| Basis of Presentation (Details) | 6 Months Ended | 
|---|---|
| Jun. 30, 2012 | |
| Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
| Number of principal reporting segments | 2 | 
| Forward Air number of categories of service | 3 | 
| X | ||||||||||
| 
- Definition The number of services provided by an entity's principal reporting segment. No definition available. 
 | 
| X | ||||||||||
| 
- Definition The number of reporting segments for an entity. No definition available. 
 | 
| X | ||||||||||
| 
- Details 
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