CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,455 and $1,440 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively		$ 83,698	$ 68,324
Current portion of net investment in direct finance leases		74,637	30,063
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		2,600	4,258
Total current assets		199,264	138,065
Restricted cash		31,634	11,789
Rental equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $575,866 and $505,546 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively		2,299,955	2,004,961
Net investment in direct finance leases		444,741	246,450
Goodwill		15,794	15,794
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $4,946 and $3,407 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively		6,184	7,723
Furniture, fixtures and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $3,303 and $3,201 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively		619	338
Other non-current assets		974	3,008
Total assets	[1]	2,999,165	2,428,128
Current liabilities
Accounts payable		6,269	7,831
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		18,882	15,706
Due to container investors		993	1,845
Unearned revenue		8,345	7,811
Current portion of debt		194,563	132,049
Rental equipment payable		257,947	92,415
Total current liabilities		486,999	257,657
Debt		1,777,420	1,570,773
Deferred income tax liability		38,277	35,853
Total liabilities	[2]	2,302,696	1,864,283
Stockholders' equity
Common stock: par value $.0001 per share; authorized 84,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 19,306,202 and 20,390,622 shares at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively		2	2
Additional paid-in capital		145,069	172,325
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(6,379)	(6,122)
Retained earnings		453,912	397,640
Total stockholders' equity		696,469	563,845
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity		2,999,165	2,428,128
Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock [Member]
Stockholders' equity
Preferred stock, par value $.0001 per share; authorized 10,000,000 and 5,000,000 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively:		54,990
Series B Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock [Member]
Stockholders' equity
Preferred stock, par value $.0001 per share; authorized 10,000,000 and 5,000,000 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively:		48,875
Consolidated Entity Excluding Variable Interest Entities (VIE) [Member]
Current assets
Cash		14,550	14,735
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Current assets
Cash		23,779	20,685
Rental equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $575,866 and $505,546 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively		73,110	61,842
Net investment in direct finance leases		9,375	4,423
Current liabilities
Current portion of debt		39,302	22,549
Debt		$ 65,717	$ 72,727

[1] Total assets at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include the following assets of certain variable interest entities (VIEs) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs: Cash, $23,779 and $20,685; Net investment in direct finance leases, $9,375 and $4,423; and Rental equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, $73,110, and $61,842, respectively.

[2] Total liabilities at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include the following VIE liabilities for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to CAI International, Inc.: Current portion of debt, $39,302 and $22,549; Debt, $65,717 and $72,727, respectively.