Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates	CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES Principles of Consolidation: Management believes the following critical accounting policies, among others, affect its more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements. Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. On an on-going basis, management evaluates its estimates and judgments. Management bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates, due to the uncertainty around the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other factors. Revenue Recognition: The Company recognizes revenue from two streams, product revenue and tooling revenue. Product revenue is earned from the manufacture and sale of thermoplastic and thermoset structural products. Revenue from product sales is generally recognized as products are shipped, as the Company transfers title and risk of ownership to the customer and is entitled to payment. In limited circumstances, the Company recognizes revenue from product sales when products are produced and the customer takes title and risk of ownership at the Company's production facility. Tooling revenue is earned from manufacturing tools, molds and assembly equipment as part of a tooling program for a customer. Given that the Company is providing a significant service of producing highly interdependent component parts of the tooling program, each tooling program consists of a single performance obligation to provide the customer the capability to produce a single product. Based on the arrangement with the customer, the Company recognizes revenue either at a point in time or over time. When the Company does not have an enforceable right to payment, the Company recognizes tooling revenue at a point in time. In such cases, the Company recognizes revenue upon customer acceptance, which is when the customer has legal title to the tools. Certain tooling programs include an enforceable right to payment. In those cases, the Company recognizes revenue over time based on the extent of progress towards completion of its performance obligation. The Company uses a cost-to-cost measure of progress for such contracts because it best depicts the transfer of value to the customer and also correlates with the amount of consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring the promised goods or services to the customer. Under the cost-to-cost measure of progress, progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation. Revenues are recorded proportionally as costs are incurred. Accounts Receivable Allowances: Management maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. The Company recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts of $58,000 and $41,000 at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Management also records an allowance for estimated customer chargebacks for returns, price discounts and adjustments, premium freight and expediting costs and customer production line disruption costs resulting from late deliveries. At times, customers have asserted a right to significant production line disruption charges to recover damages as a result of late delivery. The Company typically works with its customers to minimize disruption charges, validate damages and negotiate resolution. The Company records accruals for customer chargebacks when a valid charge is probable and the amount of the charge can be reasonably estimated. Should customer chargebacks fluctuate from the estimated amounts, additional allowances may be necessary. The Company reduced accounts receivable for chargebacks by $440,000 at June 30, 2021 and $179,000 at December 31, 2020. Inventories: Inventories, which include material, labor and manufacturing overhead, are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The inventories are accounted for using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method of determining inventory costs. Inventory quantities on-hand are regularly reviewed, and where necessary, provisions for excess and obsolete inventory are recorded based on historical and anticipated usage. The Company has recorded an allowance for slow moving and obsolete inventory of $252,000 at June 30, 2021 and $546,000 at December 31, 2020. Contract Assets/Liabilities: Contract assets and liabilities represent the net cumulative customer billings, vendor payments and revenue recognized for tooling programs. For tooling programs where net revenue recognized and vendor payments exceed customer billings, the Company recognizes a contract asset. For tooling programs where net customer billings exceed revenue recognized and vendor payments, the Company recognizes a contract liability. Customer payment terms vary by contract and can range from progress payments based on work performed or one single payment once the contract is completed. The Company has recorded contract assets of $46,000 at June 30, 2021, and $554,000 at December 31, 2020. Contract assets are generally classified as current within prepaid expenses and other current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company recognized no impairments on contract assets. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company recognized $3,107,000 of revenue from contract liabilities related to open jobs outstanding as of December 31, 2020. Income Taxes: The Company evaluates the balance of deferred tax assets that will be realized based on the premise that the Company is more likely than not to realize deferred tax benefits through the generation of future taxable income. For more information, refer to Note 11, "Income Taxes", of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Long-Lived Assets: Long-lived assets consist primarily of property, plant and equipment and definite-lived intangibles. The recoverability of long-lived assets is evaluated by an analysis of operating results and consideration of other significant events or changes in the business environment. The Company evaluates whether impairment exists for property, plant and equipment on the basis of undiscounted expected future cash flows from operations before interest. There was no impairment of the Company's long-lived assets for the six months ended June 30, 2021 or June 30, 2020. Goodwill: The purchase consideration of acquired businesses have been allocated to the assets and liabilities acquired based on the estimated fair values on the respective acquisition dates. Based on these values, the excess purchase consideration over the fair value of the net assets acquired was allocated to goodwill. The Company accounts for goodwill in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. FASB ASC Topic 350 prohibits the amortization of goodwill and requires these assets be reviewed for impairment. The annual impairment tests of goodwill may be completed through qualitative assessments; however the, Company may elect to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to a quantitative impairment test for any period. The Company may resume the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period. Under a qualitative and quantitative approach, the impairment test for goodwill consists of an assessment of whether it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value is less than its carrying amount. As part of the qualitative assessment, the Company considers relevant events and circumstances that affect the fair value or carrying amount of the Company. Such events and circumstances could include changes in economic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors, overall financial performance, and capital markets pricing. The Company places more weight on the events and circumstances that most affect the Company's fair value or carrying amount. These factors are all considered by management in reaching its conclusion about whether to perform step one of the impairment test. If the Company elects to bypass the qualitative assessment, or if a qualitative assessment indicates it is more-likely-than-not that the estimated carrying value exceeds its fair value, the Company proceeds to a quantitative approach. There were no indicators of impairment for the six months ended June 30, 2021. The company also performed a qualitative analysis for the year end December 31, 2020 and determined that no impairment was needed for the year 2020. Self-Insurance: The Company is self-insured with respect to Columbus and Batavia, Ohio; Gaffney, South Carolina; Winona, Minnesota; and Brownsville, Texas for medical, dental and vision claims and Columbus and Batavia, Ohio for workers’ compensation claims, all of which are subject to stop-loss insurance thresholds. The Company is also self-insured for dental and vision with respect to its Cobourg, Canada location. The Company has recorded an estimated liability for self-insured medical, dental and vision claims incurred but not reported and worker’s compensation claims incurred but not reported at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 of $866,000 and $933,000, respectively. Derivative Instruments: Derivative instruments are utilized to manage exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates on long term debt obligations. All derivative instruments are formally documented as cash flow hedges and are recorded at fair value at each reporting period. Gains and losses related to currency forward contracts and interest rate swaps are deferred and recorded as a component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity and then subsequently recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Operations when the hedged item affects net income. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of a hedge, if any, is recognized in income. For additional information on derivative instruments, see Note 14, "Fair Value of Financial Instruments". Post-retirement Benefits: Management records an accrual for post-retirement costs associated with the health care plan sponsored by Core Molding Technologies. Should actual results differ from the assumptions used to determine the reserves, additional provisions may be required. In particular, increases in future healthcare costs above the assumptions could have an adverse effect on Core Molding Technologies’ operations. The effect of a change in healthcare costs is described in Note 12, "Post Retirement Benefits", of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Core Molding Technologies had a liability for post retirement healthcare benefits based on actuarial computed estimates of $9,033,000 at June 30, 2021 and $9,109,000 at December 31, 2020.

