CAI International (CAI) 10-Q 5 Nov 13 2013 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Oct. 31, 2013
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'CAI International, Inc.	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001388430	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	22,240,673
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2013	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q3	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-13	'

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets	'		'
Cash	$35,618		$17,671
Accounts receivable (owned fleet), net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1,060 and $794 at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 , respectively	40,464		32,627
Accounts receivable (managed fleet)	10,611		19,131
Current portion of direct finance leases	12,349		10,625
Prepaid expenses	15,435		11,952
Deferred tax assets	2,189		2,189
Other current assets	246		919
Total current assets	116,912		95,114
Restricted cash	9,508		4,376
Rental equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $193,826 and $147,654 at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively	1,436,911		1,210,234
Net investment in direct finance leases	63,088		74,929
Furniture, fixtures and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $1,578 and $1,254 at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively	1,535		1,847
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $8,162 and $7,447 at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively	769		1,441
Total assets	1,628,723	[1]	1,387,941	[1]
Current liabilities	'		'
Accounts payable	6,317		5,985
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	8,631		8,465
Due to container investors	13,215		18,589
Unearned revenue	6,656		7,893
Current portion of debt	74,280		61,044
Current portion of capital lease obligations	1,944		2,242
Rental equipment payable	5,522		2,561
Total current liabilities	116,565		106,779
Debt	1,072,630		888,990
Deferred income tax liability	37,759		40,051
Capital lease obligations	3,723		5,084
Income taxes payable	192		192
Total liabilities	1,230,869	[2]	1,041,096	[2]
Stockholders' equity	'		'
Common stock: par value $.0001 per share; authorized 84,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 22,239,340 and 22,052,529 shares at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 , respectively	2		2
Additional paid-in capital	183,519		181,063
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-2,699		-2,917
Retained earnings	217,032		168,697
Total stockholders' equity	397,854		346,845
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$1,628,723		$1,387,941
[1]	Total assets at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, include the following assets of certain variable interest entities (VIEs) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs: Cash, $13,941 and $3,695; Net investment in direct finance leases, $112 and $0; and Rental equipment net of accumulated depreciation, $76,979 and $62,286, respectively.
[2]	Total liabilities at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, include the following VIE liabilities for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to CAI International, Inc.: Debt, $95,461 and $75,200, respectively.

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS_UN

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Current assets	'	'
Allowance for doubtful accounts (owned fleet)	$1,060	$794
Accumulated depreciation on container rental equipment	193,826	147,654
Accumulated depreciation on furniture, fixtures and equipment	1,578	1,254
Accumulated amortization on intangible assets	8,162	7,447
Cash attributable to variable interest entities	13,941	3,695
Net investment in direct financial leases	112	0
Rental equipment attributable to variable interest entities, net of accumulated depreciation	76,979	62,286
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity	'	'
Collateralized financing obligations	$95,461	$75,200
Stockholders' equity	'	'
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	84,000,000	84,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	22,239,340	22,052,529
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	22,239,340	22,052,529

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_INC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Revenue	'	'	'	'
Rental revenue	$50,711	$40,473	$145,721	$108,061
Management fee revenue	1,503	2,492	6,027	9,699
Gain on sale of equipment portfolios	'	'	'	1,256
Finance lease income	1,684	1,974	6,096	5,055
Total revenue	53,898	44,939	157,844	124,071
Operating expenses	'	'	'	'
Depreciation of rental equipment	17,389	12,495	49,007	34,206
Amortization of intangible assets	227	224	681	676
Gain on disposition of used rental equipment	-1,329	-2,491	-5,822	-8,811
Storage, handling and other expenses	4,979	2,197	13,611	5,965
Marketing, general and administrative expense	6,055	6,275	18,274	18,610
Loss on foreign exchange	374	193	199	125
Total operating expenses	27,695	18,893	75,950	50,771
Operating income	26,203	26,046	81,894	73,300
Interest expense	9,546	7,179	26,905	19,435
Write-off of deferred financing costs	'	'	1,108	'
Interest income	'	-1	-4	-8
Net interest expense	9,546	7,178	28,009	19,427
Net income before income taxes and non-controlling interest	16,657	18,868	53,885	53,873
Income tax expense	1,320	2,102	5,550	7,003
Net income	15,337	16,766	48,335	46,870
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest	'	-238	'	-816
Net income attributable to CAI common stockholders	$15,337	$16,528	$48,335	$46,054
Net income per share attributable to CAI common stockholders	'	'	'	'
Basic (in dollars per share)	$0.69	$0.86	$2.18	$2.39
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.68	$0.84	$2.13	$2.33
Weighted average shares outstanding	'	'	'	'
Basic (in shares)	22,186	19,295	22,139	19,295
Diluted (in shares)	22,645	19,764	22,674	19,730

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_COM

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net income	$15,337	$16,766	$48,335	$46,870
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:	'	'	'	'
Foreign currency translation adjustments	1,208	642	218	108
Comprehensive income	16,545	17,408	48,553	46,978
Comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interest	'	-238	'	-816
Comprehensive income attributable to CAI common stockholders	$16,545	$17,170	$48,553	$46,162

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_CAS

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities	'	'
Net income	$48,335	$46,870
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation	49,400	34,570
Amortization of debt issuance costs	3,090	1,887
Amortization of intangible assets	681	676
Stock-based compensation expense	1,111	948
(Gain) loss on foreign exchange	-20	476
Gain on sale of equipment portfolios	'	-1,256
Gain on disposition of used rental equipment	-5,822	-8,811
Deferred income taxes	42	118
Bad debt expense	120	101
Changes in other operating assets and liabilities:	'	'
Accounts receivable	788	-10,253
Prepaid expenses and other assets	-24	-1,493
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities	-1,284	9,669
Due to container investors	-5,374	666
Unearned revenue	-1,252	1,850
Net cash provided by operating activities	89,791	76,018
Cash flows from investing activities	'	'
Purchase of rental equipment	-287,959	-357,505
Net proceeds from sale of equipment portfolios	'	10,320
Net proceeds from disposition of used rental equipment	22,512	35,777
Purchase of furniture, fixtures and equipment	-59	-247
Receipt of principal payments from direct financing leases	9,142	6,226
Net cash used in investing activities	-256,364	-305,429
Cash flows from financing activities	'	'
Stock issuance costs	-155	'
Exercise of stock options	1,500	'
Proceeds from debt	536,170	600,381
Principal payments on debt	-340,154	-348,285
Repurchase of noncontrolling interest	'	-19,467
Debt issuance costs	-6,529	-2,792
(Increase) decrease in restricted cash	-5,132	599
Net cash provided by financing activities	185,700	230,436
Effect on cash of foreign currency translation	-1,180	108
Net increase in cash	17,947	1,133
Cash at beginning of the period	17,671	14,078
Cash at end of the period	35,618	15,211
Cash paid during the period for:	'	'
Income taxes	4,791	2,284
Interest	25,173	17,465
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activity	'	'
Transfer of rental equipment to direct finance lease	29,091	52,388
Transfer of direct finance lease to rental equipment	30,118	'
Payment of revolving credit facility from term loan	'	$20,000

The_Company_And_Nature_Of_Oper

The Company And Nature Of Operations	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
The Company And Nature Of Operations [Abstract]	'
The Company And Nature Of Operations	'
	(1)The Company and Nature of Operations
	Organization
	CAI International, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, CAI or the Company), operate primarily in the international intermodal marine cargo container leasing business. The Company also owns a fleet of railcars, which it leases in North America. The Company generates revenue from two reportable segments: equipment leasing and equipment management. The equipment leasing segment specializes primarily in the ownership and leasing of intermodal containers, while the equipment management segment manages equipment for third-party investors. The Company leases its equipment principally to international container shipping lines located throughout the world. The Company sells equipment primarily to third-party investor groups and provides management services to those investors in return for a management fee.
	The Company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CAP”. The Company’s corporate headquarters are located in San Francisco, California.
	Basis of Presentation
	The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and its 80% owned subsidiary, CAIJ, Inc. (CAIJ). Net income attributable to the non-controlling interest in CAIJ is immaterial for all periods presented and has not been included in the unaudited consolidated financial statements. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
	In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company’s results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, and the Company’s cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.  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 2013 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 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, 2012, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 28, 2013.

