Financial research concept

Freight Forwarder Air Volume Growth

Freight forwarder air volume growth measures the change in air-freight activity arranged by an intermediary, distinct from airline cargo capacity or revenue 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 forwarder air volume growth measures the year-over-year change in air-freight activity arranged by a logistics intermediary.

It is distinct from airline cargo capacity because the forwarder purchases transportation from carriers rather than operating the aircraft itself.

C.H. Robinson example

C.H. Robinson reported an 11.5% decline in air service-line volume in 2025 within Global Forwarding.

The company said 2024 had benefited from stronger ecommerce demand out of North Asia, while the 2025 consumer-demand environment was weaker.

Why it matters

Air forwarding volume is sensitive to:

ecommerce activity;
high-value and time-sensitive goods;
ocean disruptions;
trade policy;
seasonal demand; and
air cargo capacity.

Investor use

Read volume growth beside air adjusted gross profit and freight-rate conditions.

A volume decline does not automatically imply the same percentage decline in profit because pricing and procurement spreads can change.

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

Global forwarding volume and adjusted gross profitCurrent relationship
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 ProfitAir Volume GrowthCurrent conceptCustoms Adjusted Gross Profit Customs Volume Growth Ocean Adjusted Gross Profit Ocean 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
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

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 EconomicsGlobal forwarding volume and adjusted gross profit6 of 6 bridge concepts supportedContinue through this bridge:Air Adjusted Gross Profit Customs Adjusted Gross Profit Customs Volume Growth Ocean Adjusted Gross Profit Ocean Volume Growth

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