Condensed Consolidating Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011
Revenues:
Equipment rentals	$ 845		$ 524	$ 1,368		$ 958
Sales of rental equipment	81		41	157		73
Sales of new equipment	22		21	40		36
Contractor supplies sales	23		22	41		43
Service and other revenues	22		21	43		42
Total revenues	993		629	1,649		1,152
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation	350		246	596		479
Depreciation of rental equipment	172		103	287		202
Cost of rental equipment sales	56		28	103		46
Cost of new equipment sales	17		17	32		29
Cost of contractor supplies sales	16		16	28		30
Cost of service and other revenues	8		8	16		17
Total cost of revenues	619		418	1,062		803
Gross profit	374		211	587		349
Selling, general and administrative expenses	146		100	248		195
RSC merger related costs	80		0	90		0
Restructuring charge	53		2	53	[1]	3
Non-rental depreciation and amortization	49		14	63		26
Operating (loss) income	46		95	133		125
Interest expense (income), net	121		57	189		113
Interest expense-subordinated convertible debentures	1		2	2		4
Other (income) expense, net	(12)		(3)	(13)		(4)
(Loss) income from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes	(64)		39	(45)		12
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(12)		11	(6)		4
(Loss) income from continuing operations			28			8
Loss from discontinued operation, net of taxes	0		(1)	0		(1)
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(52)		27	(39)		7
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	0		0	0		0
Net (loss) income	(52)		27	(39)		7
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(12)		1	(2)		13
Comprehensive (loss) income	(64)		28	(41)		20
Parent [Member]
Revenues:
Equipment rentals	0		0	0		0
Sales of rental equipment	0		0	0		0
Sales of new equipment	0		0	0		0
Contractor supplies sales	0		0	0		0
Service and other revenues	0		0	0		0
Total revenues	0		0	0		0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation	0		0	0		0
Depreciation of rental equipment	0		0	0		0
Cost of rental equipment sales	0		0	0		0
Cost of new equipment sales	0		0	0		0
Cost of contractor supplies sales	0		0	0		0
Cost of service and other revenues	0		0	0		0
Total cost of revenues	0		0	0		0
Gross profit	0		0	0		0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	9		8	19		13
RSC merger related costs	0			0
Restructuring charge	0		0	0		0
Non-rental depreciation and amortization	3		4	7		7
Operating (loss) income	(12)		(12)	(26)		(20)
Interest expense (income), net	3		3	6		6
Interest expense-subordinated convertible debentures	1		2	2		4
Other (income) expense, net	(20)		(17)	(38)		(32)
(Loss) income from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes	4		0	4		2
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	1		0	1		0
(Loss) income from continuing operations			0			2
Loss from discontinued operation, net of taxes			0			0
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	3		0	3		2
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(55)		27	(42)		5
Net (loss) income	(52)		27	(39)		7
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(12)		1	(2)		13
Comprehensive (loss) income	(64)		28	(41)		20
URNA [Member]
Revenues:
Equipment rentals	665		256	915		472
Sales of rental equipment	66		23	105		41
Sales of new equipment	13		11	21		17
Contractor supplies sales	16		9	24		18
Service and other revenues	14		10	25		22
Total revenues	774		309	1,090		570
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation	272		117	387		234
Depreciation of rental equipment	136		55	195		108
Cost of rental equipment sales	47		16	71		26
Cost of new equipment sales	10		8	17		14
Cost of contractor supplies sales	12		7	16		13
Cost of service and other revenues	4		3	10		9
Total cost of revenues	481		206	696		404
Gross profit	293		103	394		166
Selling, general and administrative expenses	104		32	138		71
RSC merger related costs	80			90
Restructuring charge	52		2	52		2
Non-rental depreciation and amortization	41		4	45		8
Operating (loss) income	16		65	69		85
Interest expense (income), net	68		53	119		104
Interest expense-subordinated convertible debentures	0		0	0		0
Other (income) expense, net	14		11	30		25
(Loss) income from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes	(66)		1	(80)		(44)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(3)		11	(25)		2
(Loss) income from continuing operations			(10)			(46)
Loss from discontinued operation, net of taxes			(1)			(1)
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(63)		(11)	(55)		(47)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	8		38	13		52
Net (loss) income	(55)		27	(42)		5
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(12)		1	(2)		13
Comprehensive (loss) income	(67)		28	(44)		18
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues:
Equipment rentals	66		178	249		327
Sales of rental equipment	6		12	32		21
Sales of new equipment	2		5	7		9
Contractor supplies sales	2		7	7		13
Service and other revenues	3		6	8		11
Total revenues	79		208	303		381
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation	29		87	117		168
Depreciation of rental equipment	13		33	50		66
Cost of rental equipment sales	4		9	20		14
Cost of new equipment sales	2		4	6		7
Cost of contractor supplies sales	1		5	5		9
Cost of service and other revenues	1		2	3		4
Total cost of revenues	50		140	201		268
Gross profit	29		68	102		113
Selling, general and administrative expenses	11		34	47		65
RSC merger related costs	0			0
Restructuring charge	0		0	0		1
Non-rental depreciation and amortization	1		5	5		9
Operating (loss) income	17		29	50		38
Interest expense (income), net	32		1	33		3
Interest expense-subordinated convertible debentures	0		0	0		0
Other (income) expense, net	0		9	9		15
(Loss) income from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes	(15)		19	8		20
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(11)		(6)	17		(6)
(Loss) income from continuing operations			25			26
Loss from discontinued operation, net of taxes			0			0
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(4)		25	(9)		26
