Organization, Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
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 Downers Grove, Illinois and has the following three segments: Truckload Logistics (“TL”), Less-than-Truckload (“LTL”), and Ascent Global Logistics (“Ascent”). Within its TL business, the Company operates a network of TL service centers and company dispatch offices which are augmented by independent brokerage agents. Within its LTL business, the Company operates LTL service centers throughout the United States, complemented by relationships with numerous delivery agents. Within its Ascent business, the Company operates company offices, and freight consolidation and inventory management centers 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 to its customers, including domestic and international air and ocean transportation services. 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 United States 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. Change in Accounting Principle On January 1, 2017, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Share-Based Payment Accounting. The Company will prospectively recognizes any excess tax benefits or tax deficiencies through the condensed consolidated statements of operations and also offsets excess tax benefits and/or tax deficiencies against taxes payable. Also, the Company adopted the classification of the excess tax benefit on a retrospective basis and did not present excess tax benefits and/or tax deficiencies as financing activities within the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for either period presented. Tax deficiency on share-based compensation was $0.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The Company has elected to recognize forfeitures as they occur. Fair Value Option The fair value option election allows entities to make an irrevocable election of fair value as the initial and subsequent measurement attribute for certain eligible financial assets and liabilities. The decision to elect the fair value option is determined on an instrument by instrument basis and must be applied to an entire instrument and is irrevocable once elected. The Company has elected to measure its preferred stock at fair value pursuant to ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. Changes in the fair value of preferred stock are recorded in interest expense - preferred stock in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. See Notes 4 and 5 for further information. 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. New Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2014-09 (“ASU 2014-09”), which was updated in August 2015 by ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). 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. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08 (“ASU 2016-08”), Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net). Under ASU 2016-08, when another party is involved in providing goods or services to a customer, an entity is required to determine whether the nature of its promise is to provide the specified good or service (that is, the entity is a principal) or to arrange for that good or service to be provided by another party. When the principal entity satisfies a performance obligation, the entity recognizes revenue in the gross amount. When an entity that is an agent satisfies the performance obligation, that entity recognizes revenue in the amount of any fee or commission to which it expects to be entitled. Both ASU 2014-09 and ASU 2016-08 will be effective for the Company in 2018. The Company expects to adopt the new revenue standard on January 1, 2018 and is currently assessing all potential impacts of this standard. The Company determined key factors from the five-step process to recognize revenue as prescribed by the new standard that may be applicable to each of the Company's operating businesses that roll up into its three segments. Significant customers and contracts from each business unit were identified and the Company substantially completed the review of these contracts. Evaluation of the provisions of these contracts, and the comparison of historical accounting policies and practices to the requirements of the new standard (including the related qualitative disclosures regarding the potential impact of the effects of the accounting policies the Company expects to apply and a comparison to the Company's current revenue recognition policies), is in process. The Company will complete its process before filing its Form 10-Q for the quarter ending March 31, 2018. The Company's work to date indicates that certain transactions with customers may require a change in the timing of when revenue and related expense is recognized. The Company is currently in the process of determining the expected quantitative impact that the adoption of Topic 606 will have on its financial statements. The standard allows for either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective adoption approach. The Company has not yet selected a transition method, as this decision will be dependent on the completion of its analysis as discussed above. The Company expects to make this determination prior to filing of, and make disclosure of that determination in, its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”), which will be effective for the Company in 2019. For financing leases, a lessee is required to: (1) recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments; (2) recognize interest on the lease liability separately from amortization of the right-of-use asset; and (3) classify repayments of the principal portion of the lease liability within financing activities and payments of interest on the lease liability and variable lease payments within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. For operating leases, a lessee is required to: (1) recognize the right-to-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments; (2) recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term generally on a straight-line basis; and (3) classify all cash payments within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying assets not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. If a lessee makes this election, it should recognize lease expense for such leases generally on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance in ASU 2016-02 and will determine the total impact of the new guidance based on the current lease arrangements that are expected to remain in place. The Company expects adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated balance sheet given the Company will be required to record operating leases with lease terms greater than 12 months within assets and liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company has not yet determined how it will handle lease terms of 12 months or less. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) (“ASU 2016-15”), which will be effective for the Company in 2018. ASU 2016-15 provides guidance on specific cash flow issues, including but not limited to: debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, and distributions received from equity method investees. ASU 2016-15 provides guidance on how to account for the cash inflows and/or outflows in the statement of cash flows. The Company does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740) Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory (“ASU 2016-16”), which will be effective for the Company in 2018. GAAP currently prohibits the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for intra-entity asset transfers other than inventory (e.g. property and equipment) until the asset has been sold to an outside party. Under ASU 2016-16, the FASB decided that an entity should recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset when the transfer occurs. ASU 2016-16 does not include any new disclosure requirements; however, existing disclosure around the rate reconciliations and types of temporary differences and/or carryforward that give rise to a significant portion of deferred income taxes may be applicable. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance for ASU 2016-16 and has not yet quantified the potential impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350), Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (“ASU 2017-04”), which will be effective for the Company in 2020, but early adoption is permitted for interim and annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. ASU 2017-04 eliminates step two from the goodwill impairment test and instead requires an entity to recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Additionally, an entity should consider income tax effects from any tax deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. ASU 2017-04 reduces the amount of time and money spent determining the implied fair value of goodwill, which would allow the Company to more quickly evaluate and identify a recognized impairment.