Accounting_Policies_And_Recent

Accounting Policies And Recent Accounting Pronouncements	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies And Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]	'
Accounting Policies And Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	(2)Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	(a)Accounting Policies
	There were no changes to the Company’s accounting policies during the nine months ended September 30, 2013. See Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2013, for a description of the Company’s significant accounting policies.
	(b)Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	There have been no recent accounting pronouncements that would have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Consolidation_Of_Variable_Inte

Consolidation Of Variable Interest Entities As A Non-Controlling Interest	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Consolidation Of Variable Interest Entities As A Non-Controlling Interest [Abstract]	'
Consolidation Of Variable Interest Entities As A Non-Controlling Interest	'
	(3)Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities as a Non-Controlling Interest
	The Company regularly performs a review of its container fund arrangements with investors to determine whether a fund is a variable interest entity (VIE) and whether the Company has a variable interest that provides it with a controlling financial interest and is the primary beneficiary of the VIE in accordance with ASC 810, Consolidation. If the fund is determined to be a VIE, a further analysis is performed to determine if the Company is a primary beneficiary of the VIE and meets both of the following criteria under Paragraph 14A of ASC 810:
	·	It has power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance; and
	·	It has the obligation to absorb losses of the entity that could be potentially significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE.
	If in the Company’s judgment both of the above criteria are met, the VIE’s financial statements are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements as required under ASC 810. The equity attributable to the VIE is shown as a non-controlling interest on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet and the after tax result attributable to its operations is shown as a net income or loss attributable to non-controlling interest on the Company’s consolidated statement of income.
	The Company currently enters into two types of container fund arrangements with investors which are reviewed under ASC 810. These arrangements include container funds that the Company manages for investors and container funds that have entered into financing arrangements with investors. Included among several of the funds that the Company manages, and all of the funds under financing arrangements, are Japanese container funds that were established by a related party under separate investment agreements allowed under Japanese commercial laws (see Note 11). Each of the funds is financed by unrelated Japanese third party investors.
	Managed Container Funds
	All container funds under management by the Company are considered VIEs because as manager of the funds, the Company has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance including the leasing and managing of containers owned by the funds. With the exception of two specific Japanese funds established in September 2010, the fees earned for arranging, managing and establishing the funds are not significant to the expected returns of the funds so the Company does not have a variable interest in the funds. The rights to receive benefits and obligations to absorb losses that could potentially be significant to the funds belong to the third party investors, so the Company concluded that it is not the primary beneficiary of the funds. With the exception of the sale of containers to the two Japanese funds established in September 2010, the Company recognizes gain on sale of containers to the unconsolidated VIEs as sales in the ordinary course of business. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, and for the three months ended September 30, 2012, the Company sold no container portfolios to the Japanese VIEs. For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company sold $10.3 million of container portfolios to the Japanese VIEs and recognized a gain on sale of $1.3 million.
	In September 2010, the Company transferred approximately $16.0 million of containers to two specific Japanese funds that were considered VIEs. The terms of the transaction included options for the Company to purchase the containers from the funds at a fixed price. As a result of the residual interest resulting from the fixed price call option, the Company concluded that it may absorb a significant amount of the variability associated with the funds’ anticipated economic performance and as a result the Company had a variable interest in the funds. As the Company had the power to direct the activities that most significantly impacted the economic performance of the VIEs and the variable interest provided the Company with the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the funds, the Company determined that it was the primary beneficiary of these two specific VIEs and included the VIEs’ assets and liabilities, results of operations and cash flows in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The container equipment, cash held by the container funds and net investment in direct finance leases, were included on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet with the offsetting equity related to the funds presented separately as non-controlling interest.
	During the third quarter of 2012, the Company terminated its management agreements with the two Japanese VIEs and purchased all the container equipment legally owned by them.  As the Company previously consolidated these two Japanese VIEs, the purchase of the containers was considered a repurchase of the non-controlling interest for accounting purposes.  The Company paid cash of $15.3 million and contributed cash and other assets from the two Japanese VIEs of $4.2 million in consideration for the non-controlling interest of $19.5 million. No gain or loss was recognized by the Company upon the repurchase of the non-controlling interest and subsequent deconsolidation of the two Japanese VIEs.   The results of the VIEs’ operations have been included in the Company’s consolidated statements of income until the date of deconsolidation.  Net income of $0.2 million and $0.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, attributable to the two Japanese funds is presented as net income attributable to non-controlling interest in the Company’s consolidated statements of income.
	Collateralized Financing Obligations
	During the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, and the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company transferred containers with a total net book value of $85.0 million to Japanese investor funds while concurrently entering into lease agreements for the same containers, under which the Company leases the containers back from the Japanese investors.  In accordance with ASC 840, Sale-Leaseback Transactions, the Company concluded these were financing transactions under which sale-leaseback accounting was not applicable.
	The container funds under financing arrangements are considered VIEs under ASC 810 because as lessee of the funds, the Company has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact each entity’s economic performance including the leasing and managing of containers owned by the funds. The terms of the transactions include options for the Company to purchase the containers from the funds at a fixed price. As a result of the residual interest resulting from the fixed price call option, the Company concluded that it may absorb a significant amount of the variability associated with the funds’ anticipated economic performance and, as a result, the Company has a variable interest in the funds. As the Company has the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIEs and the variable interest provides the Company with the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the funds, the Company determined that it is the primary beneficiary of these VIEs and included the VIEs’ assets and liabilities as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the results of the VIE’s operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
	The containers that were transferred to the Japanese investor funds had a net book value of $77.1 million as of September 30, 2013.  The container equipment, together with $13.9 million of cash held by the investor funds, has been included on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet with the offsetting liability related to the funds presented as collateralized financing obligations of $95.5 million in the debt section of the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.  See Note 6(e) for additional information. No gain or loss was recognized by the Company on the initial consolidation of the VIEs.

Net_Investment_In_Direct_Finan

Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases [Abstract]	'
Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases	'
	(4)Net Investment in Direct Finance Leases
	The following table represents the components of the Company’s net investment in direct finance leases (in thousands):
		September 30,			December 31,
		2013			2012
	Gross finance lease receivables (1)	$	96,925		$	116,999
	Unearned income (2)		-21,488			-31,445
	Net investment in direct finance leases	$	75,437		$	85,554
	(1) At the inception of the lease, the Company records the total minimum lease payments, executory costs, if any, and unguaranteed residual value as gross finance lease receivables. The gross finance lease receivables are reduced as customer payments are received.  Approximately $0.1 million and $9.1 million of unguaranteed residual value at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, were included in gross finance lease receivables. There were no executory costs included in gross finance lease receivables as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
	(2)The difference between the gross finance lease receivables and the cost of the equipment or carrying amount at the lease inception is recorded as unearned income. Unearned income together with initial direct costs, are amortized to income over the lease term so as to produce a constant periodic rate of return. There were no unamortized initial direct costs as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
	In order to estimate the allowance for losses contained in the gross finance lease receivables, the Company reviews the credit worthiness of its customers on an ongoing basis. The review includes monitoring credit quality indicators, the aging of customer receivables and general economic conditions.
	The categories of gross finance lease receivables based on the Company's internal customer credit ratings can be described as follows:
	Tier 1— These customers are typically large international shipping lines that have been in business for many years and have world-class operating capabilities and significant financial resources. In most cases, the Company has had a long commercial relationship with these customers and currently maintains regular communication with them at several levels of management, which provides the Company with insight into the customer's current operating and financial performance. In the Company's view, these customers have the greatest ability to withstand cyclical down turns and would likely have greater access to needed capital than lower-rated customers. The Company views the risk of default for Tier 1 customers to range from minimal to modest.
	Tier 2— These customers are typically either smaller shipping lines or freight forwarders with less operating scale or with a high degree of financial leverage, and accordingly the Company views these customers as subject to higher volatility in financial performance over the business cycle. The Company generally expects these customers to have less access to capital markets or other sources of financing during cyclical down turns. The Company views the risk of default for Tier 2 customers as moderate.
	Tier 3— Customers in this category exhibit volatility in payments on a regular basis.
	Based on the above categories, the Company's gross finance lease receivables were as follows (in thousands):
		September 30,			December 31,
		2013			2012
	Tier 1	$	83,722		$	98,611
	Tier 2		13,203			18,388
	Tier 3		-			-
		$	96,925		$	116,999
	Contractual maturities of the Company's gross finance lease receivables subsequent to September 30, 2013 for the years ending September 30 are as follows (in thousands):
	2014			$	19,040
	2015				18,225
	2016				16,862
	2017				14,459
	2018				18,489
	2019 and thereafter				9,850
				$	96,925

Intangible_Assets

Intangible Assets	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Intangible Assets [Abstract]	'
Intangible Assets	'
	(5)Intangible Assets
	The Company amortizes intangible assets on a straight line basis over their estimated useful lives as follows:
	Trademarks	1-10 years
	Contracts – third party	7 years
	Contracts – owned equipment	5-7 years
	Total amortization expense was $0.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, and $0.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.
	Intangible assets as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 were as follows (in thousands):
		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Carrying Amount
	30-Sep-13
	Trademarks	$	1,278	$	-929	$	349
	Contracts- third party		3,650		-3,650		-
	Contracts- owned equipment		4,003		-3,583		420
		$	8,931	$	-8,162	$	769
	31-Dec-12
	Trademarks	$	1,278	$	-831	$	447
	Contracts- third party		3,650		-3,259		391
	Contracts- owned equipment		3,960		-3,357		603
		$	8,888	$	-7,447	$	1,441

