Contingencies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Contingencies Highway Products Litigation As previously reported, on September 2, 2011, the Company and the Texas A&M University System, as Plaintiffs, filed litigation in Virginia asserting claims of patent and trademark infringement against SPIG Industry, LLC, SPIG Industry, Inc., and Selco Construction Services, Inc. The litigation alleged that without authorization SPIG Industry, LLC and SPIG Industry, Inc. manufactured and sold, and Selco Construction Services, Inc. installed certain highway guardrail end terminal products that copied the Plaintiffs' ET-Plus System (“ET-Plus”). The ET-Plus is a patented, energy-absorbing, guardrail end terminal system designed by engineers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. The ET-Plus is manufactured under license, marketed and sold by Trinity Highway Products, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The ET-Plus is typically purchased by state Departments of Transportation and highway construction contractors for use along roadways and medians. The Company settled the infringement lawsuit on acceptable terms and thereafter proceeded with defamation and disparagement lawsuits in Texas and Georgia alleging that Joshua Harman, an officer in each of SPIG Industry, LLC, SPIG Industry, Inc., and Selco Construction Services, Inc. has made and continues to make egregiously false and misleading statements and claims about the ET-Plus and the Company. As previously reported, in a related matter, on January 28, 2013, the Company was advised that the United States filed a “Notice of Election to Decline Intervention” in a False Claims Act (Qui Tam) complaint filed under seal on March 6, 2012 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division styled JOSHUA HARMAN, on behalf of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PLAINTIFF/Relator (“Mr. Harman”) v. TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC., DEFENDANT, Case 2:12-cv-00089-JRG. Although the Company has not received service of process in this litigation, it has obtained a copy of the complaint. Mr. Harman alleges that the Company presented false or fraudulent claims, records or statements to the United States to obtain payment or approval, ostensibly related to the ET-Plus, and seeks damages equaling the cost to recall and replace all installations of the ET-Plus plus treble civil penalties, costs, and interest. The Company notes that since its introduction in 2000, including all improvement modifications thereafter, the ET-Plus has satisfied the testing criteria required by the governing National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350 and the product approval requirements of the Federal Highway Administration. The Company intends to vigorously defend against Mr. Harman's allegations which will likely result in certain legal expenses. We do not believe that a loss is probable nor can a range of losses be determined. Accordingly, no accrual or range of loss has been included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Railworthiness Directive As previously reported, in 2011 the Company received the approval of the Federal Railroad Administration to implement a voluntary recertification of 948 tank cars owned or managed by the Company’s wholly-owned, railcar leasing subsidiary and used in transporting poison inhalation hazard (“PIH”) materials. The recertification process, having been completed for over half of the tank cars as of March 31, 2013, is progressing and being performed in conjunction with the normal three to five year, federally mandated inspection cycle for tank cars in PIH service. Maintenance costs associated with this recertification process are expensed as incurred. The additional costs estimated to be incurred for compliance with the directive are not expected to be significant. Other Matters As previously reported, Trinity Structural Towers, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is in litigation with a structural wind towers customer for the customer’s breach of a long-term supply contract for the manufacture of towers. While the customer partially performed the contract, it ultimately defaulted on its purchase obligation and did not remedy such default following written notice. Discovery in this litigation is continuing. The Company is involved in claims and lawsuits incidental to our business arising from various matters including product warranty, personal injury, environmental issues, workplace laws, and various governmental regulations. The Company evaluates its exposure to such claims and suits periodically and establishes accruals for these contingencies when a range of loss can be reasonably estimated. The range of reasonably possible losses for such matters, taking into consideration our rights in indemnity and recourse to third parties is $3.9 million to $32.8 million. Total accruals of $18.3 million, including environmental and workplace matters described below, are included in accrued liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The Company believes any additional liability would not be material to its financial position or results of operations. Trinity is subject to remedial orders and Federal, state, local, and foreign laws and regulations relating to the environment and the workplace. The Company has reserved $6.8 million to cover our probable and estimable liabilities with respect to the investigations, assessments, and remedial responses to such matters, taking into account currently available information and our contractual rights to indemnification and recourse to third parties. However, estimates of liability arising from future proceedings, assessments, or remediation are inherently imprecise. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will not become involved in future litigation or other proceedings involving the environment and the workplace or, if we are found to be responsible or liable in any such litigation or proceeding, that such costs would not be material to the Company. We believe that we are currently in substantial compliance with environmental and workplace laws and regulations.

