Revenue (Impact of New Revenue Guidance on Financial Statements) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Balance Sheet
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash		$ 31,497
Accounts receivable, net		216,021	$ 190,628	$ 183,238
Inventories		731,629	641,294	648,703
Commodity derivative assets - current		43,810	48,049	30,702
Other current assets		114,922
Other noncurrent assets		369,633	384,431	355,023
Rail Group assets leased to others, net		462,253	342,936	423,443
Property, plant and equipment		393,763	440,395	384,677
Total assets		2,363,528	2,161,753	2,162,354
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt		503,134
Commodity derivative liabilities - current		323,614
Commodity derivative liabilities - current		15,424	29,914	29,651
Customer prepayments and deferred revenue		81,778	81,628	59,710
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent and Other long-term liabilities		32,950
Employee benefit plan obligations		26,310	34,832	26,716
Long-term debt, less current maturities		438,628	365,971	418,339
Deferred income taxes		118,933	181,541	121,730
Total liabilities		1,540,771	1,384,391	1,339,455
Retained earnings		618,572	601,560	633,496
Common shares, additional paid-in-capital, treasury shares, accumulated other comprehensive loss and noncontrolling interests		204,185
Total equity		822,757	777,362	822,899	$ 790,697
Total liabilities and equity		2,363,528	2,161,753	$ 2,162,354
Income Statement Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Sales and merchandising revenues		635,739	852,016
Cost of sales and merchandising revenues		572,034	775,558
Gross profit		63,705	76,458
Operating, administrative and general expenses		64,257	81,545
Goodwill impairment
Interest expense		6,999	6,100
Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates, net		3,573	(1,878)
Other income, net		1,686	7,495
Income (loss) before income taxes		(2,292)	(5,570)
Income tax provision (benefit)		(310)	(2,535)
Net income (loss)		(1,982)	(3,035)
Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interests		(282)	54
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.		$ (1,700)	$ (3,089)
ASC 606 Impact | Revenues under ASC 606
Balance Sheet
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash	$ 0
Accounts receivable, net	0
Inventories	145
Commodity derivative assets - current	0
Other current assets	(170)
Other noncurrent assets	0
Rail Group assets leased to others, net	(24,844)
Property, plant and equipment	0
Total assets	(24,869)
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	(2,922)
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	0
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	0
Customer prepayments and deferred revenue	0
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent and Other long-term liabilities	0
Employee benefit plan obligations	0
Long-term debt, less current maturities	(33,318)
Deferred income taxes	2,942
Total liabilities	(33,298)
Retained earnings	8,429
Common shares, additional paid-in-capital, treasury shares, accumulated other comprehensive loss and noncontrolling interests	0
Total equity	8,429
Total liabilities and equity	(24,869)
Income Statement Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Sales and merchandising revenues	164,189
Cost of sales and merchandising revenues	164,650
Gross profit	(461)
Operating, administrative and general expenses	0
Goodwill impairment	0
Interest expense	(403)
Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates, net	0
Other income, net	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(58)
Income tax provision (benefit)	(22)
Net income (loss)	(36)
Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	0
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	(36)
Pro forma as if the previous accounting guidance was in effect
Balance Sheet
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash	31,497
Accounts receivable, net	216,021
Inventories	731,774
Commodity derivative assets - current	43,810
Other current assets	114,752
Other noncurrent assets	369,633
Rail Group assets leased to others, net	437,409
Property, plant and equipment	393,763
Total assets	2,338,659
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt	500,212
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	323,614
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	15,424
Customer prepayments and deferred revenue	81,778
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent and Other long-term liabilities	32,950
Employee benefit plan obligations	26,310
Long-term debt, less current maturities	405,310
Deferred income taxes	121,875
Total liabilities	1,507,473
Retained earnings	627,001
Common shares, additional paid-in-capital, treasury shares, accumulated other comprehensive loss and noncontrolling interests	204,185
Total equity	831,186
Total liabilities and equity	2,338,659
Income Statement Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Sales and merchandising revenues	799,928
Cost of sales and merchandising revenues	736,684
Gross profit	63,244
Operating, administrative and general expenses	64,257
Goodwill impairment	0
Interest expense	6,596
Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates, net	3,573
Other income, net	1,686
Income (loss) before income taxes	(2,350)
Income tax provision (benefit)	(332)
Net income (loss)	(2,018)
Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(282)
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$ (1,736)