Debt_And_Capital_Lease_Obligat

Debt And Capital Lease Obligations	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Debt And Capital Lease Obligations [Abstract]	'
Debt And Capital Lease Obligations	'
	(6)  Debt and Capital Lease Obligations
	Debt
	Details of the Company’s debt as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 were as follows (dollars in thousands):
			30-Sep-13					31-Dec-12
			Outstanding				Average	Outstanding				Average	Agreement
	Reference		Current		Long-term		Interest	Current		Long-term		Interest	Terminates
	(a)(i)	Revolving credit
		facility	$	-	$	253,000	2.20%	$	-	$	160,000	3.00%	Mar-18
	(a)(ii)	Revolving credit
		facility - Rail		-		41,469	2.40%		-		41,469	2.50%	Jun-15
	(b)(i)	Term loan		8,600		27,750	2.30%		800		6,600	2.70%	Apr-18
	(b)(ii)	Term loan		7,500		113,750	2.50%		24,964		230,651	3.30%	Dec-16
	(b)(iii)	Term loan		9,940		121,805	2.30%		9,940		129,260	2.50%	Apr-17
	(c)	Senior secured notes		8,240		86,520	4.90%		8,240		94,760	4.90%	Sep-22
	(d)	Asset backed notes		40,000		332,875	3.40%		17,100		151,050	3.50%	Mar-28
	(e)	Collateralized financing
		obligations		-		95,461	1.00%		-		75,200	1.10%	Nov-16
		Total Debt	$	74,280	$	1,072,630		$	61,044	$	888,990
	(a)Revolving Credit Facilities
	Revolving credit facilities consist of the following:
	(i) On March 15, 2013, the Company entered into a Third Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement with a syndicate of banks to finance the acquisition of container rental equipment and for general working capital purposes.  The Third Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement refinanced the Company’s prior revolving credit facility to reduce the interest rate, increase the facility commitment and revise certain covenants to provide the Company with additional flexibility.  As of September 30, 2013, the maximum commitment under the revolving credit facility was $760.0 million.  The Company’s revolving credit facility may be increased up to a maximum of $960.0 million, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, so long as no default or event of default exists either before or immediately after giving effect to the increase. There is a commitment fee on the unused amount of the total commitment, payable quarterly in arrears. The agreement provides that swing line loans (short-term borrowings of up to $10.0 million in the aggregate that are payable within 10 business days or at maturity date, whichever comes earlier) and standby letters of credit (up to $15.0 million in the aggregate) will be available to the Company. These credit commitments are part of, and not in addition to, the total commitment provided under the agreement. The interest rates vary depending upon whether the loans are characterized as Base Rate loans or Eurodollar rate loans, as defined in the revolving credit agreement.  In addition to various financial and other covenants, the Company’s revolving credit facility also includes certain restrictions on the Company’s ability to incur other indebtedness or pay dividends to stockholders.  As of September 30, 2013, the Company was in compliance with the terms of the revolving credit facility.
	As of September 30, 2013, the Company had $506.9  million in availability under the revolving credit facility (net of $0.1 million in letters of credit) subject to its ability to meet the collateral requirements under the agreement governing the facility. The entire amount of the facility drawn at any time plus accrued interest and fees is callable on demand in the event of certain specified events of default.
	The Company’s revolving credit facility, including any amounts drawn on the facility, is secured by substantially all of the assets of the Company (not otherwise used as security for its other credit facilities) including the equipment owned by the Company, the underlying leases thereon and the Company’s interest in any money received under such contracts.
	(ii)  On June 7, 2012, CAI and CAI Rail Inc. (CAI Rail), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a revolving credit agreement with a consortium of banks to finance the acquisition of railcars.  As of September 30, 2013, the maximum credit commitment under the revolving credit facility was $85.0 million.
	Borrowings under the credit facility bear interest at a variable rate. The interest rates vary depending upon whether the loans are characterized as Base Rate loans or Eurodollar rate loans, as defined in the revolving credit agreement.  For domestic base rate loans, the interest rate is equal to the highest of (i) the daily federal funds open rate as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and (ii) the administrative agent’s published “Reference Rate”, in each case plus a margin based on certain conditions.
	As of September 30, 2013, CAI Rail had  $43.5 million in availability under the revolving credit facility, subject to its ability to meet the collateral requirements under the agreement governing the facility. The entire amount of the facility drawn at any time plus accrued interest and fees is callable on demand in the event of certain specified events of default.
	The agreement governing CAI Rail’s revolving credit facility contains various financial and other covenants.  As of September 30, 2013, CAI Rail was in compliance with the terms of the revolving credit facility.  CAI Rail’s revolving credit facility, including any amounts drawn on the facility, is secured by all of the assets of CAI Rail and is guaranteed by the Company.
	(b)Term Loans
	Term loans consist of the following:
	(i)  On August 20, 2009, the Company entered into a $10.0 million five-year loan agreement with the Development Bank of Japan (DBJ). The loan is payable in 19 quarterly installments of $0.2 million starting October 31, 2009 and a final payment of $6.2 million on July 31, 2014. On March 22, 2013, the Company entered into an additional $30.0 million five-year loan agreement with DBJ. The loan is payable in 19 quarterly installments of $0.5 million starting July 31, 2013 and a final payment of $21.5 million on April 30, 2018. Both loans bear interest at variable rates based on LIBOR. As of September 30, 2013, the loans had a combined balance of  $36.4 million.
	(ii)  On December 20, 2010, the Company entered into a term loan agreement with a consortium of banks. Under this loan agreement, the Company was eligible to borrow up to $300.0 million, subject to certain borrowing conditions, which amount is secured by certain assets of the Company’s wholly-owned foreign subsidiaries.  The loan agreement is an amortizing facility with a term of six years. The interest rates vary depending upon whether the loans are characterized as Base Rate loans or Eurodollar rate loans, as defined in the term loan agreement. The loan bears a variable interest rate based on LIBOR for Eurodollar loans, and Base Rate for base rate loans.  The Base Rate is defined as the highest of (i) the federal funds rate plus 1/2 of 1.0%, (ii) the prime rate (as published in The Wall Street Journal), and (iii) the Eurodollar rate (for three-month loans) plus 1.0%.
	On March 28, 2013, the term loan agreement was amended to: (a) reduce the principal balance of the loan from $249.4 million to $125.0 million through payment of $124.4 million from the proceeds of the $229.0 million fixed-rate asset-backed notes issued by the Company’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, CAL Funding II Limited (see Note 6(d) below); (b) reduce the interest rate on the remaining loan balance; and (c) revise certain covenants under the term loan agreement to provide increased flexibility to the Company. Quarterly payments of principal have been reduced to $1.9 million with the balance of the unpaid principal due on December 20, 2016. As of September 30, 2013, the term loan had a balance of $121.3 million.
	(iii) On April 11, 2012, the Company entered into a term loan agreement with a consortium of banks. The agreement, which was amended on August 31, 2012 and May 30, 2013, provides for a five year term loan of up to $142.0 million, subject to certain borrowing conditions, which amount is secured by certain assets of the Company. The commitment under the loan may be increased to a maximum of $200.0 million under certain conditions described in the agreement. The outstanding principal amounts under the term loan bear interest based on LIBOR, amortized quarterly, and require quarterly payments equal to 1.75% multiplied by the outstanding principal amount at such time. The full $142.0 million has been drawn and was primarily used to repay outstanding amounts under the revolving credit facility. All unpaid amounts then outstanding are due and payable on April 11, 2017.  As of September 30, 2013, the loan had a balance of $131.7 million.
	(c)Senior Secured Notes
	On September 13, 2012, Container Applications Limited (CAL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with certain institutional investors, pursuant to which CAL issued $103.0 million of its 4.90% Senior Secured Notes due September 13, 2022 (the Notes) to the investors. The Notes are guaranteed by the Company and secured by certain assets of CAL and the Company.
	The Notes bear interest at 4.9% per annum, due and payable semiannually on March 13 and September 13 of each year, commencing on March 13, 2013.  In addition, CAL is required to make certain principal payments on March 13 and September 13 of each year, commencing on March 13, 2013.  Any unpaid principal and interest is due and payable on September 13, 2022.  As of September 30, 2013, the Notes had a balance of $94.8 million.
	(d)Asset-Backed Notes
	On October 18, 2012, CAL Funding II Limited (CAL II), a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of CAI, issued $171.0 million of 3.47% fixed rate asset-backed notes (Series 2012-1 Asset-Backed Notes).  Principal and interest on the Series 2012-1 Asset-Backed Notes is payable monthly commencing on November 26, 2012, and the Series 2012-1 Asset-Backed Notes mature in October 2027.  The proceeds from the Series 2012-1 Asset-Backed Notes were used to repay part of the Company’s borrowings under its senior revolving credit facility. The Series 2012-1 Asset-Backed Notes had a balance of $155.3 million as of September 30, 2013.
	On March 28, 2013, CAL II issued $229.0 million of 3.35% fixed rate asset-backed notes (Series 2013-1 Asset-Backed Notes). Principal and interest on the Series 2013-1 Asset-Backed Notes is payable monthly commencing on April 25, 2013, and the Series 2013-1 Asset-Backed Notes mature in March 2028. The proceeds from the Series 2013-1 Asset-Backed Notes were used partly to reduce the balance of the Company’s term loan as described in Note 6 (b)(ii) above, and to partially pay down the Company’s senior revolving credit facility. The Series 2013-1 Asset-Backed Notes had a balance of $217.6 million as of September 30, 2013.
	The agreements under each of the asset-backed notes described above require the Company to maintain a restricted cash account to cover payment of the obligations. As of September 30, 2013, the restricted cash account had a balance of $9.5 million.
	(e)Collateralized Financing Obligations
	As of September 30, 2013, the Company had collateralized financing obligations of $95.5 million (see Note 3). The obligations had an average interest rate of 1.0% as of September 30, 2013 with maturity dates between June 2015 and November 2016. The debt is secured by a pool of containers covered under the financing arrangements.
	The Company's term loans, senior secured notes, asset-backed notes and collateralized financing obligations are each secured by specific pools of rental equipment and other assets owned by the Company, the underlying leases thereon and the Company’s interest in any money received under such contracts. The agreements relating to all of the Company’s debt contain various financial and other covenants. As of September 30, 2013, the Company was in compliance with all of its debt covenants.
	Capital Lease Obligations
	As of September 30, 2013, the Company had capital lease obligations of $5.7 million. The underlying obligations are denominated in U.S. Dollars and Euros at floating interest rates averaging  2.4% as of September 30, 2013 with maturity dates between June 2015 and June 2019. The loans are secured by containers covered by the lease obligations.