Contingencies

Highway Products Litigation

As previously reported, on September 2, 2011, the Company and the Texas A&M University System, as Plaintiffs, filed litigation in Virginia asserting claims of patent and trademark infringement against SPIG Industry, LLC, SPIG Industry, Inc., and Selco Construction Services, Inc. The litigation alleged that without authorization SPIG Industry, LLC and SPIG Industry, Inc. manufactured and sold, and Selco Construction Services, Inc. installed certain highway guardrail end terminal products that copied the Plaintiffs' ET-Plus System (“ET-Plus”). The ET-Plus is a patented, energy-absorbing, guardrail end terminal system designed by engineers at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. The ET-Plus is manufactured under license, marketed and sold by Trinity Highway Products, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The ET-Plus is typically purchased by state Departments of Transportation and highway construction contractors for use along roadways and medians. The Company settled the infringement lawsuit on acceptable terms and thereafter proceeded with defamation and disparagement lawsuits in Texas and Georgia alleging that Joshua Harman, an officer in each of SPIG Industry, LLC, SPIG Industry, Inc., and Selco Construction Services, Inc. has made and continues to make egregiously false and misleading statements and claims about the ET-Plus and the Company.

As previously reported, in a related matter, on January 28, 2013, the Company was advised that the United States filed a “Notice of Election to Decline Intervention” in a False Claims Act (Qui Tam) complaint filed under seal on March 6, 2012 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division styled JOSHUA HARMAN, on behalf of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, PLAINTIFF/Relator (“Mr. Harman”) v. TRINITY INDUSTRIES, INC., DEFENDANT, Case 2:12-cv-00089-JRG. Although the Company has not received service of process in this litigation, it has obtained a copy of the complaint. Mr. Harman alleges that the Company presented false or fraudulent claims, records or statements to the United States to obtain payment or approval, ostensibly related to the ET-Plus, and seeks damages equaling the cost to recall and replace all installations of the ET-Plus plus treble civil penalties, costs, and interest. The Company notes that since its introduction in 2000, including all improvement modifications thereafter, the ET-Plus has satisfied the testing criteria required by the governing National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350 and the product approval requirements of the Federal Highway Administration. The Company intends to vigorously defend against Mr. Harman's allegations which will likely result in certain legal expenses. We do not believe that a loss is probable nor can a range of losses be determined. Accordingly, no accrual or range of loss has been included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Railworthiness Directive

As previously reported, in 2011 the Company received the approval of the Federal Railroad Administration to implement a voluntary recertification of 948 tank cars owned or managed by the Company’s wholly-owned, railcar leasing subsidiary and used in transporting poison inhalation hazard (“PIH”) materials. The recertification process, having been completed for over half of the tank cars as of March 31, 2013, is progressing and being performed in conjunction with the normal three to five year, federally mandated inspection cycle for tank cars in PIH service. Maintenance costs associated with this recertification process are expensed as incurred. The additional costs estimated to be incurred for compliance with the directive are not expected to be significant.

Other Matters

As previously reported, Trinity Structural Towers, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, is in litigation with a structural wind towers customer for the customer’s breach of a long-term supply contract for the manufacture of towers. While the customer partially performed the contract, it ultimately defaulted on its purchase obligation and did not remedy such default following written notice. Discovery in this litigation is continuing.

The Company is involved in claims and lawsuits incidental to our business arising from various matters including product warranty, personal injury, environmental issues, workplace laws, and various governmental regulations. The Company evaluates its exposure to such claims and suits periodically and establishes accruals for these contingencies when a range of loss can be reasonably estimated. The range of reasonably possible losses for such matters, taking into consideration our rights in indemnity and recourse to third parties is $3.9 million to $32.8 million. Total accruals of $18.3 million, including environmental and workplace matters described below, are included in accrued liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The Company believes any additional liability would not be material to its financial position or results of operations.

Trinity is subject to remedial orders and Federal, state, local, and foreign laws and regulations relating to the environment and the workplace. The Company has reserved $6.8 million to cover our probable and estimable liabilities with respect to the investigations, assessments, and remedial responses to such matters, taking into account currently available information and our contractual rights to indemnification and recourse to third parties. However, estimates of liability arising from future proceedings, assessments, or remediation are inherently imprecise. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will not become involved in future litigation or other proceedings involving the environment and the workplace or, if we are found to be responsible or liable in any such litigation or proceeding, that such costs would not be material to the Company. We believe that we are currently in substantial compliance with environmental and workplace laws and regulations.