Period referring customer relationship maintained by some of the manufacturing and refining customers.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	kex_
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of single customers who account for more than 10 percent of segment revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	kex_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Refers to the number of top distributors of off-highway engines.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	kex_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of costal revenue from movement of products under term contracts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	kex_PercentageOfCoastalRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	kex_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of inland revenue from movement of products under term contracts.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	kex_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Validity period of contract with customers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	kex_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Relationship term maintained by entity with customers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	kex_ServicesSegmentsRelationshipYears
Namespace Prefix:	kex_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term of the guarantee or each group of financial instruments used to support performance by the company and its subsidiaries in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	kex_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) the guarantor could be required to make under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees before reduction for potential recoveries under recourse or collateralization provisions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 460
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124440162&loc=d3e12069-110248

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Period Type:	duration

- Details

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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
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- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Period Type:

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis=us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=kex_DistributionAndServicesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Contingencies and Commitments, Certain Significant Risks and Uncertainties (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) Distributor Customers	Dec. 31, 2020 Customers	Dec. 31, 2019 Customers
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Issued guaranties	$ 19,357,000
Maximum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Guarantor obligations, expiration period	2 years
Performance Bonds [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Issued guaranties	$ 7,302,000
Letters Of Credit [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Issued guaranties	$ 12,055,000
Marine Transportation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of inland revenue	65.00%
Marine Transportation [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Range of renewal options under term contracts	1 year
Marine Transportation [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Range of renewal options under term contracts	3 years
Marine Transportation [Member] \| Customers [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of costal revenue	80.00%
Customer relationship period	40 years
Number of single customers accounting more than 10% of segment revenue \| Customers	0	0	0
Distribution and Services [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of off-highway top distributors \| Distributor	5
Distribution and Services [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Services segment's relationship term	56 years
Distribution and Services [Member] \| Customers [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of single customers accounting more than 10% of segment revenue \| Customers	0	0	0