Caterpillar (CAT) 10-K 17 Feb 15 2014 FY Annual report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Billions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014
Document And Entity Information1
Entity Registrant Name	CATERPILLAR INC
Entity Central Index Key	18230
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	31-Dec-14
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float		$68.10
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	606,166,559
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2014
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY

Consolidated_Results_of_Operat

Consolidated Results of Operations (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Sales and revenues:
Sales of Machinery, Energy & Transportation	$52,142		$52,694		$63,068
Revenues of Financial Products	3,042		2,962		2,807
Total sales and revenues	55,184		55,656		65,875
Operating costs:
Cost of goods sold	39,767		40,727		47,055
Selling, general and administrative expenses	5,697		5,547		5,919
Research and development expenses	2,135		2,046		2,466
Interest expense of Financial Products	624		727		797
Goodwill impairment charge	0		0		580
Other operating (income) expenses	1,633		981		485
Total operating costs	49,856		50,028		57,302
Operating profit	5,328		5,628		8,573
Interest expense excluding Financial Products	484		465		467
Other income (expense)	239		-35		130
Consolidated profit before taxes	5,083		5,128		8,236
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	1,380		1,319		2,528
Profit of consolidated companies	3,703		3,809		5,708
Equity in profit (loss) of unconsolidated affiliated companies	8		-6		14
Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies	3,711		3,803		5,722
Less: Profit (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	16		14		41
Profit	$3,695	[1]	$3,789	[1]	$5,681	[1]
Profit per common share (in dollars per share)	$5.99		$5.87		$8.71
Profit per common share - diluted (in dollars per share)	$5.88	[2]	$5.75	[2]	$8.48	[2]
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (millions)
Basic (in shares)	617.2		645.2		652.6
Diluted (in shares)	628.9	[2]	658.6	[2]	669.6	[2]
Cash dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)	$2.70		$2.32		$2.02
[1]	1 Profit attributable to common stockholders.
[2]	2 Diluted by assumed exercise of stock-based compensation awards, using the treasury stock method.

Consolidated_Comprehensive_Inc

Consolidated Comprehensive Income (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies	$3,711	$3,803	$5,722
Other comprehensive income (loss), Net of Tax:
Foreign currency translation, net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $(78); 2013 - $57; 2012 - $9	-1,164	-277	60
Pension and other postretirement benefits:
Current year actuarial gain (loss), net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $838; 2013 - $(1,232); 2012 - $372	-1,578	2,277	-731
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss, net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $(175); 2013 - $(265); 2012 - $(243)	344	516	458
Current year prior service credit (cost), net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $(2); 2013 - $(2); 2012 - $(12)	4	3	23
Amortization of prior service (credit) cost, net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $13; 2013 - $19; 2012 - $17	-25	-35	-31
Amortization of transition (asset) obligation, net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $0; 2013 - $(1); 2012 - $(1)	0	1	1
Derivative financial instruments:
Gains (losses) deferred, net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $69; 2013 - $2; 2012 - $29	-118	-4	-48
(Gains) losses reclassified to earnings, net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $(2); 2013 - $(25); 2012 - $(10)	4	41	16
Available-for-sale securities:
Gains (losses) deferred, net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $(12); 2013 - $(15); 2012 - $(13)	24	29	26
(Gains) losses reclassified to earnings, net of tax (provision)/benefit of: 2014 - $11; 2013 - $6; 2012 - $1	-24	-13	-3
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	-2,533	2,538	-229
Comprehensive income	1,178	6,341	5,493
Less: comprehensive income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	-16	-17	-24
Comprehensive income attributable to stockholders	$1,162	$6,324	$5,469

Consolidated_Comprehensive_Inc1

Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) (Parentheticals) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Foreign currency translation, tax (provision)/benefit	($78)	$57	$9
Current year actuarial gain (loss), tax (provision)/benefit	838	-1,232	372
Amortization of actuarial (gain) loss, tax (provision)/benefit	-175	-265	-243
Current year prior service credit (cost), tax (provision)/benefit	-2	-2	-12
Amortization of prior service (credit) cost, tax (provision)/benefit	13	19	17
Amortization of transition (asset) obligation, tax (provision)/benefit	0	-1	-1
Derivative financial instruments, Gains (losses) deferred, tax (provision)/benefit	69	2	29
Derivative financial instruments, (Gains) losses reclassified to earnings, tax (provision)/benefit	-2	-25	-10
Available-for-sale securities, Gains (losses) deferred, tax (provision)/benefit	-12	-15	-13
Available-for-sale securities, (Gains) losses reclassified to earnings, tax (provision)/benefit	$11	$6	$1