Principles of Consolidation: Management believes the following critical accounting policies, among others, affect its more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements.

Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. On an on-going basis, management evaluates its estimates and judgments. Management bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates, due to the uncertainty around the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other factors.

Revenue Recognition: The Company recognizes revenue from two streams, product revenue and tooling revenue. Product revenue is earned from the manufacture and sale of thermoplastic and thermoset structural products. Revenue from product sales is generally recognized as products are shipped, as the Company transfers title and risk of ownership to the customer and is entitled to payment. In limited circumstances, the Company recognizes revenue from product sales when products are produced and the customer takes title and risk of ownership at the Company's production facility.

Tooling revenue is earned from manufacturing tools, molds and assembly equipment as part of a tooling program for a customer. Given that the Company is providing a significant service of producing highly interdependent component parts of the tooling program, each tooling program consists of a single performance obligation to provide the customer the capability to produce a single product. Based on the arrangement with the customer, the Company recognizes revenue either at a point in time or over time. When the Company does not have an enforceable right to payment, the Company recognizes tooling revenue at a point in time. In such cases, the Company recognizes revenue upon customer acceptance, which is when the customer has legal title to the tools.

Certain tooling programs include an enforceable right to payment. In those cases, the Company recognizes revenue over time based on the extent of progress towards completion of its performance obligation. The Company uses a cost-to-cost measure of progress for such contracts because it best depicts the transfer of value to the customer and also correlates with the amount of consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring the promised goods or services to the customer. Under the cost-to-cost measure of progress, progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs

Accounts Receivable Allowances: Management maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. The Company recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts of $58,000 and $41,000 at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

Management also records an allowance for estimated customer chargebacks for returns, price discounts and adjustments, premium freight and expediting costs and customer production line disruption costs resulting from late deliveries. At times, customers have asserted a right to significant production line disruption charges to recover damages as a result of late delivery. The Company typically works with its customers to minimize disruption charges, validate damages and negotiate resolution. The Company records accruals for customer chargebacks when a valid charge is probable and the amount of the charge can be reasonably estimated. Should customer chargebacks fluctuate from the estimated amounts, additional allowances may be necessary. The Company reduced accounts receivable for chargebacks by $440,000 at June 30, 2021 and $179,000 at December 31, 2020.

