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Derivative Instruments
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Derivative Instruments
8.
Derivative Instruments
The Company is exposed to certain market risks relating to its ongoing business operations. Derivative instruments are utilized to manage the Company's commodity price risk. The Company enters into put and call option contracts related to the Company’s commodity price risk, which are based on the wholesale price of gasoline and the retail price of diesel fuel and settle on a monthly basis. These put and call option contracts, or fuel price derivative instruments, are designed to reduce the volatility of the Company’s cash flows associated with its fuel price-related earnings exposure in North America.
During the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company suspended purchases under its fuel derivatives program due to unusually low prices in the commodities market. Management will continue to monitor the fuel price market and evaluate its alternatives as it relates to this hedging program. For the fourth quarter of 2015, the Company holds fuel price sensitive derivative instruments to hedge approximately 40 percent of our anticipated U.S. fuel-price related earnings exposure. For the first quarter of 2016, the amount hedged declines to 20 percent. At this time, there are no hedges beyond the first quarter of 2016.
Beginning in April 2014, the Company initiated a partial foreign currency exchange hedging program. The Company used currency forward contracts to offset the foreign currency impact of balance sheet translation. Prior to the first quarter of 2015, the Company managed foreign currency exchange exposure on an intra-quarter basis. Beginning in the first quarter of 2015, the Company held foreign currency exchange contracts that were outstanding over the quarter-end period, sought to minimize foreign cash balances, and expanded the scope of its hedging program to include additional currencies. During the third quarter of 2015, the Company terminated this foreign currency hedging program.
Beginning in September of 2015, the Company initiated a new limited foreign currency exchange hedging program, entering into short-term foreign currency swaps to convert the foreign currency exposures of certain foreign currency denominated intercompany loans and investments to U.S. dollars.
The realized and unrealized gains or losses on the currency forward contracts and swaps are reported in earnings within the same unaudited condensed consolidated statement of income line as the impact of the foreign currency translation, net foreign currency gain (loss).
Accounting guidance requires companies to recognize all derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities at fair value in the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet. The Company’s fuel price derivative instruments and foreign currency instruments do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment, and therefore, no such hedging designation has been made.
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
For derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments, the gain or loss on the derivative is recognized in current earnings.
As of September 30, 2015, the Company had the following put and call option contracts related to the Company's commodity fuel price derivatives, which are not designated as hedging contracts and settle on a monthly basis: 
 
Aggregate
Notional
Amount
(gallons) (a)
Fuel price derivative instruments – unleaded fuel
 
Option contracts settling October 2015 – March 2016
7,769

Fuel price derivative instruments – diesel
 
Option contracts settling October 2015 – March 2016
3,848

Total fuel price derivative instruments
11,617

(a) 
The settlement of the put and call option contracts is based upon the New York Mercantile Exchange’s New York Harbor Reformulated Gasoline Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending and the U.S. Department of Energy’s weekly retail on-highway diesel fuel price for the month.
As of September 30, 2015, the Company had the following contracts related to its foreign currency swaps, which are not designated as hedging contracts and settle in U.S. dollars at various dates within 2 days: 
 
Aggregate
Notional
Amount

Australian dollar
A$
9,500

Euro
1,700

Pound sterling
£
17,000


The following table presents information on the location and amounts of derivative fair values in the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets:
 
 
Derivatives Classified as Assets
 
Derivatives Classified as Liabilities
 
 
September 30, 2015
 
December 31, 2014
 
September 30, 2015
 
December 31, 2014
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
 
Balance
Sheet
Location
 
Fair
Value
 
Balance
Sheet
Location
 
Fair
Value
 
Balance
Sheet
Location
 
Fair
Value
 
Balance
Sheet
Location
 
Fair
Value
Commodity contracts
 
Fuel price
derivatives,
at fair value
 
$
13,417

 
Fuel price
derivatives,
at fair value
 
$
40,969

 
Fuel price
derivatives,
at fair value
 
$

 
Fuel price
derivatives,
at fair value
 
$

Foreign currency swaps
 
Accounts receivable
 
$
15

 
Accounts receivable
 
$

 
Accounts payable
 
$
115

 
Accounts payable
 
$


The following table presents information on the location and amounts of derivative gains and losses in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income:
 
 
 
Amount of Gain or
(Loss) Recognized in
Income on  Derivative
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
Location of Gain or (Loss)
Recognized in
 
Three months ended September 30,
 
Nine months ended
 September 30,
Income on Derivative
 
2015
 
2014
 
2015
 
2014
Commodity contracts
Net realized and unrealized gain on fuel price derivative instruments
 
$
7,922

 
$
14,773

 
$
4,671

 
$
9,057

Foreign currency forward exchanges
Net foreign currency gain (loss)
 
$

 
$
8,177

 
21,967

 
$
6,893

Foreign currency swaps
Net foreign currency gain (loss)
 
$
(100
)
 
$

 
$
(100
)
 
$