Question · Q3 2025
Andrew Cox (on behalf of Bruce Chan) asked how C.H. Robinson's operating model would respond to an upcycle, specifically differentiating between a shallow spot recovery and a steeper demand recovery, given the company's current adeptness in a 'lower for longer' environment and the anticipated operating leverage in an upcycle.
Answer
CFO Damon Lee and CEO Dave Bozeman explained that C.H. Robinson's strategy and operating model are designed to perform across all market cycles, including a 'lower for longer' environment. They emphasized that the fundamental process changes, driven by automation and technology, are permanent, not temporary cost reductions. In an upcycle, this means the company will not need to revert to previous cost structures or add back human capacity, as the work is now technology-heavy. The highly scalable incremental cost of technology (token cost) will generate substantial operating leverage, positioning the company strongly for market inflection, supported by its robust balance sheet.