Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Segment Reporting (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
External revenues $ 205,918us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet $ 171,569us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet  
Depreciation and amortization 8,684us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization 7,013us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization  
Allocated Share Based Compensation Expense 1,786us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense 1,652us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense  
Interest expense 364us-gaap_InterestExpense 82us-gaap_InterestExpense  
Interest income 1us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest 7us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest  
Income tax expense (benefit) 3,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 6,073us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit  
Net income (loss) 4,837us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss 10,202us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss  
Total assets 715,387us-gaap_Assets 534,567us-gaap_Assets 541,805us-gaap_Assets
Capital expenditures 5,229us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment 19,548us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment  
Number of reportable segments 3fwrd_NumberOfPrincipalReportingSegments    
Forward Air [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
External revenues 167,651us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
133,393us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
Intersegment revenues 1,053us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
793us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
Depreciation and amortization 6,155us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
4,942us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
Allocated Share Based Compensation Expense 1,741us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
1,609us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
Interest expense 364us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
81us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
Interest income 1us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
7us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
Income tax expense (benefit) 2,586us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
5,784us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
Net income (loss) 4,162us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
9,599us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
Total assets 790,815us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
604,727us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
Capital expenditures 2,797us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
10,995us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_ForwardAirMember
 
FASI [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
External revenues 27,041us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
27,222us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
 
Intersegment revenues 183us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
100us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
 
Depreciation and amortization 1,582us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
1,278us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
 
Allocated Share Based Compensation Expense 32us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
38us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
 
Interest expense   1us-gaap_InterestExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
 
Income tax expense (benefit) 79us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
(23)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
 
Net income (loss) 137us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
(1)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
 
Total assets 44,439us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
42,829us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
 
Capital expenditures 190us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
3,681us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_FasiMember
 
TQI [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
External revenues 11,226us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
10,954us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
 
Intersegment revenues 37us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
107us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
 
Depreciation and amortization 947us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
793us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
 
Allocated Share Based Compensation Expense 13us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
5us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
 
Income tax expense (benefit) 335us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
312us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
 
Net income (loss) 538us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
604us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
 
Total assets 86,565us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
87,225us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
 
Capital expenditures 2,242us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
4,872us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= fwrd_TQIMember
 
Elimination [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Intersegment revenues (1,273)us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_IntersegmentEliminationMember
(1,000)us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_IntersegmentEliminationMember
 
Total assets $ (206,432)us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_IntersegmentEliminationMember
$ (200,214)us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_IntersegmentEliminationMember