson reported 1.5% year-over-year LTL volume growth in 2025 in its North American Surface Transportation segment.

Its LTL adjusted gross profit increased faster than volume, indicating an improvement in retained economics per transaction.

Why it matters

Brokered LTL can benefit from:

shipment consolidation;
carrier procurement;
pricing technology;
customer density; and
service complexity.

Volume alone does not reveal whether those transactions are becoming more or less profitable.

Investor use

Read LTL volume growth together with LTL adjusted gross profit and adjusted gross profit per transaction.

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

North American surface pricing, volume, and capacityCurrent relationship
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 ProfitBroker LTL Volume GrowthCurrent conceptRouting Guide Depth Truckload Adjusted Gross Profit Carrier Linehaul Cost per Mile Customer Linehaul Rate per Mile Broker Truckload Volume Growth
Network activity, purchased capacity, and retained spread
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 Network Freight Under Management Purchased Transportation Cost Shipments Managed
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 EconomicsNorth American surface pricing, volume, and capacity7 of 7 bridge concepts supportedContinue through this bridge:Broker Truckload Volume Growth Carrier Linehaul Cost per Mile Customer Linehaul Rate per Mile LTL Adjusted Gross Profit Routing Guide Depth Truckload Adjusted Gross Profit

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