Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Description Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Organization	Organization CAI International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (collectively, CAI or the Company), is a transportation finance company. The Company purchases equipment, primarily intermodal shipping containers, which it leases to its customers. The Company also manages equipment for third-party investors. In operating its fleet, the Company leases, re-leases and disposes of equipment and contracts for the repair, repositioning and storage of equipment. The Company’s common stock, 8.50% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Stock and 8.50% Series B Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols “CAI,” “CAI-PA” and “CAI-PB,” respectively. The Company’s corporate headquarters are located in San Francisco, California.
Basis Of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of CAI International, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all normal, recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company’s results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, and the Company’s cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial statements to conform to the current presentation. The results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations or cash flows which may be reported for the remainder of 2021 or in any future period. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) have been condensed or omitted. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2020, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 1, 2021.
Discontinued Operations	Discontinued Operations On August 14, 2020, the Company sold substantially all of the assets and liabilities of its logistics business to NFI, a North American logistics provider, for cash proceeds of $6.2 million. On December 29, 2020, the Company sold its remaining railcar fleet to affiliates of Infinity Transportation for cash proceeds of $228.1 million. As a result, the operating results of the logistics and rail businesses have been classified as discontinued operations in the accompanying unaudited consolidated statements of income and cash flows. All prior periods presented in these consolidated financial statements have been restated to reflect the classification of the logistics and rail leasing businesses as discontinued operations. See Note 2 – Discontinued Operations for more information.
Concentration Of Credit Risk	Concentration of Credit Risk The Company’s equipment leases and trade receivables subject it to potential credit risk. The Company extends credit to its customers based upon an evaluation of each customer’s financial condition and credit history. Evaluations of the financial condition and associated credit risk of customers are performed an on ongoing basis. The Company’s largest customer and second largest customer accounted for 18% and 10%, respectively, of the Company’s total billings during the three months ended March 31, 2021.
Accounting Policy Updates	Accounting Policy Updates There were no changes to the Company’s accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2021. See Note 2 to the audited consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2021, for a description of the Company’s significant accounting policies.

Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Description Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

CAI International, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (collectively, CAI or the Company), is a transportation finance company. The Company purchases equipment, primarily intermodal shipping containers, which it leases to its customers. The Company also manages equipment for third-party investors. In operating its fleet, the Company leases, re-leases and disposes of equipment and contracts for the repair, repositioning and storage of equipment.

The Company’s common stock, 8.50% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Stock and 8.50% Series B Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Stock are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols “CAI,” “CAI-PA” and “CAI-PB,” respectively. The Company’s corporate headquarters are located in San Francisco, California.

Basis Of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of CAI International, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all normal, recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company’s results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, and the Company’s cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial statements to conform to the current presentation. The results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations or cash flows which may be reported for the remainder of 2021 or in any future period. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP) have been condensed or omitted. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2020, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 1, 2021.

Discontinued Operations

On August 14, 2020, the Company sold substantially all of the assets and liabilities of its logistics business to NFI, a North American logistics provider, for cash proceeds of $6.2 million. On December 29, 2020, the Company sold its remaining railcar fleet to affiliates of Infinity Transportation for cash proceeds of $228.1 million. As a result, the operating results of the logistics and rail businesses have been classified as discontinued operations in the accompanying unaudited consolidated statements of income and cash flows. All prior periods presented in these consolidated financial statements have been restated to reflect the classification of the logistics and rail leasing businesses as discontinued operations. See Note 2 – Discontinued Operations for more information.

Concentration Of Credit Risk

Concentration of Credit Risk

The Company’s equipment leases and trade receivables subject it to potential credit risk. The Company extends credit to its customers based upon an evaluation of each customer’s financial condition and credit history. Evaluations of the financial condition and associated credit risk of customers are performed an on ongoing basis. The Company’s largest customer and second largest customer accounted for 18% and 10%, respectively, of the Company’s total billings during the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Accounting Policy Updates

There were no changes to the Company’s accounting policies during the three months ended March 31, 2021. See Note 2 to the audited consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2021, for a description of the Company’s significant accounting policies.