Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Shareholders' Equity, Stock Options and Net Income per Share - Employee Activity - Performance Shares (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Shareholders' Equity, Stock Options and Net Income per Share - Employee Activity - Performance Shares (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Employee Activity - Performance Shares [Line Items]      
Share-based compensation $ 6,681us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation $ 6,178us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation $ 6,050us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
Key Employee Performance Share Based Plan [Member]      
Employee Activity - Performance Shares [Line Items]      
Share-based awards, vesting period 3 years    
Outstanding at beginning of year (shares) 88us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
62us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
38us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Granted (shares) 23us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
26us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
24us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Additional shares awarded based on performance 19us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
   
Vested (shares) (56)us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
   
Outstanding at end of year (shares) 74us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
88us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
62us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Weighted average grant date fair value of non-vested shares at beginning of year $ 37us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
$ 36us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
$ 30us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Weighted average fair value of performance shares $ 48us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
$ 40us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
$ 45us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Stock Issued During Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value $ 30fwrd_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherthanOptionsAdditionalSharesAwardedBasedonPerformanceWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
   
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value $ 30us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
   
Weighted average grant date fair value non-vested shares at end of year $ 44us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
$ 37us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
$ 36us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Granted in Period, Total Fair Value 3,279fwrd_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantedInPeriodTotalFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
3,278fwrd_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantedInPeriodTotalFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
2,205fwrd_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantedInPeriodTotalFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Share-based compensation 1,098us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
1,055us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
699us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Tax benefit related to share-based compensation expense 419us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
402us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
269us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Unrecognized compensation cost $ 1,225us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
   
Minimum percentage of peer group by which Company share price must outperform before incremental performance shares are issued 30.00%fwrd_MinimumPercentageOfPeerGroupByWhichCompanySharePriceMustOutperformBeforeIncrementalPerformanceSharesAreIssued
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
   
Percentage of Peer Group By Which Company Share Price Must Outperform Before Maximum Incremental Shares Are Issued 90.00%fwrd_PercentageOfPeerGroupByWhichCompanySharePriceMustOutperformBeforeMaximumIncrementalSharesAreIssued
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember