Revolving Credit Agreement	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]
Revolving Credit Agreement	Revolving Credit Agreement The Company had a revolving credit agreement with a group of thirteen banks at an interest rate based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) that consisted of an unsecured, $200,000 five-year facility that was to expire in May 2012. On September 28, 2011, the Company and Graybar Canada Limited, the Company's Canadian operating subsidiary (“Graybar Canada”), entered into a new unsecured, five-year, $500,000 revolving credit facility maturing in September 2016 with Bank of America, N.A. and other lenders named therein, which includes a combined letter of credit ("L/C") sub-facility of up to $50,000, a US swing line loan facility of up to $50,000, and a Canadian swing line loan facility of up to $20,000 (the "Credit Agreement"). The Credit Agreement also includes a $100,000 sublimit (in US or Canadian dollars) for borrowings by Graybar Canada and contains an accordion feature, which allows the Company to request increases in the aggregate borrowing commitments of up to $200,000. This Credit Agreement replaces the revolving credit agreement that had been due to expire in May 2012, which was terminated upon the closing of the new revolving credit facility. Interest on the Company's borrowings under the revolving credit facility will be based on, at the borrower's election, either (i) the base rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), or (ii) LIBOR, in each case plus an applicable margin, as set forth in the pricing grid detailed in the Credit Agreement. In connection with such a borrowing, the applicable borrower will also select the term of the loan, up to six months, or an automatically renewing term with the consent of the lenders. Swing line loans, which are short-term loans, will bear interest at a rate based on, at the borrower's election, either the base rate or on the daily floating Eurodollar rate. In addition to interest payments, there are also certain fees and obligations associated with borrowings, swing line loans, letters of credit, and other administrative matters. The obligations of Graybar Canada under the new revolving credit facility are secured by the guaranty of the Company and any material domestic subsidiaries of the Company. Under no circumstances will Graybar Canada use its borrowings to benefit Graybar or its operations, including without limitation, the repayment of any of the Company's obligations under the revolving credit facility. The Credit Agreement provides for a quarterly commitment fee ranging from 0.2% to 0.35% per annum, subject to adjustment based upon the Company's consolidated leverage ratio for a fiscal quarter, and letter of credit fees ranging from 1.05% to 1.65% per annum payable quarterly, subject to such adjustment. Borrowings can be either base rate loans plus a margin ranging from 0.05% to 0.65% or LIBOR loans plus a margin ranging from 1.05% to 1.65%, subject to adjustment based upon the Company's consolidated leverage ratio. Availability under the Credit Agreement is subject to the accuracy of representations and warranties, the absence of an event of default, and, in the case of Canadian borrowings denominated in Canadian dollars, the absence of a material adverse change in the national or international financial markets, which would make it impracticable to lend Canadian dollars. The Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants for credit facilities of this type, including limitations on the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to indebtedness, liens, changes in the nature of our business, investments, mergers and acquisitions, the issuance of equity securities, the dispositions of assets and dissolution of certain subsidiaries, transactions with affiliates, restricted payments (subject to incurrence tests, with certain exceptions), as well as securitizations and factoring transactions. There are also maximum leverage ratio and minimum interest coverage ratio financial covenants to which the Company will be subject during the term of the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement also provides for customary events of default, including a failure to pay principal, interest or fees when due, failure to comply with covenants, the fact that any representation or warranty made by any of the credit parties is materially incorrect, the occurrence of an event of default under certain other indebtedness of the Company and its subsidiaries (including existing senior notes), the commencement of certain insolvency or receivership events affecting any of the credit parties, certain actions under ERISA, and the occurrence of a change in control of any of the credit parties (subject to certain permitted transactions as described in the Credit Agreement). Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the commitments of the lenders may be terminated and all outstanding obligations of the credit parties under the Credit Agreement may be declared immediately due and payable. There were $68,000 in borrowings outstanding under the revolving credit facility at September 30, 2011 and no borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2010.