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	19		10	33		20
Net (loss) income	15		35	24		46
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(10)		2	(1)		13
Comprehensive (loss) income	5		37	23		59
Non Guarantor Subsidiaries Foreign [Member]
Revenues:
Equipment rentals	114		90	204		159
Sales of rental equipment	9		6	20		11
Sales of new equipment	7		5	12		10
Contractor supplies sales	5		6	10		12
Service and other revenues	5		5	10		9
Total revenues	140		112	256		201
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation	49		42	92		77
Depreciation of rental equipment	23		15	42		28
Cost of rental equipment sales	5		3	12		6
Cost of new equipment sales	5		5	9		8
Cost of contractor supplies sales	3		4	7		8
Cost of service and other revenues	3		3	3		4
Total cost of revenues	88		72	165		131
Gross profit	52		40	91		70
Selling, general and administrative expenses	17		20	34		35
RSC merger related costs	0			0
Restructuring charge	1		0	1		0
Non-rental depreciation and amortization	4		1	6		2
Operating (loss) income	30		19	50		33
Interest expense (income), net	1		1	2		1
Interest expense-subordinated convertible debentures	0		0	0		0
Other (income) expense, net	4		3	7		6
(Loss) income from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes	25		15	41		26
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	6		7	9		9
(Loss) income from continuing operations			8			17
Loss from discontinued operation, net of taxes			0			0
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	19		8	32		17
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	0		0	0		0
Net (loss) income	19		8	32		17
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(6)		1	(1)		6
Comprehensive (loss) income	13		9	31		23
Non Guarantor Subsidiaries SPV [Member]
Revenues:
Equipment rentals	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Sales of rental equipment	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Sales of new equipment	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Contractor supplies sales	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Service and other revenues	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Total revenues	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Depreciation of rental equipment	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Cost of rental equipment sales	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Cost of new equipment sales	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Cost of contractor supplies sales	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Cost of service and other revenues	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Total cost of revenues	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Gross profit	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	5	[2]	6	10	[3]	11
RSC merger related costs	0	[2]		0	[3]
Restructuring charge	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Non-rental depreciation and amortization	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Operating (loss) income	(5)	[2]	(6)	(10)	[3]	(11)
Interest expense (income), net	18	[2]	1	31	[3]	2
Interest expense-subordinated convertible debentures	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Other (income) expense, net	(10)	[2]	(9)	(21)	[3]	(18)
(Loss) income from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes	(13)	[2]	2	(20)	[3]	5
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(5)	[2]	(1)	(8)	[3]	(1)
(Loss) income from continuing operations			3			6
Loss from discontinued operation, net of taxes			0			0
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(8)	[2]	3	(12)	[3]	6
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Net (loss) income	(8)	[2]	3	(12)	[3]	6
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	[2]	0	0	[3]	0
Comprehensive (loss) income	(8)	[2]	3	(12)	[3]	6
Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Equipment rentals	0		0	0		0
Sales of rental equipment	0		0	0		0
Sales of new equipment	0		0	0		0
Contractor supplies sales	0		0	0		0
Service and other revenues	0		0	0		0
Total revenues	0		0	0		0
Cost of revenues:
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation	0		0	0		0
Depreciation of rental equipment	0		0	0		0
Cost of rental equipment sales	0		0	0		0
Cost of new equipment sales	0		0	0		0
Cost of contractor supplies sales	0		0	0		0
Cost of service and other revenues	0		0	0		0
Total cost of revenues	0		0	0		0
Gross profit	0		0	0		0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0		0	0		0
RSC merger related costs	0			0
Restructuring charge	0		0	0		0
Non-rental depreciation and amortization	0		0	0		0
Operating (loss) income	0		0	0		0
Interest expense (income), net	(1)		(2)	(2)		(3)
Interest expense-subordinated convertible debentures	0		0	0		0
Other (income) expense, net	0		0	0		0
(Loss) income from continuing operations before provision (benefit) for income taxes	1		2	2		3
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0		0	0		0
(Loss) income from continuing operations			2			3
Loss from discontinued operation, net of taxes			0			0
Income (loss) before equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	1		2	2		3
Equity in net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	28		(75)	(4)		(77)
Net (loss) income	29		(73)	(2)		(74)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	28		(4)	4		(32)
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ 57		$ (77)	$ 2		$ (106)

[1] Reflected in our condensed consolidated statements of operations as “Restructuring charge.” These charges are not allocated to our reportable segments.

[2] Includes interest expense prior to the April 30, 2012 RSC acquisition date on the merger financing debt issued by Funding SPV, as discussed further in note 8 to our condensed consolidated financial statements.

[3] Includes interest expense prior to the April 30, 2012 RSC acquisition date on the merger financing debt issued by Funding SPV, as discussed further in note 8 to our condensed consolidated financial statements