MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 2012-- C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (“C.H. Robinson”) (NASDAQ: CHRW), today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2012.

Summarized financial results for the quarter ended September 30 are as follows (dollars in thousands, except per share data):

Our truck net revenues, which consist of truckload and less-than-truckload (“LTL”) services, increased 2.1 percent in the third quarter of 2012. Our truckload volumes increased approximately eight percent in the third quarter of 2012 compared to the third quarter of 2011. Our truckload net revenue margin decreased in the third quarter of 2012 compared to the third quarter of 2011, due to increased cost per mile. Excluding the estimated impacts of the change in fuel, our average truckload rate per mile to our customers was unchanged in the third quarter of 2012 compared to the third quarter of 2011. Our truckload transportation costs increased approximately one percent, excluding the estimated impacts of the change in fuel. Our LTL net revenues increased approximately 11 percent. The increase was driven by an increase in total shipments of approximately 17 percent, partially offset by decreased net revenue margin.

Our intermodal net revenues decreased 4.4 percent in the third quarter of 2012. This was due to decreased net revenue margin, offset partially by volume growth. Our net revenue margin decline was due to a change in our mix of business and increased cost of capacity.

Our ocean transportation net revenues increased 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2012, due to increased pricing, partially offset by volume declines.

Our air transportation net revenues decreased 9.0 percent in the third quarter of 2012 due to pricing declines, partially offset by volume increases.

Other logistics services net revenues, which include transportation management services, customs, warehousing, and small parcel, increased 16.6 percent in the third quarter of 2012. This was primarily due to transaction increases in our transportation management and customs net revenues.

Sourcing net revenues increased 2.0 percent in the third quarter of 2012. This was due to volume growth, partially offset by decreased net revenue margin. Excluding Timco Worldwide, which was acquired on September 26, 2011, we estimate that Sourcing net revenues decreased approximately two percent in the third quarter of 2012.

Our payment services net revenues increased 4.2 percent in the third quarter of 2012 primarily due to an increase in transactions. On October 16, 2012, we completed the sale of our payment services business, T-Chek Systems, Inc., to Electronic Funds Source, LLC. The related assets and liabilities that were sold are classified as “held for sale” on the balance sheet as of September 30, 2012.

For the third quarter, operating expenses increased 2.6 percent to $245.4 million in 2012 from $239.1 million in 2011. This was due to an increase of 0.7 percent in personnel expense and an increase of 8.3 percent in other selling, general, and administrative expenses. For the third quarter, operating expenses as a percentage of net revenues increased to 56.7 percent in 2012 from 56.5 percent in 2011.

Our personnel expense increase was driven by an increase in our average headcount of approximately nine percent, partially offset by declines in various incentive plans that are designed to keep expenses variable based on growth in earnings. Other operating expense growth was driven primarily by an increase in the provision for doubtful accounts, accounting and legal due diligence costs related to acquisitions, and in travel expenses, partially offset by a decrease in claims.

Founded in 1905, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., is one of the largest non-asset based third party logistics companies in the world. C.H. Robinson is a global provider of multimodal transportation services and logistics solutions, currently serving over 37,000 active customers through a network of 234 offices in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. C.H. Robinson maintains one of the largest networks of motor carrier capacity in North America and works with approximately 53,000 transportation providers worldwide.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this release are forward-looking statements that represent our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience or our present expectations, including, but not limited to such factors as changes in economic conditions, including uncertain consumer demand; changes in market demand and pressures on the pricing for our services; competition and growth rates within the third party logistics industry; freight levels and increasing costs and availability of truck capacity or alternative means of transporting freight, and changes in relationships with existing truck, rail, ocean and air carriers; changes in our customer base due to possible consolidation among our customers; our ability to integrate the operations of acquired companies with our historic operations successfully; risks associated with litigation and insurance coverage; risks associated with operations outside of the U.S.; risks associated with the potential impacts of changes in government regulations; risks associated with the produce industry, including food safety and contamination issues; fuel prices and availability; the impact of war on the economy; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in our Annual and Quarterly Reports.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update such statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after such date. All remarks made during our financial results conference call will be current at the time of the call and we undertake no obligation to update the replay.

Conference Call Information:
C.H. Robinson Worldwide Third Quarter 2012 Earnings Conference Call
Tuesday October 23, 2012 5:00 pm. Eastern Time
The call will be limited to 60 minutes, including questions and answers.

Presentation slides and a simultaneous live audio webcast of the conference call may be accessed through the Investor Relations link on C.H. Robinson’s website at www.chrobinson.com
To participate in the conference call by telephone, please call ten minutes early by dialing: 1-877-941-6009
Callers should reference the conference ID, which is 4568762
Webcast replay available through Investor Relations link at www.chrobinson.com
Telephone audio replay available until 12:59 a.m. Eastern Time on October 26: 1-800-406-7325; passcode: 4568762#

Source: C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.