Inventories: Inventories, which include material, labor and manufacturing overhead, are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The inventories are accounted for using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method of determining inventory costs. Inventory quantities on-hand are regularly reviewed, and where necessary, provisions for excess and obsolete inventory are recorded based on historical and anticipated usage. The Company has recorded an allowance for slow moving and obsolete inventory of $252,000 at June 30, 2021 and $546,000 at December 31, 2020.

Contract Assets/Liabilities: Contract assets and liabilities represent the net cumulative customer billings, vendor payments and revenue recognized for tooling programs. For tooling programs where net revenue recognized and vendor payments exceed customer billings, the Company recognizes a contract asset. For tooling programs where net customer billings exceed revenue recognized and vendor payments, the Company recognizes a contract liability. Customer payment terms vary by contract and can range from progress payments based on work performed or one single payment once the contract is completed. The Company has recorded contract assets of $46,000 at June 30, 2021, and $554,000 at December 31, 2020. Contract assets are generally classified as current within prepaid expenses and other current assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company recognized no impairments on contract assets. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company recognized $3,107,000 of revenue from contract liabilities related to open jobs outstanding as of December 31, 2020.

Income Taxes: The Company evaluates the balance of deferred tax assets that will be realized based on the premise that the Company is more likely than not to realize deferred tax benefits through the generation of future taxable income. For more information, refer to Note 11, "Income Taxes", of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Long-Lived Assets: Long-lived assets consist primarily of property, plant and equipment and definite-lived intangibles. The recoverability of long-lived assets is evaluated by an analysis of operating results and consideration of other significant events or changes in the business environment. The Company evaluates whether impairment exists for property, plant and equipment on the basis of undiscounted expected future cash flows from operations before interest. There was no impairment of the Company's long-lived assets for the six months ended June 30, 2021 or June 30, 2020.

Goodwill: The purchase consideration of acquired businesses have been allocated to the assets and liabilities acquired based on the estimated fair values on the respective acquisition dates. Based on these values, the excess purchase consideration over the fair value of the net assets acquired was allocated to goodwill. The Company accounts for goodwill in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. FASB ASC Topic 350 prohibits the amortization of goodwill and requires these assets be reviewed for impairment.

The annual impairment tests of goodwill may be completed through qualitative assessments; however the, Company may elect to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to a quantitative impairment test for any period. The Company may resume the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period.

Under a qualitative and quantitative approach, the impairment test for goodwill consists of an assessment of whether it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value is less than its carrying amount. As part of the qualitative assessment, the Company considers relevant events and circumstances that affect the fair value or carrying amount of the Company. Such events and circumstances could include changes in economic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors, overall financial performance, and

capital markets pricing. The Company places more weight on the events and circumstances that most affect the Company's fair value or carrying amount. These factors are all considered by management in reaching its conclusion about whether to perform step one of the impairment test. If the Company elects to bypass the qualitative assessment, or if a qualitative assessment indicates it is more-likely-than-not that the estimated carrying value exceeds its fair value, the Company proceeds to a quantitative approach.

There were no indicators of impairment for the six months ended June 30, 2021. The company also performed a qualitative analysis for the year end December 31, 2020 and determined that no impairment was needed for the year 2020.

Self-Insurance: The Company is self-insured with respect to Columbus and Batavia, Ohio; Gaffney, South Carolina; Winona, Minnesota; and Brownsville, Texas for medical, dental and vision claims and Columbus and Batavia, Ohio for workers’ compensation claims, all of which are subject to stop-loss insurance thresholds. The Company is also self-insured for dental and vision with respect to its Cobourg, Canada location. The Company has recorded an estimated liability for self-insured medical, dental and vision claims incurred but not reported and worker’s compensation claims incurred but not reported at June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 of $866,000 and $933,000, respectively.

Derivative Instruments: Derivative instruments are utilized to manage exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates on long term debt obligations. All derivative instruments are formally documented as cash flow hedges and are recorded at fair value at each reporting period. Gains and losses related to currency forward contracts and interest rate swaps are deferred and recorded as a component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity and then subsequently recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Operations when the hedged item affects net income. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of a hedge, if any, is recognized in income. For additional information on derivative instruments, see Note 14, "Fair Value of Financial Instruments".

Post-retirement Benefits: Management records an accrual for post-retirement costs associated with the health care plan sponsored by Core Molding Technologies. Should actual results differ from the assumptions used to determine the reserves, additional provisions may be required. In particular, increases in future healthcare costs above the assumptions could have an adverse effect on Core Molding Technologies’ operations. The effect of a change in healthcare costs is described in Note 12, "Post Retirement Benefits", of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Core Molding Technologies had a liability for post retirement healthcare benefits based on actuarial computed estimates of $9,033,000 at June 30, 2021 and $9,109,000 at December 31, 2020.