Debt, Short Term Line Of Credit And Capital Lease Obligations (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended										9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended					9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended						9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] CAI Rail Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] CAI Rail Inc [Member]	Jul. 25, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] Consortium of Banks [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member] Development Bank of Japan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Term Loan [Member] Development Bank of Japan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member] Consortium of Banks [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Term Loan [Member] Consortium of Banks [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member] Consortium of Banks, Note Dated April 11, 2012 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Term Loan [Member] Consortium of Banks, Note Dated April 11, 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member] Consortium of Banks, Note Dated October 1, 2014 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member] Consortium of Banks, Note Dated October 1, 2014 [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member] Eurodollar [Member] Consortium of Banks [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Consortium of Banks, Note Dated October 1, 2014 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Consortium of Banks, Note Dated October 1, 2014 [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Senior Secured Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Secured Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Asset Backed Warehouse Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Asset-backed Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Asset-backed Securities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Collateralized Financing Obligation [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Collateralized Financing Obligation [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Swing Line Loans [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Standby Letters of Credit [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Letter of Credit [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan II [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan II [Member] Development Bank of Japan [Member] item	Sep. 30, 2014 Capital Lease Obligations [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Short Term Line Of Credit [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Term Loan [Member] loan	Sep. 30, 2014 Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Amortizing Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member] Non-Amortizing Term Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum credit commitment			$ 760,000,000		$ 250,000,000						$ 300,000,000		$ 142,000,000		$ 115,000,000	$ 150,000,000											$ 10,000,000	$ 15,000,000					$ 75,000,000
Maximum amount credit facility might be increased			960,000,000				325,000,000						200,000,000
Percentage of aggregate principal to prepay, minimum (in hundredths)	10.00%
Principal amount of loan																						171,000,000	229,000,000								30,000,000
Average Interest (in hundredths)			1.90%	1.90%	1.90%	2.40%			2.20%	2.30%	2.50%	2.50%	1.90%	2.20%						4.90%	4.90%		3.40%	3.40%	1.00%	1.00%							1.50%	2.60%
Fixed interest rate																						3.47%	3.35%										1.50%		2.70%
Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]
Number of business days short term borrowings payable, Maximum	10 days
Availability borrowing capacity			472,900,000		188,200,000
Letters of credit outstanding																													100,000
Term Loans [Abstract]
Term of loan													5 years																		5 years				5 years	5 years
Number of quarterly installments																															19
Quarterly payments of principal											1,900,000																				500,000
Debt instrument final payment																														21,500,000
Proceeds used to repay credit facility	124,400,000
Proceeds used for working capital purposes																						229,000,000
Amount outstanding under the facility								113,800,000	27,800,000		249,400,000		121,800,000							86,500,000		138,200,000	194,700,000
Periodic payment of principal balance											125,000,000
Amortization term of facility											6 years
Terms	The Base Rate is defined as the highest of (i) the federal funds rate plus 1/2 of 1.0%, (ii) the prime rate (as published in The Wall Street Journal), and (iii) the Eurodollar rate (for three-month loans) plus 1.0%.
Basis spread on variable rate (in hundredths)											0.50%						1.00%	2.25%	1.60%
Periodic payments specified as percentage of drawn amount (in hundredths)													1.75%
Number of loans																																		2
Long term debt maturity [Abstract]
Long-term debt	1,055,335,000	1,058,628,000																		103,000,000					121,800,000									10,300,000	9,200,000	1,600,000
Restricted cash	8,488,000	9,253,000																					8,500,000
Capital Lease Obligations [Abstract]
Average fixed and floating interest rates																									1.00%							2.40%
Maturity date range start																									Jun. 01, 2015							Dec. 01, 2014
Maturity date range end																									Jun. 01, 2019							Jun. 01, 2019
Estimated future principal and interest payments under capital lease obligations [Abstract]
Capital lease obligation																																3,000,000
Short term line of credit	$ 75,000,000