C.H. Robinson Worldwide is set to acquire brokerage and transportation services provider RXO in a stock-and-cash transaction valued at $5.8 billion, the companies announced Monday.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027, but remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory clearance and approval from RXO shareholders.
Should the deal go through, the combination would create a third-party logistics company worth more than $25 billion, bringing together C.H. Robinson’s global, multimodal capabilities with RXO’s brokerage, expedited and last-mile services across North America.
“This combination materially increases our network density, bringing together approximately 93,000 shippers and 600,000 carriers,” Dave Bozeman, C.H. Robinson president and CEO, said during an investor presentation.
Bozeman added that the combined company would also have a broader business mix, giving customers access to more supply chain solutions. According to him, greater network density and diversity should improve freight matching, strengthen service levels and enhance the company’s ability to compete across transportation markets.
How C.H. Robinson and RXO compare
| C.H. Robinson | RXO | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross revenue (2026 estimated) | $18.4 billion | $6.8 billion |
| Adjusted gross profit (2026 estimated) | $2.9 billion | $1 billion |
| Shippers | 75,000 | 18,000 |
| Carriers | 450,000 | 150,000 |
| Business mix (As of Q2 2026) | 73% North American Surface Transportation, 18% global forwarding, 9% other | 73% truck brokerage, 19% last mile, 8% managed transportation |
Source:C.H. Robinson
The acquisition would significantly expand the 3PL giant’s scale while diversifying its customer base. The companies also point to what they describe as “compelling cross-selling opportunities” created by the combination.
RXO has limited overlap with C.H. Robinson’s shipper base. Most of its revenue currently comes from customers in retail and e-commerce, industrial and manufacturing, and food and beverage, according to the investor presentation.
“We have built a strong business by staying relentlessly focused on our customers, operating with agility and delivering solutions that help them navigate an increasingly complex supply chain,” Drew Wilkerson, RXO chairman and CEO, said in the release.
“By bringing together our complementary capabilities, talented teams and shared commitment to service, we will be able to offer customers greater scale, broader capabilities and even more value.”
Lean AI at the center of the integration
A major part of the proposed integration will revolve around C.H. Robinson’s “Lean AI” operating model.
Once the acquisition is approved, C.H. Robinson plans to deploy artificial intelligence agents throughout RXO’s workflows. The companies expect those measures to generate $300 million in net run-rate savings within two years of closing.
The projected savings would not come from AI alone. The investor presentation also identifies real estate footprint consolidation and RXO’s transfer of external services to existing C.H. Robinson vendors as additional sources of cost reduction.
Technology will also play a central role in bringing the two operations together.
Navisphere, C.H. Robinson’s logistics platform, is expected to become the core system of record for RXO’s truckload and less-than-truckload services that overlap with C.H. Robinson, according to Damon Lee, C.H. Robinson CFO.
At the same time, Lee said RXO has “some very interesting technology” supporting its expedited and last-mile operations. Those capabilities could prove complementary to C.H. Robinson’s existing technology stack, he added during the investor presentation.
The proposed acquisition therefore goes beyond simply adding volume and customers. At stake is the creation of a denser, broader 3PL network combining C.H. Robinson’s global reach with RXO’s strengths in North American brokerage, expedited transportation and last-mile delivery.
