Document And Entity Information Statistical Measurement [Axis] Note To Financial Statement Details Textual Document Fiscal Period Focus EBP, Basis of Accounting [Policy Text Block] EBP, Note Receivable from Participant [Policy Text Block] Significant Accounting Policies Document Fiscal Year Focus Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements Schedule H, Line 4i Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements - Schedule of Assets at Fair Value (Details) Amendment Flag Schedule H, Line 4i - Schedule of Assets (Held at End of Year) 2 (Details) Schedule H, Line 4i - Schedule of Assets (Held at End of Year) 2 2 (Details) us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanAssetHeldForInvestmentPartyInInterest EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Party-in-Interest [true false] Notes To Financial Statements Notes To Financial Statements [Abstract] Minimum [Member] dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate Document Period End Date Statistical Measurement [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitIncreaseForContribution Total contributions Maximum [Member] Legal Entity [Axis] EBP, Schedule of Asset Held for Investment [Table] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantLoanMaturityDate EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Participant Loan, Maturity Date Notes receivable from participants EBP, Note Receivable from Participant dei_EntityTaxIdentificationNumber Entity Tax Identification Number EBP, Investment, Fair Value and NAV [Text Block] Entity [Domain] Interest income from notes receivable from participants EBP, Change in Net Asset Available for Benefit, Increase from Interest Income on Note Receivable from Participant Entity Central Index Key Net appreciation in fair value of investments dei_EntityRegistrantName Entity Registrant Name Entity Current Reporting Status EBP, Description of Plan [Text Block] EBP, Asset Held for Investment plow_PolicyTable EBP, Related Party and Party-in-Interest Transactions [Table] Current Fiscal Year End Date us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanTaxDeterminationLetterDate EBP, Tax Determination Letter, Date Participant Loans us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitIncrease Total additions Entity Shell Company Common Collective Trust [Member] Entity Emerging Growth Company Entity Small Business Investments [Domain] EBP, Employer, Common Stock [Member] Benefits paid to participants Accounting Policies [Abstract] Rollover EBP, Risk and Uncertainty [Table] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitIncreaseDecreaseForIncomeLossOnInvestment Net investment income Fully benefit-responsive investment contract, at contract value Valuation Approach and Technique [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanTaxQualificationStatusExtensibleEnumeration EBP, Tax Qualification Status [Extensible Enumeration] Valuation, Market Approach [Member] Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract] EBP, Tax Status [Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanForfeitedNonvestedAccountDecreaseForAdministrativeExpense EBP, Forfeited Nonvested Account, Decrease from Administrative Expense us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanForfeitedNonvestedAccount EBP, Forfeited Nonvested Account us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentValuationTechniqueExtensibleEnumeration EBP, Investment, Valuation Technique [Extensible Enumeration] Douglas Dynamics, Inc. Common Stock EBP 42-1623692 006 [Member] Relating to EBP 42-1623692 006. Equity Components [Axis] Participant-directed investments, at fair value Class of Stock [Axis] plow_EBPMinimumAgeBenefitsAreAvailable EBP, Minimum Age Benefits are Available Represents the minimum age benefits are available as part of an employee benefit plan (EBP). Equity Component [Domain] plow_EBPTerminationSinglePayoutThreshold EBP Termination, Single Payout Threshold Represents the balance threshold on a employee benefit plan's balance is paid out in a single payout or can be broken into multiple payouts. EBP 50 Percent Match [Member] Relating to 50% match of an employee benefit plan (EBP). Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] plow_EBPMinimumAgeBenefitsBecomeFullyAvailable EBP, Minimum Age Benefits Become Fully Available The minimum age benefits become full available in an employee benefit plan (EBP). Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] EBP, 100 Percent Match [Member] Relating to 100% match of an employee benefit plan (EBP). Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Schedule of Assets [Text Block] The entire disclosure for schedule of assets. us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitIncreaseDecrease NET INCREASE IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS DEDUCTIONS FROM NET ASSETS ATTRIBUTED TO Goldman Sachs [Member] Relating to Goldman Sachs. ADDITIONS TO NET ASSETS Invesco [Member] Relating to Invesco. Dodge and Cox Funds [Member] Relating to Dodge and Cox Funds. Fidelity Investments [Member] Relating to Fidelity Investments. Wells Fargo [Member] Relating to Wells Fargo. us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantLoanInterestRate EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Participant Loan, Interest Rate American Funds [Member] Relating to American Funds. Douglas Dynamics, Inc. Common