Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Share-Based Payments - Employee Activity Non-vested Shares (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Share-Based Payments - Employee Activity Non-vested Shares (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]    
Share-based compensation expense $ 1,786us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 1,652us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
Employee Non-vested Shares [Member]    
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]    
Grants, vesting period (in years) 3 years  
Outstanding and non-vested, beginning of period (in shares) 190us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Restricted Stock Award, Gross 100us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesRestrictedStockAwardGross
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Shares Vested in Period (92)us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Shares Forfeited in Period (1)us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsForfeitedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Outstanding and non-vested, end of period (in shares) 197us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Outstanding and non-vested, weighted-average grant date fair value, beginning of period $ 40us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value $ 51us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Vested in Period, Weighed-average grant date fair value $ 39us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Forfeited in period (in dollars per share) $ 38us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsForfeituresAndExpirationsInPeriodWeightedAverageExercisePrice
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Outstanding and non-vested, weighted-average grant date fair value, end of period $ 46us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Outstanding and non-vested, aggregate grant date fair value 9,017fwrd_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsOutstandingTotalGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
 
Share-based compensation expense 988us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
925us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
Tax benefit related to share-based expense 380us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
352us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
Unrecognized share-based compensation, net of estimated forfeitures $ 8,398us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember
$ 6,982us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_EmployeeNonVestedSharesMember