StockBased_Compensation_Plan

Stock-Based Compensation Plan	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Stock-Based Compensation Plan [Abstract]	'
Stock-Based Compensation Plan	'
	(7) Stock–Based Compensation Plan
	Stock Options
	The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012:
		Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013					2012
				Weighted					Weighted
				Average					Average
		Number of		Exercise			Number of		Exercise
		Shares		Price			Shares		Price
	Options outstanding at January 1	1,335,680		$	13.41		1,192,680		$	12.89
	Options granted - employees	51,300		$	26.41		111,000		$	17.77
	Options granted - directors	40,000		$	26.41		40,000		$	17.77
	Options forfeited - employees	-834		$	5.60		-8,000		$	17.77
	Options exercised - employees	-158,661		$	9.46		-			-
	Options outstanding at September 30	1,267,485		$	14.85		1,335,680		$	13.41
	Options exercisable	1,033,498		$	12.93		991,430		$	12.11
	Weighted average remaining term	5.5 years					6.0 years
	Stock options granted to employees have a vesting period of four years from grant date, with 25% vesting after one year, and 1/48th vesting each month thereafter until fully vested. Stock options granted to independent directors vest in one year.
	The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of  $0.4 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and $1.1 million and $0.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  As of September 30, 2013, the remaining unamortized stock-based compensation cost relating to stock options granted to the Company’s employees was approximately $2.2 million which is to be recognized over the remaining weighted average vesting period of approximately 2.6 years. Unamortized stock-based compensation cost relating to independent directors’ options as of September 30, 2013 was approximately $0.4 million which is to be recognized over a remaining weighted average vesting period of approximately 0.7 years. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 was approximately $2.3 million. The aggregate intrinsic value of all options outstanding as of September 30, 2013 was $11.2 million based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock of $23.27 per share on September 30, 2013, the last trading day of the quarter.
	The fair value of the stock options granted to the Company’s employees and independent directors was estimated using the Black-Scholes-Merton pricing model using the following weighted-average assumption:
		Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013				2012
	Stock price	$	26.41			$	17.77
	Exercise price	$	26.41			$	17.77
	Expected term:
	Employees		6.25 years				6.25 years
	Directors		5.5 years				5.5 years
	Expected volatility:
	Employees		56.70	%			49.50	%
	Directors		58.60	%			50.20	%
	Dividend yield		-	%			-	%
	Risk free rate:
	Employees		1.35	%			0.75	%
	Directors		1.16	%			0.75	%
	The expected option term is calculated using the simplified method in accordance with SEC guidance. Prior to 2013, in the absence of sufficient historical data, 50% of the assumed volatility was derived from the average volatility of common shares for similar companies over a period approximating the expected term of the options. The remaining 50% of the expected volatility was derived from the average volatility of the Company’s common shares since their initial public offering in 2007.  Stock options granted in 2013 used 100% of the average volatility of the Company’s stock over a period approximating the expected term of the options. The risk-free rate is based on daily U.S. Treasury yield curve with a term approximating the expected term of the option. No forfeiture was estimated on all options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 as management believes that none of the grantees will leave the Company within the option vesting period.
	Restricted Stock
	During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company granted 28,150 shares of restricted common stock valued at $0.7 million to certain employees. The restricted stock was valued based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on the date of grant. The restricted stock has a vesting period of 4 years. As of September 30, 2013, none of the restricted stock granted during 2013 had vested. The Company recognized less than $0.1 million and $0.1 million of stock compensation expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively, and none for the same periods in 2012. Unamortized stock compensation expense relating to restricted stock as of September 30, 2013 was $0.7 million to be recognized over 3.7 years.
	Stock-based compensation expense is recorded as a component of marketing, general and administrative expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of income.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Taxes [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	(8)Income Taxes
	The consolidated income tax expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was determined based upon estimates of the Company’s consolidated effective income tax rates for the years ending December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The difference between the consolidated effective income tax rate and the U.S. federal statutory rate is primarily attributable to state income taxes, foreign income taxes and the effect of certain permanent differences.
	The Company’s effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 was 7.9% and 10.3%, respectively, compared to 11.1% and 13.0 % for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively. The lower effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 was due primarily to higher pretax income from foreign operations where statutory rates are lower than the U.S. income tax rates.
	The Company recognizes in the financial statements a liability for tax uncertainty if it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, based on the technical merits of the position. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had unrecognized tax benefits of $0.2 million, which if recognized, would reduce the Company’s effective tax rate. Total accrued interest relating to unrecognized tax benefits was less than $0.1 million as of September 30, 2013. The Company does not believe the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits as of September 30, 2013 will increase or decrease for the remainder of 2013.
	In June 2012, the Company received notification from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that the Company’s 2008 and 2009 U.S. federal income tax returns had been selected for examination.  In June 2013, the Company received notification from the IRS that they had completed their examination for both 2008 and 2009, making changes to taxable income for those years.  The changes did not materially alter the Company’s income tax for those years.

Fair_Value_Of_Financial_Instru

Fair Value Of Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Of Financial Instruments	'
	(9)Fair Value of Financial Instruments
	The carrying amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets for cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value because of the immediate or short-term maturity of these financial instruments. The Company’s asset- backed notes of $372.9 million and collateralized financing obligations of $95.5  million as of September 30, 2013 were estimated to have a fair value of approximately $376.9 million and $93.0  million, respectively, based on the fair value of estimated future payments calculated using prevailing interest rates. The fair value of these financial instruments would be categorized as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.  Management believes that the balances of the Company’s revolving credit facilities of $294.5 million, term loans totaling $289.3  million,  senior secured notes of  $94.8  million, net investment in direct finance leases of $75.4  million and capital lease obligations of $5.7 million approximate their fair values as of September 30, 2013. The fair value of these financial instruments would be categorized as Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Commitments_And_Contingencies

Commitments And Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]	'
Commitments And Contingencies	'
	(10)Commitments and Contingencies
	In addition to its debt obligations described in Note 6 above, the Company had commitments to purchase approximately $12.2 million of rental equipment as of September 30, 2013. The Company also utilizes certain office facilities and equipment under long-term non-cancellable operating lease agreements with total future minimum lease payments of approximately $4.8 million as of September 30, 2013.

