SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended											12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 Pure Car/Truck Carriers [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Bulk Carriers [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Tanker [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Molten Sulphur Carrier Vessel [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Multi purpose vessels [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Container vessels [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Mini Bulkers [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Integrated Barge and Tug Unit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Jones Act [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Jones Act [Member] Harbor Tug [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Jones Act [Member] ATB Barge and Tug Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Jones Act [Member] Coal Carrier [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Jones Act [Member] Bulk Carriers [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Jones Act [Member] Minimum [Member] ATB Barge and Tug Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Jones Act [Member] Maximum [Member] ATB Barge and Tug Units [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Pure Car Truck Carriers [Member] Pure Car/Truck Carriers [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Pure Car Truck Carriers [Member] Minimum [Member] Pure Car/Truck Carriers [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Pure Car Truck Carriers [Member] Maximum [Member] Pure Car/Truck Carriers [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Rail Ferry [Member] Special Purpose Vessels [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Rail Ferry [Member] Minimum [Member] Building [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Rail Ferry [Member] Maximum [Member] Building [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Dry Bulk Carriers [Member] Bulk Carriers [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Specialty Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Specialty Contracts [Member] Tanker [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Specialty Contracts [Member] Multi purpose vessels [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other [Member] Minimum [Member] Leasehold Improvements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other [Member] Minimum [Member] Other Equipment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other [Member] Minimum [Member] Furniture and Equipment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other [Member] Maximum [Member] Leasehold Improvements [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other [Member] Maximum [Member] Other Equipment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other [Member] Maximum [Member] Furniture and Equipment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Spares Inventory [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Spares Inventory [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Fuel inventory [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Fuel inventory [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Warehouse Inventory [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Warehouse Inventory [Member]	Nov. 30, 2012 U.S. United Ocean Services, LLC Acquisition [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 U.S. United Ocean Services, LLC Acquisition [Member] Fuel inventory [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 U.S. United Ocean Services, LLC Acquisition [Member] Warehouse Inventory [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Frascati Shops Inc and Tower LLC [Member]	Aug. 06, 2012 Frascati Shops Inc and Tower LLC [Member]
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Minimum percentage of ownership considered for consolidation (in hundredths)		50.00%
Minimum percentage of ownership considered for equity method of accounting for investments (in hundredths)		20.00%
Maximum percentage of ownership considered for equity method of accounting for investments (in hundredths)		50.00%
Maximum percentage of ownership considered for cost method of accounting for investments (in hundredths)		20.00%
Nature of Operations [Abstract]
Number of ocean going vessels		50
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill		$ 2,700,000	$ 0																																											$ 1,901,000				$ 799,000
Maritime Security Program [Abstract]
Number of PCTC qualified and received contracts from MSP		6
Number of container vessels qualified and received contracts from MSP		2
Annual payments for each vessel		3,100,000	2,950,000	2,900,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]
Restricted cash		8,000,000	8,907,000
Restricted cash associated with lien		2,000,000
Collateral escrow pledged for performance guarantees under a contract		6,000,000
Inventory [Line Items]
Inventory		11,847,000	6,020,000																																					3,652,000	5,034,000	4,633,000	986,000	3,562,000	0		3,100,000	3,410,000	231,000
Summary of estimated useful lives of vessels, leasehold improvements, and furniture and equipment [Abstract]
Estimated useful lives																	20 years		15 years	25 years	9 years	30 years		20 years	25 years	25 years	15 years	25 years	25 years		25 years	25 years		10 years	3 years	3 years	20 years	12 years	10 years
Number of vessels		50			3	3	1	1	2	5	14	1
Number of vehicle/ships owned																	1	3	1	2			4			2			5		1	1
Capitalized interest		120,045	339,000	1,788,000
Impairment charge	25,430,000	0	0	25,430,000											0	[1]														0			0
Amortization period of deferred drydocking costs													2 years	5 years
Foreign Currency Transaction [Abstract]
Gain on foreign currency transaction		10,000	460,000	1,259,000
Gain (loss) on Foreign Currency Exchange		5,506,000	(3,051,000)	(8,196,000)
Pension and Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]
Change in funding status of benefit plans, net of deferred taxes		2,209,000	5,998,000	3,495,000
Change in funding status of benefit plans, deferred taxes		$ 452,000	$ 1,100,000

[1] 2012 reflects one month of UOS.