Stock [Member] Relating to Douglas Dynamics, Inc. Common Stock. Contributions: Scenario [Axis] Principal Life Insurance Company [Member] Relating to Principal Life Insurance Company. Scenario [Domain] Great Gray Trust Company [Member] Relating to Great Gray Trust Company. Investment income: Hand Benefits & Trust Company [Member] Relating to Hand Benefits & Trust Company. T. Rowe Price Funds [Member] Relating to T. Rowe Price Funds. Interest and dividends Vanguard Group [Member] Relating to Vanguard Group. Total assets at fair value us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentExcludingPlanInterestInMasterTrustFairValue EBP, Investment, Excluding Plan Interest in Master Trust, Fair Value Company Administrative expenses Investment, Identifier [Axis] EBP, Accounting Policy [Table] EBP, Description of Plan [Table] Statement [Table] EBP, Tax Status [Table] Fair Value Hierarchy and NAV [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanPlanNumber EBP, Plan Number EBP, Risk and Uncertainty [Text Block] Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanFullyBenefitResponsiveInvestmentContractLimitationOnTransactingAtContractValueNotProbable EBP, Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contract, Limitation on Transacting at Contract Value, Not Probable [true false] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanFullyBenefitResponsiveInvestmentContractDescription EBP, Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contract, Description EBP, Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contract [Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantContributionAutomaticDeferralRate EBP, Automatic Enrollment, Starting Percentage Per Employee Investment Type [Axis] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentNumberOfSharesPurchased EBP, Investment, Purchased, Number of Shares us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanEmployerContributionMatchingPercentage EBP, Employer Contribution, Matching Percentage Mutual Fund [Member] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentNumberOfShares EBP, Investment, Number of Shares EBP, Schedule of Asset Held for Investment [Text Block] EBP, Use of Estimate [Policy Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNoteReceivableFromParticipantAccountMaximumBorrowingAmount EBP, Note Receivable from Participant, Account, Maximum Borrowing, Amount plow_EBPContributionVestingPercentage EBP, Contribution Vesting Percentage Represents the contribution vesting percentage of an employee benefit plan (EBP). plow_EBPMaximumAgeRequiredForAccountsToBeMaintained EBP, Maximum Age Required for Accounts to be Maintained Represents the maximum age required for accounts to be maintained for an employee benefit plan (EBP). plow_EBPMinimumAgeOfParticipantRequiredToMakeCatchUpContributions EBP, Minimum Age of Participant Required to Make Catch Up Contributions Represents the minimum age of participants required to make catch up contributions to an employee benefit plan (EBP). us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNoteReceivableFromParticipantAccountMinimumBorrowingAmount EBP, Note Receivable from Participant, Account, Minimum Borrowing, Amount EBP, Expense [Policy Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantContributionPretaxMaximumAnnualCompensationToTotalCompensationPercentage EBP, Participant Contribution, Pretax, Maximum Annual Compensation to Total Compensation, Percentage EBP, Subsequent Event [Policy Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentIssuerNameExtensibleEnumeration EBP, Investment, Issuer Name [Extensible Enumeration] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentNumberOfSharesSold EBP, Investment, Sold, Number of Shares dei_DocumentType Document Type EBP, Summary of Accounting Policy [Text Block] Participant Loans, cost Document Information [Line Items] EBP, Investment [Policy Text Block] Contributions receivable Document Information [Table] Entity Interactive Data Current Statement [Line Items] Fair Value Hierarchy and NAV [Axis] EBP, Payment to Participant [Policy Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNoteReceivableFromParticipantAccountMaximumBorrowingToTotalAccountPercentage EBP, Note Receivable from Participant, Account, Maximum Borrowing, to Total Account, Percentage us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanEmployerContributionParticipantCompensationMatchedPercentage EBP, Employer Contribution, Participant Compensation Matched, Percentage Investment, Issuer Name [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanTaxDeterminationLetterObtained EBP, Tax Determination Letter, Obtained [true false] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitDecrease Total deductions EBP, Related Party and Party-in-Interest Transactions [Text Block] ASSETS us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNetAssetAvailableForBenefit NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS Beginning of year End of year EBP, Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contract [Table] EBP, Investment, Fair Value and NAV [Table Text Block] us-gaap_PolicyTextBlockAbstract Accounting Policies Participants EBP, Investment, Fair Value and NAV [Table] us-gaap_DisclosureTextBlockAbstract Notes to Financial Statements Retirement Plan Tax Status [Domain] us-gaap_TableTextBlock Notes Tables Qualified Plan [Member]