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]	'
Related Party Transactions	'
	(11)Related Party Transactions
	The Company has transferred legal ownership of certain containers to Japanese container funds which were established by Japan Investment Adviser Co., Ltd. (JIA) and CAIJ, Inc. (CAIJ). CAIJ is an 80%-owned subsidiary of CAI with the remaining 20% owned by JIA. Prior to September 30, 2013, JIA was owned and controlled by a Managing Director of CAIJ.  Prior to the transfer of containers from the Company, the container funds received contributions from unrelated Japanese investors, under separate Japanese investment agreements allowed under Japanese commercial laws. The contributions were used to purchase container equipment from the Company. Under the terms of the agreements, the CAI-related Japanese entities manage the activities of certain Japanese entities but may outsource the whole or part of each operation to a third party. Pursuant to its services agreements with investors, the Japanese container funds have outsourced the general management of their operations to CAIJ. The Japanese container funds have also entered into equipment management service agreements and financing arrangements whereby the Company manages the leasing activity of containers owned by the Japanese container funds.
	As described in Note 3, the Japanese managed container funds and financing arrangements are considered VIEs. However, with the exception of two specific Japanese funds and the financing arrangements described in Note 3, the Company does not consider its interest in the managed Japanese container funds to be a variable interest. As such, the Company did not consolidate the assets and liabilities, results of operations or cash flows of these funds in its consolidated financial statements.  The sale of containers to the unconsolidated Japanese VIEs has been recorded on the Company’s books as a sale in the ordinary course of business.
	As described in Note 3, the Company has included in its consolidated financial statements, the assets and liabilities, results of operations, and cash flows of the financing arrangements, in accordance with ASC 810, Consolidation. The Company has also included the results of operations and cash flows of the two specific Japanese container funds up to the date of their deconsolidation, in accordance with ASC 810.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Information [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	(12)Segment Information
	The Company operates in one industry segment, equipment leasing, but has two reportable business segments: equipment leasing and equipment management. The equipment leasing segment derives its revenue primarily from the ownership and leasing of containers to container shipping lines and freight forwarders. The equipment management segment derives its revenue from management fees earned from portfolios of equipment and associated leases which are managed on behalf of third-party investors. The Company also derives revenue from the sale of equipment to third-party investors who in turn enter into management agreements with the Company. There are no inter-segment revenues.
	With the exception of amortization of intangible assets and marketing, general and administrative expenses (MG&A), operating expenses are directly attributable to the equipment leasing segment. Amortization of intangible assets relating to owned and third party contracts is charged directly to the equipment leasing segment and equipment management segment, respectively. The amortization of remaining intangible assets relating to the trademark is allocated to the segments based on the average number of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers in each segment during the year.
	MG&A expenses are allocated to each segment based on either revenue or the number of TEUs in each segment, depending on the function of the department which incurred the expense, after directly assigning MG&A expenses relating to CAI Consent Sweden AB (Consent) and CAI Rail to the equipment leasing segment and MG&A expenses relating to CAIJ and CAI Deutschland GmbH to the equipment management segment.
	The Company does not allocate interest income and income tax expense to its segments.
	Total assets of the equipment management segment consist of managed accounts receivable, the net carrying value of the intangible asset relating to third party contracts and a portion of the intangible asset relating to trademarks (determined based on the percentage of average TEUs of managed containers to total average TEUs). The remaining balance of total assets is allocated to the equipment leasing business.
	The following tables show condensed segment information for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, reconciled to the Company’s net income before income taxes and non-controlling interest as shown in its consolidated statements of income (in thousands):
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Equipment Leasing		Equipment Management		Unallocated		Total
	Total revenue	$	52,395	$	1,503	$	-	$	53,898
	Total operating expenses		26,345		1,350		-		27,695
	Operating income		26,050		153		-		26,203
	Net interest expense		9,546		-		-		9,546
	Net income before income taxes and
	non-controlling interest	$	16,504	$	153	$	-	$	16,657
	Total assets	$	1,618,009	$	10,714	$	-	$	1,628,723
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2012
		Equipment Leasing		Equipment Management		Unallocated		Total
	Total revenue	$	42,447	$	2,492	$	-	$	44,939
	Total operating expenses		17,493		1,400		-		18,893
	Operating income		24,954		1,092		-		26,046
	Net interest expense		7,179		-		-1		7,178
	Net income before income taxes and
	non-controlling interest	$	17,775	$	1,092	$	1	$	18,868
	Total assets	$	1,264,242	$	21,616	$	-	$	1,285,858
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Equipment Leasing		Equipment Management		Unallocated		Total
	Total revenue	$	151,817	$	6,027	$	-	$	157,844
	Total operating expenses		71,877		4,073		-		75,950
	Operating income		79,940		1,954		-		81,894
	Net interest expense		28,013		-		-4		28,009
	Net income before income taxes and
	non-controlling interest	$	51,927	$	1,954	$	4	$	53,885
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012
		Equipment Leasing		Equipment Management		Unallocated		Total
	Total revenue	$	113,116	$	10,955	$	-	$	124,071
	Total operating expenses		45,207		5,564		-		50,771
	Operating income		67,909		5,391		-		73,300
	Net interest expense		19,435		-		-8		19,427
	Net income before income taxes and
	non-controlling interest	$	48,474	$	5,391	$	8	$	53,873
	Geographic Data
	The Company’s container lessees use containers for their global trade utilizing many worldwide trade routes. The Company earns its revenue from international carriers when the containers are in use and carrying cargo around the world. Most of the Company’s leasing related revenue is denominated in U.S. dollars. Since all of the Company’s containers are used internationally and typically no container is domiciled in one particular place for a prolonged period of time, all of the Company’s long-lived container assets are considered to be international with no single country of use.
	The Company’s railcars, with a net book value of $57.1  million as of September 30, 2013, are used to transport cargo within North America.

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Earnings Per Share	'
	(13)Earnings Per Share
	Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that would occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock; however, potential common equivalent shares are excluded if their effect is anti-dilutive.
	The following table sets forth the reconciliation of basic and diluted net income per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands, except per share data):
		Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
		September 30,				September 30,
		2013		2012		2013		2012
	Numerator
	Net income attributable to CAI common stockholders used
	in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share	$	15,337	$	16,528	$	48,335	$	46,054
	Denominator
	Weighted-average shares used in the calculation of
	basic earnings per share		22,186		19,295		22,139		19,295
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Stock options and restricted stock		459		469		535		435
	Weighted-average shares used in the calculation of
	diluted earnings per share		22,645		19,764		22,674		19,730
	Net income per share attributable to CAI common
	stockholders:
	Basic	$	0.69	$	0.86	$	2.18	$	2.39
	Diluted	$	0.68	$	0.84	$	2.13	$	2.33
	The calculation of diluted earnings per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 excluded from the denominator 399,950 and 296,950 shares, respectively, of common stock options, because their effect would have been anti-dilutive. The calculation of diluted earnings per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 excluded from the denominator 220,000 shares of common stock options, because their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

Accounting_Policies_And_Recent1

Accounting Policies And Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accounting Policies And Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]	'
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	'
	(b)Recent Accounting Pronouncements
	There have been no recent accounting pronouncements that would have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements.

Net_Investment_In_Direct_Finan1

Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases [Abstract]	'
Components Of Entity's Net Investment In Finance Leases	'
		September 30,			December 31,
		2013			2012
	Gross finance lease receivables (1)	$	96,925		$	116,999
	Unearned income (2)		-21,488			-31,445
	Net investment in direct finance leases	$	75,437		$	85,554
	(1) At the inception of the lease, the Company records the total minimum lease payments, executory costs, if any, and unguaranteed residual value as gross finance lease receivables. The gross finance lease receivables are reduced as customer payments are received.  Approximately $0.1 million and $9.1 million of unguaranteed residual value at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, were included in gross finance lease receivables. There were no executory costs included in gross finance lease receivables as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
	(2)The difference between the gross finance lease receivables and the cost of the equipment or carrying amount at the lease inception is recorded as unearned income. Unearned income together with initial direct costs, are amortized to income over the lease term so as to produce a constant periodic rate of return. There were no unamortized initial direct costs as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
Gross Finance Lease Receivables By Categories Of Customers	'
		September 30,			December 31,
		2013			2012
	Tier 1	$	83,722		$	98,611
	Tier 2		13,203			18,388
	Tier 3		-			-
		$	96,925		$	116,999
Contractual Maturities Of Gross Finance Lease Receivables	'
	2014			$	19,040
	2015				18,225
	2016				16,862
	2017				14,459
	2018				18,489
	2019 and thereafter				9,850
				$	96,925

