Condensed Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEETS (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 26		$ 36		$ 205	$ 203
Accounts receivable, net	417		464
Intercompany receivable (payable)	0		0
Inventory	85		44
Prepaid expenses and other assets	78		75
Deferred taxes	50		104
Total current assets	656		723
Restricted cash (note 5)	2,850		0
Rental equipment, net	2,865		2,617
Property and equipment, net	380		366
Investments in subsidiaries	0		0
Goodwill and other intangibles, net	414		372
Other long-term assets	132		65
Total assets	7,297		4,143
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	371	[1]	395	[1]
Accounts payable	384		206
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	291		263
Total current liabilities	1,046		864
Long-term debt	5,590		2,592
Subordinated convertible debentures	55		55
Deferred taxes	419		470
Other long-term liabilities	60		59
Total liabilities	7,170		4,040
Temporary equity (note 5)	37		39
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	90		64
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	7,297		4,143
Parent [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Intercompany receivable (payable)	120		114
Inventory	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	0		0
Deferred taxes	0		0
Total current assets	120		114
Restricted cash (note 5)	0
Rental equipment, net	0		0
Property and equipment, net	41		41
Investments in subsidiaries	249		227
Goodwill and other intangibles, net	0		0
Other long-term assets	5		4
Total assets	415		386
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	131		129
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	32		31
Total current liabilities	163		160
Long-term debt	0		0
Subordinated convertible debentures	55		55
Deferred taxes	16		16
Other long-term liabilities	54		52
Total liabilities	288		283
Temporary equity (note 5)	37		39
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	90		64
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	415		386
URNA [Member]
Condensed Financial Information Other Details [Abstract]
Ownership Percentage In Subsidiaries			100.00%
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	3		6		2	4
Accounts receivable, net	12		19
Intercompany receivable (payable)	(746)		(876)
Inventory	51		21
Prepaid expenses and other assets	65		55
Deferred taxes	45		100
Total current assets	(570)		(675)
Restricted cash (note 5)	0
Rental equipment, net	1,482		1,345
Property and equipment, net	181		177
Investments in subsidiaries	2,155		2,144
Goodwill and other intangibles, net	171		130
Other long-term assets	59		60
Total assets	3,478		3,181
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	7		8
Accounts payable	255		120
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	172		139
Total current liabilities	434		267
Long-term debt	2,613		2,444
Subordinated convertible debentures	0		0
Deferred taxes	180		241
Other long-term liabilities	2		2
Total liabilities	3,229		2,954
Temporary equity (note 5)	0		0
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	249		227
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,478		3,181
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Information Other Details [Abstract]
Ownership Percentage In Subsidiaries			100.00%
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	9		9
Intercompany receivable (payable)	722		772
Inventory	22		15
Prepaid expenses and other assets	0		1
Deferred taxes	4		3
Total current assets	757		800
Restricted cash (note 5)	0
Rental equipment, net	921		836
Property and equipment, net	126		120
Investments in subsidiaries	482		462
Goodwill and other intangibles, net	101		102
Other long-term assets	0		1
Total assets	2,387		2,321
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	0		0
Accounts payable	87		47
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	47		48
Total current liabilities	134		95
Long-term debt	146		142
Subordinated convertible debentures	0		0
Deferred taxes	175		165
Other long-term liabilities	0		2
Total liabilities	455		404
Temporary equity (note 5)	0		0
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	1,932		1,917
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,387		2,321
Non Guarantor Subsidiaries Foreign [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	23		30		203	199
Accounts receivable, net	83		98
Intercompany receivable (payable)	(158)		(154)
Inventory	12		8
Prepaid expenses and other assets	12		19
Deferred taxes	1		1
Total current assets	(27)		2
Restricted cash (note 5)	0
Rental equipment, net	462		436
Property and equipment, net	32		28
Investments in subsidiaries	0		0
Goodwill and other intangibles, net	142		140
Other long-term assets	3		0
Total assets	612		606
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	3		3
Accounts payable	42		39
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	27		45
Total current liabilities	72		87
Long-term debt	6		6
Subordinated convertible debentures	0		0
Deferred taxes	48		48
Other long-term liabilities	4		3
Total liabilities	130		144
Temporary equity (note 5)	0		0
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	482		462
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	612		606
Non Guarantor Subsidiaries SPV [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0	[2]	0		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	313	[2]	338
Intercompany receivable (payable)	(86)	[2]	0
Inventory	0	[2]	0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	1	[2]	0
Deferred taxes	0	[2]	0
Total current assets	228	[2]	338
Restricted cash (note 5)	2,850	[2]
Rental equipment, net	0	[2]	0
Property and equipment, net	0	[2]	0
Investments in subsidiaries	0	[2]	0
Goodwill and other intangibles, net	0	[2]	0
Other long-term assets	65	[2]	0
Total assets	3,143	[2]	338
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	230	[2]	255
Accounts payable	0	[2]	0
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	13	[2]	0
Total current liabilities	243	[2]	255
Long-term debt	2,825	[2]	0
Subordinated convertible debentures	0	[2]	0
Deferred taxes	0	[2]	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	[2]	0
Total liabilities	3,068	[2]	255
Temporary equity (note 5)	0	[2]	0
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	75	[2]	83
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,143	[2]	338
Eliminations [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0
Intercompany receivable (payable)	148		144
Inventory	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	0		0
Deferred taxes	0		0
Total current assets	148		144
Restricted cash (note 5)	0
Rental equipment, net	0		0
Property and equipment, net	0		0
Investments in subsidiaries	(2,886)		(2,833)
Goodwill and other intangibles, net	0		0
Other long-term assets	0		0
Total assets	(2,738)		(2,689)
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	0		0
Accounts payable	0		0
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	0		0
Total current liabilities	0		0
Long-term debt	0		0
Subordinated convertible debentures	0		0
Deferred taxes	0		0
Other long-term liabilities	0		0
Total liabilities	0		0
Temporary equity (note 5)	0		0
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	(2,738)		(2,689)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ (2,738)		$ (2,689)

[1] As of March 31, 2012, our short-term debt primarily reflects $230 of borrowings under our accounts receivable securitization facility and $131 of 4 percent Convertible Senior Notes. The 4 percent Convertible Senior Notes mature in 2015, but are reflected as short-term debt because they are convertible at March 31, 2012.

[2] Includes debt issued by Funding SPV associated with the proposed merger with RSC, as discussed further in note 5 to our condensed consolidated financial statements.