Debt (Textual) (Details) - USD ($)			3 Months Ended
	Jan. 11, 2019	Jan. 01, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Apr. 13, 2017
Line of credit | 364-day Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 250,000,000
Debt term	364 days
Line of credit | Credit Agreement | Revolving Credit Facility | LIBOR
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 25,000,000
Borrowings under credit agreement			$ 0
Line of credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	1,650,000,000
Line of credit | Revolving Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity				$ 800,000,000
Line of credit | Line of credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity			1,625,000,000
Total available for borrowings under lines of credit			1,029,000,000
Line of credit | Line of credit | ELEMENT, LLC | Subsidiary
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity			70,000,000
Line of credit | Line of credit | The Andersons Railcar Leasing Company LLC
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity			200,000,000
Line of credit | Line of credit | LTG | Thompsons Limited
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity			179,600,000
Total available for borrowings under lines of credit			90,900,000
Line of credit | 5-year Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 900,000,000
Debt term	5 years
Line of credit | Term Loan | Line of credit | LIBOR | LTG | Thompsons Limited
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Borrowings under all lines of credit			33,800,000
Quarterly payments on line of credit			600,000
Notes Payable to Syndicated Banks | 5-year term loan | LIBOR | LTG
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt term		5 years
Term loan amount		$ 250,000,000
Pay down on term loans			3,120,000
Notes Payable to Syndicated Banks | 7-year term loan | LIBOR | LTG
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt term		7 years
Term loan amount		$ 250,000,000
Pay down on term loans			$ 3,120,000