Intangible_Assets_Tables

Intangible Assets (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Intangible Assets [Abstract]	'
Useful Life Of Finite-lived Intangible Assets	'
	Trademarks	1-10 years
	Contracts – third party	7 years
	Contracts – owned equipment	5-7 years
Intangible Assets	'
		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Carrying Amount
	30-Sep-13
	Trademarks	$	1,278	$	-929	$	349
	Contracts- third party		3,650		-3,650		-
	Contracts- owned equipment		4,003		-3,583		420
		$	8,931	$	-8,162	$	769
	31-Dec-12
	Trademarks	$	1,278	$	-831	$	447
	Contracts- third party		3,650		-3,259		391
	Contracts- owned equipment		3,960		-3,357		603
		$	8,888	$	-7,447	$	1,441

Recovered_Sheet1

Debt and Capital Lease Obligations (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Debt And Capital Lease Obligations [Abstract]	'
Details Of Debt	'
			30-Sep-13					31-Dec-12
			Outstanding				Average	Outstanding				Average	Agreement
	Reference		Current		Long-term		Interest	Current		Long-term		Interest	Terminates
	(a)(i)	Revolving credit
		facility	$	-	$	253,000	2.20%	$	-	$	160,000	3.00%	Mar-18
	(a)(ii)	Revolving credit
		facility - Rail		-		41,469	2.40%		-		41,469	2.50%	Jun-15
	(b)(i)	Term loan		8,600		27,750	2.30%		800		6,600	2.70%	Apr-18
	(b)(ii)	Term loan		7,500		113,750	2.50%		24,964		230,651	3.30%	Dec-16
	(b)(iii)	Term loan		9,940		121,805	2.30%		9,940		129,260	2.50%	Apr-17
	(c)	Senior secured notes		8,240		86,520	4.90%		8,240		94,760	4.90%	Sep-22
	(d)	Asset backed notes		40,000		332,875	3.40%		17,100		151,050	3.50%	Mar-28
	(e)	Collateralized financing
		obligations		-		95,461	1.00%		-		75,200	1.10%	Nov-16
		Total Debt	$	74,280	$	1,072,630		$	61,044	$	888,990

StockBased_Compensation_Plan_T

Stock-Based Compensation Plan (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Stock-Based Compensation Plan [Abstract]	'
Summary Of Stock Option Plan Activity	'
		Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013					2012
				Weighted					Weighted
				Average					Average
		Number of		Exercise			Number of		Exercise
		Shares		Price			Shares		Price
	Options outstanding at January 1	1,335,680		$	13.41		1,192,680		$	12.89
	Options granted - employees	51,300		$	26.41		111,000		$	17.77
	Options granted - directors	40,000		$	26.41		40,000		$	17.77
	Options forfeited - employees	-834		$	5.60		-8,000		$	17.77
	Options exercised - employees	-158,661		$	9.46		-			-
	Options outstanding at September 30	1,267,485		$	14.85		1,335,680		$	13.41
	Options exercisable	1,033,498		$	12.93		991,430		$	12.11
	Weighted average remaining term	5.5 years					6.0 years
Summary Of Fair Value Assumptions	'
		Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013				2012
	Stock price	$	26.41			$	17.77
	Exercise price	$	26.41			$	17.77
	Expected term:
	Employees		6.25 years				6.25 years
	Directors		5.5 years				5.5 years
	Expected volatility:
	Employees		56.70	%			49.50	%
	Directors		58.60	%			50.20	%
	Dividend yield		-	%			-	%
	Risk free rate:
	Employees		1.35	%			0.75	%
	Directors		1.16	%			0.75	%

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Information [Abstract]	'
Segment Reporting Information By Container Leasing And Container Management Segments	'
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Equipment Leasing		Equipment Management		Unallocated		Total
	Total revenue	$	52,395	$	1,503	$	-	$	53,898
	Total operating expenses		26,345		1,350		-		27,695
	Operating income		26,050		153		-		26,203
	Net interest expense		9,546		-		-		9,546
	Net income before income taxes and
	non-controlling interest	$	16,504	$	153	$	-	$	16,657
	Total assets	$	1,618,009	$	10,714	$	-	$	1,628,723
		Three Months Ended September 30, 2012
		Equipment Leasing		Equipment Management		Unallocated		Total
	Total revenue	$	42,447	$	2,492	$	-	$	44,939
	Total operating expenses		17,493		1,400		-		18,893
	Operating income		24,954		1,092		-		26,046
	Net interest expense		7,179		-		-1		7,178
	Net income before income taxes and
	non-controlling interest	$	17,775	$	1,092	$	1	$	18,868
	Total assets	$	1,264,242	$	21,616	$	-	$	1,285,858
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2013
		Equipment Leasing		Equipment Management		Unallocated		Total
	Total revenue	$	151,817	$	6,027	$	-	$	157,844
	Total operating expenses		71,877		4,073		-		75,950
	Operating income		79,940		1,954		-		81,894
	Net interest expense		28,013		-		-4		28,009
	Net income before income taxes and
	non-controlling interest	$	51,927	$	1,954	$	4	$	53,885
		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012
		Equipment Leasing		Equipment Management		Unallocated		Total
	Total revenue	$	113,116	$	10,955	$	-	$	124,071
	Total operating expenses		45,207		5,564		-		50,771
	Operating income		67,909		5,391		-		73,300
	Net interest expense		19,435		-		-8		19,427
	Net income before income taxes and
	non-controlling interest	$	48,474	$	5,391	$	8	$	53,873

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Reconciliation Of Basic And Diluted Net Income Per Share	'
		Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
		September 30,				September 30,
		2013		2012		2013		2012
	Numerator
	Net income attributable to CAI common stockholders used
	in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share	$	15,337	$	16,528	$	48,335	$	46,054
	Denominator
	Weighted-average shares used in the calculation of
	basic earnings per share		22,186		19,295		22,139		19,295
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Stock options and restricted stock		459		469		535		435
	Weighted-average shares used in the calculation of
	diluted earnings per share		22,645		19,764		22,674		19,730
	Net income per share attributable to CAI common
	stockholders:
	Basic	$	0.69	$	0.86	$	2.18	$	2.39
	Diluted	$	0.68	$	0.84	$	2.13	$	2.33

The_Company_And_Nature_Of_Oper1

The Company And Nature Of Operations (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
	segment
The Company And Nature Of Operations [Abstract]	'
Number of reportable segments	2
Ownership interest in subsidiary (in percentage)	80.00%

Consolidation_Of_Variable_Inte1

Consolidation Of Variable Interest Entities As A Non-Controlling Interest (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013
		item			Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Number of specific Japanese funds	'	2	'	'	'	'	'
Net proceeds from sale of equipment portfolios	'	'	$10,320,000	'	'	'	'
Gain on sale of equipment portfolios	'	'	1,256,000	'	'	'	'
Containers transferred to specific Japanese funds	'	'	'	'	16,000,000	'	'
Cash	'	'	'	'	'	15,300,000	'
Contribution of cash and other assets	'	116,912,000	'	95,114,000	'	4,200,000	'
Non-controlling interest	'	'	'	'	'	19,500,000	'
Gain or loss recognized upon the initial consolidation	'	'	'	'	'	0	'
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest	238,000	'	816,000	'	'	'	'
Sale and leaseback transaction of containers	'	'	'	'	'	'	85,000,000
Net book value of containers transferred	'	1,535,000	'	1,847,000	'	'	77,100,000
Cash held by investor funds	'	'	'	'	'	'	13,900,000
Collateralized financing obligations	'	$1,072,630,000	'	$888,990,000	'	'	$95,500,000

Net_Investment_In_Direct_Finan2

Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases (Components Of Entity's Net Investment In Finance Leases) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases [Abstract]	'		'
Gross finance lease receivables	$96,925,000	[1]	$116,999,000	[1]
Unearned income	-21,488,000	[2]	-31,445,000	[2]
Net investment in finance leases	75,437,000		85,554,000
Unguaranteed residual value	$100,000		$9,100,000
[1]	At the inception of the lease, the Company records the total minimum lease payments, executory costs, if any, and unguaranteed residual value as gross finance lease receivables. The gross finance lease receivables are reduced as customer payments are received.B B Approximately $0.1 million and $9.1 million of unguaranteed residual value at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, were included in gross finance lease receivables. There were no executory costs included in gross finance lease receivables as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.
[2]	The difference between the gross finance lease receivables and the cost of the equipment or carrying amount at the lease inception is recorded as unearned income. Unearned income together with initial direct costs, are amortized to income over the lease term so as to produce a constant periodic rate of return. There were no unamortized initial direct costs as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

