Organization, Nature of Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Business	Nature of Business Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) is headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois with operations primarily in the United States and is organized in the following three segments: Truckload & Express Services (“TES”), Less-than-Truckload (“LTL”), and Ascent Global Logistics (“Ascent”). Within its TES segment, the Company provides the following services: air and ground expedite, scheduled dry van truckload, temperature controlled truckload, flatbed, intermodal drayage and other warehousing, equipment and logistics operations. Within its LTL segment, the Company operates service centers, complemented by relationships with numerous pick-up and delivery agents. Within its Ascent segment, the Company provides third-party domestic freight management, international freight forwarding, customs brokerage and retail consolidation solutions.
Principles of Consolidation	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 unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements reflect all normal and recurring adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods. These unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included in our latest Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.
Changes in Accounting Principles	Change in Accounting Principle On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”). The Company elected to adopt Topic 842 using an optional alternative method of adoption, referred to as the “Comparatives Under ASC 840 Approach” which allows companies to apply the new requirements to only those leases that existed as of January 1, 2019. Under the Comparatives Under ASC 840 Approach, the date of initial application is January 1, 2019 with no retrospective restatements. As such, there was no impact to historical comparative income statements and the balance sheet assets and liabilities have been recognized in 2019 in accordance with ASC 842. Upon adoption, the Company recognized a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, of $135 million with a corresponding right-of-use asset for operating leases. The Company's accounting for finance leases is essentially unchanged. As part of its adoption of Topic 842 the Company elected the “package of three” practical expedient which, among other things, does not require the Company to reassess lease classification for expired or existing contracts upon adoption. The Company also elected to not use hindsight in assessing existing lease terms at the transition date. See Note 3 for more information.
Use of Estimates	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.
Revenue Recognition, Policy	Revenue Recognition The Company’s revenues are primarily derived from transportation services which includes providing freight and carrier services both domestically and internationally via land, air, and sea. The Company disaggregates revenue among its three segments, TES, LTL and Ascent, as presented in Note 14. Performance Obligations - A performance obligation is created once a customer agreement with an agreed upon transaction price exists. The terms and conditions of the Company’s agreements with customers are generally consistent within each segment. The transaction price is typically fixed and determinable and is not contingent upon the occurrence or non-occurrence of any other event. The transaction price is generally due 30 to 60 days from the date of invoice. The Company’s transportation service is a promise to move freight to a customer’s destination, with the transit period typically being less than one week. The Company views the transportation services it provides to its customers as a single performance obligation. This performance obligation is satisfied and recognized in revenue over the requisite transit period as the customer’s goods move from origin to destination. The Company determines the period to recognize revenue in transit based upon the departure date and the delivery date, which may be estimated if delivery has not occurred as of the reporting date. Determining the transit period and the percentage of completion as of the reporting date requires management to make judgments that affect the timing of revenue recognized. The Company has determined that revenue recognition over the transit period provides a reasonable estimate of the transfer of goods and services to its customers as the Company’s obligation is performed over the transit period. Principal vs. Agent Considerations - The Company utilizes independent contractors and third-party carriers in the performance of some transportation services. The Company evaluates whether its performance obligation is a promise to transfer services to the customer (as the principal) or to arrange for services to be provided by another party (as the agent) using a control model. This evaluation determined that the Company is in control of establishing the transaction price, managing all aspects of the shipments process and taking the risk of loss for delivery, collection, and returns. Based on the Company’s evaluation of the control model, it determined that all of the Company’s major businesses act as the principal rather than the agent within their revenue arrangements and such revenues are reported on a gross basis. Contract Balances and Costs - The Company applies the practical expedient in Topic 606 that permits the Company to not disclose the aggregate amount of transaction price allocated to performance obligations that are unsatisfied as of the end of the period as the Company's contracts have an expected length of one year or less. The Company also applies the practical expedient in Topic 606 that permits the recognition of incremental costs of obtaining contracts as an expense when incurred if the amortization period of such costs is one year or less. These costs are included in purchased transportation costs.
Segment Reporting	Segment Reporting The Company determines its 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 segments: TES, LTL, and Ascent.
Leases	The Company determines at inception whether a contract qualifies as a lease and whether the lease meets the classification criteria of an operating or finance lease. For operating leases, the Company records a lease liability and corresponding right-of-use asset at the lease commencement date, which are valued at the estimated present value of the lease payments over the lease term. The Company uses its collateralized incremental borrowing rate at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of the lease payments. Finance leases are included within property and equipment. The Company does not recognize leases with an original lease term of 12 months or less on the condensed consolidated balance sheets but will disclose the related lease expense for these short-term leases. The Company does not separate non-lease components from lease components, which results in all payments being allocated to the lease and factored into the measurement of the right-of-use asset and lease liability. The Company includes options to extend the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option.
New Accounting Pronouncements	New Accounting Pronouncements In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2018-15, Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, which is effective for the Company in 2020. The amendments in ASU 2018-15 align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal use software license). The accounting for the service element of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract is not affected by these amendments. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2018-15 to have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.