Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Share-Based Payments - Employee Activity Performance Shares (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Share-Based Payments - Employee Activity Performance 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
Key Employee Performance Share Based Plan [Member]    
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]    
Period of Share Price Performance Comparison to Peer Group 3 years  
Minimum percentage of peer group by which Company share price must outperform before incremental performance shares are issued 30.00%fwrd_MinimumPercentageOfPeerGroupByWhichCompanySharePriceMustOutperformBeforeIncrementalPerformanceSharesAreIssued
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= 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_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Expected Stock Price Volatility Rate 23.50%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
32.50%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsExpectedVolatilityRate
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Weighted Average Risk Free Interest Rate 1.00%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
0.70%us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardFairValueAssumptionsRiskFreeInterestRate
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Outstanding and non-vested, beginning of period (in shares) 74us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Grants in Period 27us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Additional Shares Awarded Based on Performance, Shares Issued in Period 0us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardSharesIssuedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Shares Vested in Period (24)us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Outstanding and non-vested, end of period (in shares) 77us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Outstanding and non-vested, weighted-average grant date fair value, beginning of period $ 44us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value $ 67us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Stock Issued During Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value $ 0fwrd_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherthanOptionsAdditionalSharesAwardedBasedonPerformanceWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Vested in Period, Weighed-average grant date fair value $ 45us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Outstanding and non-vested, weighted-average grant date fair value, end of period $ 52us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Outstanding and non-vested, aggregate grant date fair value 4,016fwrd_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsOutstandingTotalGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
 
Share-based compensation expense 302us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
275us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Tax benefit related to share-based expense 116us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
105us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
Unrecognized share-based compensation, net of estimated forfeitures $ 2,733us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember
$ 2,048us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= fwrd_KeyEmployeePerformanceShareBasedPlanMember