1. Organization, Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business

Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) is headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois and has the following three segments: Truckload Logistics (“TL”), Less-than-Truckload (“LTL”), and Ascent Global Logistics (“Ascent”). Within its TL business, the Company operates a network of TL service centers and company dispatch offices which are augmented by independent brokerage agents. Within its LTL business, the Company operates LTL service centers throughout the United States, complemented by relationships with numerous delivery agents. Within its Ascent business, the Company operates company offices, and freight consolidation and inventory management centers 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 to its customers, including domestic and international air and ocean transportation services. 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 United States 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.

Change in Accounting Principle

On January 1, 2017, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718), Improvements to Share-Based Payment Accounting. The Company will prospectively recognizes any excess tax benefits or tax deficiencies through the condensed consolidated statements of operations and also offsets excess tax benefits and/or tax deficiencies against taxes payable. Also, the Company adopted the classification of the excess tax benefit on a retrospective basis and did not present excess tax benefits and/or tax deficiencies as financing activities within the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for either period presented. Tax deficiency on share-based compensation was $0.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016. The Company has elected to recognize forfeitures as they occur.

Fair Value Option

The fair value option election allows entities to make an irrevocable election of fair value as the initial and subsequent measurement attribute for certain eligible financial assets and liabilities. The decision to elect the fair value option is determined on an instrument by instrument basis and must be applied to an entire instrument and is irrevocable once elected. The Company has elected to measure its preferred stock at fair value pursuant to ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. Changes in the fair value of preferred stock are recorded in interest expense - preferred stock in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. See Notes 4 and 5 for further information.

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.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2014-09 (“ASU 2014-09”), which was updated in August 2015 by ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). 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. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08 (“ASU 2016-08”), Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net). Under ASU 2016-08, when another party is involved in providing goods or services to a customer, an entity is required to determine whether the nature of its promise is to provide the specified good or service (that is, the entity is a principal) or to arrange for that good or service to be provided by another party. When the principal entity satisfies a performance obligation, the entity recognizes revenue in the gross amount. When an entity that is an agent satisfies the performance obligation, that entity recognizes revenue in the amount of any fee or commission to which it expects to be entitled. Both ASU 2014-09 and ASU 2016-08 will be effective for the Company in 2018. The Company expects to adopt the new revenue standard on January 1, 2018 and is currently assessing all potential impacts of this standard. The Company determined key factors from the five-step process to recognize revenue as prescribed by the new standard that may be applicable to each of the Company's operating businesses that roll up into its three segments. Significant customers and contracts from each business unit were identified and the Company substantially completed the review of these contracts. Evaluation of the provisions of these contracts, and the comparison of historical accounting policies and practices to the requirements of the new standard (including the related qualitative disclosures regarding the potential impact of the effects of the accounting policies the Company expects to apply and a comparison to the Company's current revenue recognition policies), is in process. The Company will complete its process before filing its Form 10-Q for the quarter ending March 31, 2018. The Company's work to date indicates that certain transactions with customers may require a change in the timing of when revenue and related expense is recognized. The Company is currently in the process of determining the expected quantitative impact that the adoption of Topic 606 will have on its financial statements. The standard allows for either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective adoption approach. The Company has not yet selected a transition method, as this decision will be dependent on the completion of its analysis as discussed above. The Company expects to make this determination prior to filing of, and make disclosure of that determination in, its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”), which will be effective for the Company in 2019. For financing leases, a lessee is required to: (1) recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments; (2) recognize interest on the lease liability separately from amortization of the right-of-use asset; and (3) classify repayments of the principal portion of the lease liability within financing activities and payments of interest on the lease liability and variable lease payments within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. For operating leases, a lessee is required to: (1) recognize the right-to-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments; (2) recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term generally on a straight-line basis; and (3) classify all cash payments within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying assets not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. If a lessee makes this election, it should recognize lease expense for such leases generally on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance in ASU 2016-02 and will determine the total impact of the new guidance based on the current lease arrangements that are expected to remain in place. The Company expects adoption of this guidance will have a material impact on the Company's consolidated balance sheet given the Company will be required to record operating leases with lease terms greater than 12 months within assets and liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company has not yet determined how it will handle lease terms of 12 months or less.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) (“ASU 2016-15”), which will be effective for the Company in 2018. ASU 2016-15 provides guidance on specific cash flow issues, including but not limited to: debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, and distributions received from equity method investees. ASU 2016-15 provides guidance on how to account for the cash inflows and/or outflows in the statement of cash flows. The Company does not expect this ASU to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740) Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory (“ASU 2016-16”), which will be effective for the Company in 2018. GAAP currently prohibits the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for intra-entity asset transfers other than inventory (e.g. property and equipment) until the asset has been sold to an outside party. Under ASU 2016-16, the FASB decided that an entity should recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset when the transfer occurs. ASU 2016-16 does not include any new disclosure requirements; however, existing disclosure around the rate reconciliations and types of temporary differences and/or carryforward that give rise to a significant portion of deferred income taxes may be applicable. The Company is in the process of evaluating the guidance for ASU 2016-16 and has not yet quantified the potential impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350), Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (“ASU 2017-04”), which will be effective for the Company in 2020, but early adoption is permitted for interim and annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. ASU 2017-04 eliminates step two from the goodwill impairment test and instead requires an entity to recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Additionally, an entity should consider income tax effects from any tax deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. ASU 2017-04 reduces the amount of time and money spent determining the implied fair value of goodwill, which would allow the Company to more quickly evaluate and identify a recognized impairment.