ORGANIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT PRESENTATION (Organization) (Details) - Freight Transportation (ABF Freight)		9 Months Ended
	Nov. 03, 2013	Sep. 30, 2016
Organization and description of business
Percentage of the Company's revenues, before other revenues and intercompany eliminations, represented by ABF Freight		70.00%
Wage rate reduction under collective bargaining agreement upon implementation date (as a percent)	7.00%
Wage rate increase for next three years of collective bargaining agreement (as a percent)	2.00%
Wage rate increase in fifth year of collective bargaining agreement (as a percent)	2.50%
Reduction in compensated vacation under collective bargaining agreement	5 days
Approximate initial reduction in combined total contractual wage and benefit rate under collective bargaining agreement (as a percent)	4.00%
Estimated increase in compounded annual contractual wage and benefit contribution rates in second through fifth years (as a percent)		2.50%
Unionized employees concentration risk | Number of employees
Organization and description of business
Percentage of ABF Freight's employees covered under collective bargaining agreement with the IBT		77.00%