Revolving Credit Agreement

The Company had a revolving credit agreement with a group of thirteen banks at an interest rate based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) that consisted of an unsecured, $200,000 five-year facility that was to expire in May 2012. On September 28, 2011, the Company and Graybar Canada Limited, the Company's Canadian operating subsidiary (“Graybar Canada”), entered into a new unsecured, five-year, $500,000 revolving credit facility maturing in September 2016 with Bank of America, N.A. and other lenders named therein, which includes a combined letter of credit ("L/C") sub-facility of up to $50,000, a US swing line loan facility of up to $50,000, and a Canadian swing line loan facility of up to $20,000 (the "Credit Agreement"). The Credit Agreement also includes a $100,000 sublimit (in US or Canadian dollars) for borrowings by Graybar Canada and contains an accordion feature, which allows the Company to request increases in the aggregate borrowing commitments of up to $200,000. This Credit Agreement replaces the revolving credit agreement that had been due to expire in May 2012, which was terminated upon the closing of the new revolving credit facility.

Interest on the Company's borrowings under the revolving credit facility will be based on, at the borrower's election, either (i) the base rate (as defined in the Credit Agreement), or (ii) LIBOR, in each case plus an applicable margin, as set forth in the pricing grid detailed in the Credit Agreement. In connection with such a borrowing, the applicable borrower will also select the term of the loan, up to six months, or an automatically renewing term with the consent of the lenders. Swing line loans, which are short-term loans, will bear interest at a rate based on, at the borrower's election, either the base rate or on the daily floating Eurodollar rate. In addition to interest payments, there are also certain fees and obligations associated with borrowings, swing line loans, letters of credit, and other administrative matters.

The obligations of Graybar Canada under the new revolving credit facility are secured by the guaranty of the Company and any material domestic subsidiaries of the Company. Under no circumstances will Graybar Canada use its borrowings to benefit Graybar or its operations, including without limitation, the repayment of any of the Company's obligations under the revolving credit facility.

The Credit Agreement provides for a quarterly commitment fee ranging from 0.2% to 0.35% per annum, subject to adjustment based upon the Company's consolidated leverage ratio for a fiscal quarter, and letter of credit fees ranging from 1.05% to 1.65% per annum payable quarterly, subject to such adjustment. Borrowings can be either base rate loans plus a margin ranging from 0.05% to 0.65% or LIBOR loans plus a margin ranging from 1.05% to 1.65%, subject to adjustment based upon the Company's consolidated leverage ratio. Availability under the Credit Agreement is subject to the accuracy of representations and warranties, the absence of an event of default, and, in the case of Canadian borrowings denominated in Canadian dollars, the absence of a material adverse change in the national or international financial markets, which would make it impracticable to lend Canadian dollars.

The Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants for credit facilities of this type, including limitations on the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to indebtedness, liens, changes in the nature of our business, investments, mergers and acquisitions, the issuance of equity securities, the dispositions of assets and dissolution of certain subsidiaries, transactions with affiliates, restricted payments (subject to incurrence tests, with certain exceptions), as well as securitizations and factoring transactions. There are also maximum leverage ratio and minimum interest coverage ratio financial covenants to which the Company will be subject during the term of the Credit Agreement.

The Credit Agreement also provides for customary events of default, including a failure to pay principal, interest or fees when due, failure to comply with covenants, the fact that any representation or warranty made by any of the credit parties is materially incorrect, the occurrence of an event of default under certain other indebtedness of the Company and its subsidiaries (including existing senior notes), the commencement of certain insolvency or receivership events affecting any of the credit parties, certain actions under ERISA, and the occurrence of a change in control of any of the credit parties (subject to certain permitted transactions as described in the Credit Agreement). Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the commitments of the lenders may be terminated and all outstanding obligations of the credit parties under the Credit Agreement may be declared immediately due and payable.

There were $68,000 in borrowings outstanding under the revolving credit facility at September 30, 2011 and no borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2010.