Freight broker C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. has agreed to acquire fellow truck brokerage firm RXO for an implied value of $5.8 billion in a stock-and-cash transaction that it said will combine the two companies’ trucking brokerage and managed transportation businesses, and also merge their individual strengths; C.H. Robinson’s global forwarding and RXO’s expedited and last mile services.
Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to close in the first half of 2027, C.H. Robinson will integrate RXO primarily into its North American Surface Transportation (NAST) division.
“This transaction is a natural next step in our transformation, allowing us to create a more scaled, resilient North American third-party logistics provider positioned to offer exceptional customer service and redefine the future of our industry,” said Dave Bozeman, C.H. Robinson President and Chief Executive Officer. “Like Robinson, RXO is a customer-focused company with expertise and talent that will allow us to expand our capabilities to better support customers of all sizes on their most complex challenges. By applying our proven Lean AI model to RXO’s business, we expect to significantly enhance productivity to unlock compelling cost synergies.”
The move is the latest transformation for Charlotte, N.C.-based RXO, which calls itself a Fortune 1000 provider of asset-light tech-enabled transportation solutions. The company was originally created as part of XPO, the sprawling logistics and transportation conglomerate built by investor Brad Jacobs.
Then in 2021, XPO split up into the brokerage unit RXO, the contract logistics provider GXO, and the less tank truckload (LTL) unit called XPO. After becoming a standalone company, RXO continued to grow through its own acquisitions, including the $1.025 billion purchase in 2024 of UPS Inc.’s freight brokerage arm, Coyote Logistics.
Minnesota-based C.H. Robinson will buy the company from its owner, the asset management firm Orbis Investments, which backs the deal. “Orbis is RXO’s largest shareholder and has owned the company since it became independent. We know the business and the team well, and we fully support this transaction. It gives RXO shareholders substantial cash today and continued ownership in a combined platform with significant upside,” Adam R. Karr, President and Portfolio Manager at Orbis Investments, said in a release.