Net_Investment_In_Direct_Finan3

Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases (Gross Finance Lease Receivables By Categories Of Customers) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Gross Finance Lease Receivables [Line Items]	'		'
Gross finance lease receivables	$96,925	[1]	$116,999	[1]
Tier 1 [Member]	'		'
Gross Finance Lease Receivables [Line Items]	'		'
Gross finance lease receivables	83,722		98,611
Tier 2 [Member]	'		'
Gross Finance Lease Receivables [Line Items]	'		'
Gross finance lease receivables	$13,203		$18,388
[1]	At the inception of the lease, the Company records the total minimum lease payments, executory costs, if any, and unguaranteed residual value as gross finance lease receivables. The gross finance lease receivables are reduced as customer payments are received.B B Approximately $0.1 million and $9.1 million of unguaranteed residual value at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, were included in gross finance lease receivables. There were no executory costs included in gross finance lease receivables as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

Net_Investment_In_Direct_Finan4

Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases (Contractual Maturities Of Gross Finance Lease Receivables) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Net Investment In Direct Finance Leases [Abstract]	'		'
2014	$19,040		'
2015	18,225		'
2016	16,862		'
2017	14,459		'
2018	18,489		'
2019 and thereafter	9,850		'
Gross finance lease receivables	$96,925	[1]	$116,999	[1]
[1]	At the inception of the lease, the Company records the total minimum lease payments, executory costs, if any, and unguaranteed residual value as gross finance lease receivables. The gross finance lease receivables are reduced as customer payments are received.B B Approximately $0.1 million and $9.1 million of unguaranteed residual value at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, were included in gross finance lease receivables. There were no executory costs included in gross finance lease receivables as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

Intangible_Assets_Narrative_De

Intangible Assets (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Intangible Assets [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Amortization expense	$227	$224	$681	$676

Intangible_Assets_Useful_Life_

Intangible Assets (Useful Life Of Finite-lived Intangible Assets) (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Trademarks [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Estimated useful life of intangible assets	'1 year
Trademarks [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Estimated useful life of intangible assets	'10 years
Contracts - Third Party [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Estimated useful life of intangible assets	'7 years
Contracts Owned Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Estimated useful life of intangible assets	'5 years
Contracts Owned Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'
Estimated useful life of intangible assets	'7 years

Intangible_Assets_Intangible_A

Intangible Assets (Intangible Assets) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Gross Carrying Amount	$8,931	$8,888
Accumulated Amortization	-8,162	-7,447
Net Carrying Amount	769	1,441
Trademarks [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Gross Carrying Amount	1,278	1,278
Accumulated Amortization	-929	-831
Net Carrying Amount	349	447
Contracts - Third Party [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Gross Carrying Amount	3,650	3,650
Accumulated Amortization	-3,650	-3,259
Net Carrying Amount	'	391
Contracts Owned Equipment [Member]	'	'
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'
Gross Carrying Amount	4,003	3,960
Accumulated Amortization	-3,583	-3,357
Net Carrying Amount	$420	$603

Debt_And_Capital_Lease_Obligat1

Debt And Capital Lease Obligations (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]	'	'
Number of business days short term borrowings payable, Maximum	'10 days	'
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Proceeds used to repay credit facility	$124,400,000	'
Terms	'The Base Rate is defined as the highest of (i) the federal funds rate plus 1/2 of 1.0%, (ii) the prime rate (as published in The Wall Street Journal), and (iii) the Eurodollar rate (for three-month loans) plus 1.0%.	'
Long term debt maturity [Abstract]	'	'
Long-term debt	1,072,630,000	888,990,000
Restricted cash	9,508,000	4,376,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Maximum credit commitment	760,000,000	'
Maximum amount credit facility might be increased	960,000,000	'
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.20%	3.00%
Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]	'	'
Availability borrowing capacity	506,900,000	'
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | CAI Rail Inc [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Maximum credit commitment	85,000,000	'
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.40%	2.50%
Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]	'	'
Availability borrowing capacity	43,500,000	'
Term Loan [Member]	'	'
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Amount outstanding under the facility	121,300,000	'
Term Loan [Member] | Development Bank of Japan [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Principal amount of loan	10,000,000	'
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.30%	2.70%
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Term of loan	'5 years	'
Number of quarterly installments	19	'
Quarterly payments of principal	200,000	'
Debt instrument final payment	6,200,000	'
Amount outstanding under the facility	36,400,000	'
Term Loan [Member] | Consortium of Banks [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Maximum credit commitment	300,000,000	'
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.50%	3.30%
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Quarterly payments of principal	1,900,000	'
Amount outstanding under the facility	249,400,000	'
Periodic payment of principal balance	125,000,000	'
Amortization term of facility	'6 years	'
Basis spread on variable rate (in hundredths)	0.50%	'
Term Loan [Member] | Consortium of Banks, Note Dated April 11, 2012 [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Maximum credit commitment	142,000,000	'
Maximum amount credit facility might be increased	200,000,000	'
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.30%	2.50%
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Term of loan	'5 years	'
Amount outstanding under the facility	131,700,000	'
Periodic payments specified as percentage of drawn amount (in hundredths)	1.75%	'
Term Loan [Member] | Eurodollar Rate [Member] | Consortium of Banks [Member]	'	'
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Basis spread on variable rate (in hundredths)	1.00%	'
Senior Secured Notes [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Average Interest (in hundredths)	4.90%	4.90%
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Amount outstanding under the facility	94,800,000	'
Long term debt maturity [Abstract]	'	'
Long-term debt	103,000,000	'
Asset Backed Warehouse Facility [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Principal amount of loan	171,000,000	'
Fixed rate, asset-backed notes	3.47%	'
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Proceeds used for working capital purposes	229,000,000	'
Amount outstanding under the facility	155,300,000	'
Asset-backed Securities [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Principal amount of loan	229,000,000	'
Average Interest (in hundredths)	3.40%	3.50%
Fixed rate, asset-backed notes	3.35%	'
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Amount outstanding under the facility	217,600,000	'
Long term debt maturity [Abstract]	'	'
Restricted cash	9,500,000	'
Collateralized Financing Obligation [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Average Interest (in hundredths)	1.00%	1.10%
Long term debt maturity [Abstract]	'	'
Long-term debt	95,500,000	'
Capital Lease Obligations [Abstract]	'	'
Average fixed and floating interest rates	1.00%	'
Maturity date range start	1-Jun-15	'
Maturity date range end	1-Nov-16	'
Swing Line Loans [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Maximum credit commitment	10,000,000	'
Standby Letters of Credit [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Maximum credit commitment	15,000,000	'
Letter of Credit [Member]	'	'
Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]	'	'
Letters of credit outstanding	100,000	'
Term Loan II [Member]	'	'
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Debt instrument final payment	21,500,000	'
Term Loan II [Member] | Development Bank of Japan [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Principal amount of loan	30,000,000	'
Term Loans [Abstract]	'	'
Term of loan	'5 years	'
Number of quarterly installments	19	'
Quarterly payments of principal	500,000	'
Capital Lease Obligations [Member]	'	'
Capital Lease Obligations [Abstract]	'	'
Average fixed and floating interest rates	2.40%	'
Maturity date range start	1-Jun-15	'
Maturity date range end	1-Jun-19	'
Estimated future principal and interest payments under capital lease obligations [Abstract]	'	'
Capital lease obligation	$5,700,000	'

Debt_And_Capital_Lease_Obligat2

Debt And Capital Lease Obligations (Details Of Debt) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Current Outstanding	$74,280	$61,044
Long-term Outstanding	1,072,630	888,990
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Long-term Outstanding	253,000	160,000
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.20%	3.00%
Agreement Terminates	1-Mar-18	'
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | CAI Rail Inc [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Long-term Outstanding	41,469	41,469
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.40%	2.50%
Agreement Terminates	1-Jun-15	'
Term Loan [Member] | Development Bank of Japan [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Current Outstanding	8,600	800
Long-term Outstanding	27,750	6,600
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.30%	2.70%
Agreement Terminates	1-Apr-18	'
Term Loan [Member] | Consortium of Banks [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Current Outstanding	7,500	24,964
Long-term Outstanding	113,750	230,651
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.50%	3.30%
Agreement Terminates	1-Dec-16	'
Term Loan [Member] | Consortium of Banks, Note Dated April 11, 2012 [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Current Outstanding	9,940	9,940
Long-term Outstanding	121,805	129,260
Average Interest (in hundredths)	2.30%	2.50%
Agreement Terminates	1-Apr-17	'
Senior Secured Notes [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Current Outstanding	8,240	8,240
Long-term Outstanding	86,520	94,760
Average Interest (in hundredths)	4.90%	4.90%
Agreement Terminates	1-Sep-22	'
Asset-backed Securities [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Current Outstanding	40,000	17,100
Long-term Outstanding	332,875	151,050
Average Interest (in hundredths)	3.40%	3.50%
Agreement Terminates	1-Mar-28	'
Collateralized Financing Obligation [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Long-term Outstanding	$95,461	$75,200
Average Interest (in hundredths)	1.00%	1.10%
Agreement Terminates	1-Nov-16	'

