Organization, Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization, Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	1. Organization, Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies Nature of Business Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) is headquartered in Cudahy, Wisconsin and has the following three operating segments: truckload logistics (“TL”), less-than-truckload (“LTL”), and Global Solutions. Within its TL business, the Company operates a network of 49 TL service centers, four freight consolidation and inventory management centers, and 23 company dispatch offices and is augmented by over 100 independent brokerage agents. Within its LTL business, the Company operates 45 LTL service centers throughout the United States, complemented by relationships with over 160 delivery agents. Within its Global Solutions business, the Company operates from eight service centers and 11 dispatch offices throughout the United States. From pickup to delivery, the Company leverages relationships with a diverse group of third-party carriers to provide scalable capacity and reliable, customized service, including domestic and international air and ocean transportation services, to its customers. The Company operates primarily in the United States. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In the Company's opinion, these financial statements include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the operations for the interim periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Segment Reporting The Company determines its operating segments based on the information utilized by the chief operating decision maker, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, to allocate resources and assess performance. Based on this information, the Company has determined that it has three operating segments, which are also its reportable segments: TL, LTL, and Global Solutions. New Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which is effective for the Company in 2018. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance in this Accounting Standards Update and has not yet determined if the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30), which is effective for the Company in 2016 and must be applied retrospectively for all periods presented. This guidance simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs. Under the revised Accounting Standard, the Company would be required to present debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. Amortization of the debt issuance costs should be reported as interest expense. The Accounting Standards Update does not affect the recognition and measurement for debt issuance costs. Early adoption of the revised Accounting Standard is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance and has not yet determined if the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-05, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40), which is effective for the Company in 2016 and can be applied prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or retrospectively. This update provides guidance to help companies evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement such as software as a service, infrastructure as a service, or other hosting arrangements. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a license to internal-use software, then the customer should account for the software license consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance and has not yet determined if the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

1. Organization, Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business

Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) is headquartered in Cudahy, Wisconsin and has the following three operating segments: truckload logistics (“TL”), less-than-truckload (“LTL”), and Global Solutions. Within its TL business, the Company operates a network of 49 TL service centers, four freight consolidation and inventory management centers, and 23 company dispatch offices and is augmented by over 100 independent brokerage agents. Within its LTL business, the Company operates 45 LTL service centers throughout the United States, complemented by relationships with over 160 delivery agents. Within its Global Solutions business, the Company operates from eight service centers and 11 dispatch offices throughout the United States. From pickup to delivery, the Company leverages relationships with a diverse group of third-party carriers to provide scalable capacity and reliable, customized service, including domestic and international air and ocean transportation services, to its customers. The Company operates primarily in the United States.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In the Company's opinion, these financial statements include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the operations for the interim periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Segment Reporting

The Company determines its operating segments based on the information utilized by the chief operating decision maker, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, to allocate resources and assess performance. Based on this information, the Company has determined that it has three operating segments, which are also its reportable segments: TL, LTL, and Global Solutions.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which is effective for the Company in 2018. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance in this Accounting Standards Update and has not yet determined if the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30), which is effective for the Company in 2016 and must be applied retrospectively for all periods presented. This guidance simplifies the presentation of debt issuance costs. Under the revised Accounting Standard, the Company would be required to present debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. Amortization of the debt issuance costs should be reported as interest expense. The Accounting Standards Update does not affect the recognition and measurement for debt issuance costs. Early adoption of the revised Accounting Standard is permitted. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance and has not yet determined if the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-05, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40), which is effective for the Company in 2016 and can be applied prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or retrospectively. This update provides guidance to help companies evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement such as software as a service, infrastructure as a service, or other hosting arrangements. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a license to internal-use software, then the customer should account for the software license consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance and has not yet determined if the adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.