StockBased_Compensation_Plan_N

Stock-Based Compensation Plan (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Aggregate Intrinsic Value [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Closing stock price (in dollars per share)	$23.27	'	$23.27	'
Volatility factor (in hundredths)	'	'	100.00%	50.00%
Remaining volatility factor (in hundredths)	'	'	'	50.00%
Directors [Member]	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Vesting period of stock options (in years)	'	'	'1 year	'
Restricted Stock Grant [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Vesting period of stock options (in years)	'	'	'1 year	'
Employees [Member]	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Vesting period of stock options (in years)	'	'	'4 years	'
Percentage of stock options vesting after one year (in hundredths)	'	'	25.00%	'
Percentage of stock options vesting each month following first year (in hundredths)	'	'	2.08%	'
Restricted Stock Grant [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Vesting period of stock options (in years)	'	'	'4 years	'
Stock Options [Member]	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Stock-based compensation expense recorded	$0.40	$0.30	$1.10	$0.90
Remaining unamortized stock-based compensation cost	2.2	'	2.2	'
Stock-based compensation cost recognition period	'	'	'2 years 7 months 6 days	'
Aggregate Intrinsic Value [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised	2.3	'	2.3	'
Aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding	11.2	'	11.2	'
Stock Options [Member] | Directors [Member]	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Remaining unamortized stock-based compensation cost	0.4	'	0.4	'
Stock-based compensation cost recognition period	'	'	'8 months 12 days	'
Restricted Stock [Member]	'	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Vesting period of stock options (in years)	'	'	'4 years	'
Stock-based compensation expense recorded	0.1	'	0.1	'
Remaining unamortized stock-based compensation cost	0.7	'	0.7	'
Stock-based compensation cost recognition period	'	'	'3 years 8 months 12 days	'
Restricted Stock Grant [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Restricted stock granted (in shares)	'	'	28,150	'
Restricted common stock value	'	'	$0.70	'
Vesting period of stock options (in years)	'	'	'4 years	'

StockBased_Compensation_Plan_S

Stock-Based Compensation Plan (Summary Of Stock Option Plan Activity) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Stock Options Activity [Roll Forward]	'	'
Options outstanding at beginning of period (in shares)	1,335,680	1,192,680
Options outstanding at end of period (in shares)	1,267,485	1,335,680
Options exercisable at end of period (in shares)	1,033,498	991,430
Weighted Average Exercise Price [Roll Forward]	'	'
Outstanding at beginning of period (in dollars per share)	$13.41	$12.89
Outstanding at end of period (in dollars per share)	$14.85	$13.41
Exercisable at end of period (in dollars per share)	$12.93	$12.11
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term [Abstract]	'	'
Weighted average remaining term of the stock options exercisable (in years)	'5 years 6 months	'6 years
Employees [Member]	'	'
Stock Options Activity [Roll Forward]	'	'
Options granted - directors and employees (in shares)	51,300	111,000
Options forfeited - employees (in shares)	-834	-8,000
Options exercised - employees (in shares)	-158,661	'
Weighted Average Exercise Price [Roll Forward]	'	'
Granted - directors and employees (in dollars per share)	$26.41	$17.77
Forfeited - employees (in dollars per share)	$5.60	$17.77
Options exercised - employees (in dollars per share)	$9.46	'
Directors [Member]	'	'
Stock Options Activity [Roll Forward]	'	'
Options granted - directors and employees (in shares)	40,000	40,000
Weighted Average Exercise Price [Roll Forward]	'	'
Granted - directors and employees (in dollars per share)	$26.41	$17.77

StockBased_Compensation_Plan_S1

Stock-Based Compensation Plan (Summary Of Fair Value Assumptions) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Stock price (in dollars per share)	26.41	17.77
Exercise price (in dollars per share)	26.41	17.77
Employees [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Expected term	'6 years 3 months	'6 years 3 months
Expected Volatility (in hundredths)	56.70%	49.50%
Rrisk free rate (in hundredths)	1.35%	0.75%
Directors [Member]	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'
Expected term	'5 years 6 months	'5 years 6 months
Expected Volatility (in hundredths)	58.60%	50.20%
Rrisk free rate (in hundredths)	1.16%	0.75%

Income_Taxes_Details

Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Taxes [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Effective tax rate (in hundredths)	7.90%	11.10%	10.30%	13.00%
Unrecognized tax benefits	$0.20	'	$0.20	'
Accrued interest relating to unrecognized tax benefits, maximum	$0.10	'	$0.10	'

Fair_Value_Of_Financial_Instru1

Fair Value Of Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]	'
Asset backed warehouse facility	$372.90
Fair value of collateralized financing obligations	95.5
Fair Value [Member]	'
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]	'
Asset backed warehouse facility	376.9
Fair value of collateralized financing obligations	93
Fair Value [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]	'
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]	'
Senior secured notes	94.8
Fair value of revolving credit facility	294.5
Fair value of term loan	289.3
Net investment in direct finance leases	75.4
Net Investment in Capital Lease Obligations	$5.70

Commitments_And_Contingencies_

Commitments And Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments And Contingencies [Abstract]	'
Commitments to purchase container rental equipment	$12.20
Future minimum lease payments under operating lease agreements	$4.80

Related_Party_Transactions_Det

Related Party Transactions (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
	item
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]	'
Ownership percentage by parent in CAIJ (in hundredths)	80.00%
Ownership percentage by JIA in CAIJ (in hundredths)	20.00%
Number of specific Japanese funds	2
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]	'
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]	'
Number of specific Japanese funds	2

Segment_Information_Narrative_

Segment Information (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
	ft
	segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Number of operating industry segments	1	'
Number of reportable segments	2	'
Inter-segment revenues	$0	'
Size of containers (in feet)	20	'
Net book value	1,535,000	1,847,000
Railcar Equipment [Member]	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'
Net book value	$57,100,000	'

Segment_Information_Segment_Re

Segment Information (Segment Reporting Information By Container Leasing And Container Management Segments ) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013		Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'	'		'	'
Total revenue	$53,898		$44,939	$157,844		$124,071	'
Total operating expenses	27,695		18,893	75,950		50,771	'
Operating income	26,203		26,046	81,894		73,300	'
Net interest expense	9,546		7,178	28,009		19,427	'
Net income before income taxes and non-controlling interest	16,657		18,868	53,885		53,873	'
Total assets	1,628,723	[1]	1,285,858	1,628,723	[1]	1,285,858	1,387,941	[1]
Equipment Leasing [Member]	'		'	'		'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'	'		'	'
Total revenue	52,395		42,447	151,817		113,116	'
Total operating expenses	26,345		17,493	71,877		45,207	'
Operating income	26,050		24,954	79,940		67,909	'
Net interest expense	9,546		7,179	28,013		19,435	'
Net income before income taxes and non-controlling interest	16,504		17,775	51,927		48,474	'
Total assets	1,618,009		1,264,242	1,618,009		1,264,242	'
Equipment Management [Member]	'		'	'		'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'	'		'	'
Total revenue	1,503		2,492	6,027		10,955	'
Total operating expenses	1,350		1,400	4,073		5,564	'
Operating income	153		1,092	1,954		5,391	'
Net income before income taxes and non-controlling interest	153		1,092	1,954		5,391	'
Total assets	10,714		21,616	10,714		21,616	'
Unallocated [Member]	'		'	'		'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'		'	'		'	'
Net interest expense	'		-1	-4		-8	'
Net income before income taxes and non-controlling interest	'		$1	$4		$8	'
[1]	Total assets at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, include the following assets of certain variable interest entities (VIEs) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs: Cash, $13,941 and $3,695; Net investment in direct finance leases, $112 and $0; and Rental equipment net of accumulated depreciation, $76,979 and $62,286, respectively.

Earnings_Per_Share_Narrative_D

Earnings Per Share (Narrative) (Details) (Stock Options [Member])	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Stock Options [Member]	'	'	'	'
Dilutive Securities Included In Computation Of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Securities having antidilutive effect (in shares)	399,950	220,000	296,950	220,000

Earnings_Per_Share_Reconciliat

Earnings Per Share (Reconciliation Of Basic And Diluted Net Income Per Share) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Numerator [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Net income attributable to CAI common stockholders used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share	$15,337	$16,528	$48,335	$46,054
Denominator [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Weighted average shares used in the calculation of basic earnings per share (in shares)	22,186	19,295	22,139	19,295
Effect of dilutive securities (in shares)	459	469	535	435
Weighted average shares used in the calculation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)	22,645	19,764	22,674	19,730
Net income per share attributable to CAI common stockholders [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Basic (in dollars per share)	$0.69	$0.86	$2.18	$2.39
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.68	$0.84	$2.13	$2.33