Consolidated_Financial_Positio

Consolidated Financial Position (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash and short-term investments	$7,341	$6,081	$5,490
Receivables - trade and other	7,737	8,413	9,706
Receivables - finance	9,027	8,763	8,860
Deferred and refundable income taxes	1,739	1,553	1,547
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	818	900	988
Inventories	12,205	12,625	15,547
Total current assets	38,867	38,335	42,138
Property, plant and equipment - net	16,577	17,075	16,461
Long-term receivables - trade and other	1,364	1,397	1,316
Long-term receivables - finance	14,644	14,926	14,029
Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies	257	272	272
Noncurrent deferred and refundable income taxes	1,404	594	2,011
Intangible assets	3,076	3,596	4,016
Goodwill	6,694	6,956	6,942
Other assets	1,798	1,745	1,785
Total assets	84,681	84,896	88,970
Short-term borrowings:
Machinery, Energy & Transportation	9	16	636
Financial Products	4,699	3,663	4,651
Accounts payable	6,515	6,560	6,753
Accrued expenses	3,548	3,493	3,667
Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits	2,438	1,622	1,911
Customer advances	1,697	2,360	2,638
Dividends payable	424	382	0
Other current liabilities	1,754	1,849	2,055
Long-term debt due within one year:
Machinery, Energy & Transportation	510	760	1,113
Financial Products	6,283	6,592	5,991
Total current liabilities	27,877	27,297	29,415
Long-term debt due after one year:
Machinery, Energy & Transportation	9,493	7,999	8,666
Financial Products	18,291	18,720	19,086
Liability for postemployment benefits	8,963	6,973	11,085
Other liabilities	3,231	3,029	3,136
Total liabilities	67,855	64,018	71,388
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 21 and 22)
Stockholders' equity
Common stock of $1.00 par value: Authorized shares: 2,000,000,000 Issued shares: (2014, 2013 and 2012 – 814,894,624 shares) at paid-in amount	5,016	4,709	4,481
Treasury stock: (2014 – 208,728,065 shares; 2013 – 177,072,282 shares; and 2012 – 159,846,131 shares) at cost	-15,726	-11,854	-10,074
Profit employed in the business	33,887	31,854	29,558
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	-6,431	-3,898	-6,433
Noncontrolling interests	80	67	50
Total stockholders' equity	16,826	20,878	17,582
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$84,681	$84,896	$88,970

Consolidated_Financial_Positio1

Consolidated Financial Position (Parenthetical) (Parentheticals) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Common Stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$1	$1	$1
Common Stock, Authorized shares	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000	2,000,000,000
Common Stock, Issued shares	814,894,624	814,894,624	814,894,624
Treasury Stock, shares	208,728,065	177,072,282	159,846,131

Changes_in_Consolidated_Stockh

Changes in Consolidated Stockholders' Equity (USD $)		Total	Common Stock	Treasury stock	Profit employed in the business	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	Noncontrolling interests
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Balance at Dec. 31, 2011		$12,929	$4,273	($10,281)	$25,219	($6,328)	$46
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies		5,722	0	0	5,681	0	41
Foreign currency translation, net of tax		60	0	0	0	83	-23
Pension and other postretirement benefits, net of tax		-280	0	0	0	-285	5
Derivative financial instruments, net of tax		-32	0	0	0	-32	0
Available-for-sale securities, net of tax		23	0	0	0	22	1
Change in ownership from noncontrolling interests		-4	0	0	0	0	-4
Dividends declared		-1,319	0	0	-1,319	0	0
Distribution to noncontrolling interests		-6	0	0	0	0	-6
Common shares issued from treasury stock for stock-based compensation: 10,106,542, 6,258,692 and 7,515,149 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively		52	-155	207	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense		245	245	0	0	0	0
Net excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation		192	192	0	0	0	0
Cat Japan share redemption	[1]	0	-74	0	-23	107	-10
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012		17,582	4,481	-10,074	29,558	-6,433	50
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies		3,803	0	0	3,789	0	14
Foreign currency translation, net of tax		-277	0	0	0	-280	3
Pension and other postretirement benefits, net of tax		2,762	0	0	0	2,762	0
Derivative financial instruments, net of tax		37	0	0	0	37	0
Available-for-sale securities, net of tax		16	0	0	0	16	0
Change in ownership from noncontrolling interests		7	-6	0	0	0	13
Dividends declared		-1,493	0	0	-1,493	0	0
Distribution to noncontrolling interests		-13	0	0	0	0	-13
Common shares issued from treasury stock for stock-based compensation: 10,106,542, 6,258,692 and 7,515,149 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively		128	-92	220	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense		231	231	0	0	0	0
Net excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation		95	95	0	0	0	0
Common shares repurchased: 41,762,325 and 23,484,843 shares for years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively	[2]	-2,000	0	-2,000	0	0	0
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013		20,878	4,709	-11,854	31,854	-3,898	67
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies		3,711	0	0	3,695	0	16
Foreign currency translation, net of tax		-1,164	0	0	0	-1,164	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits, net of tax		-1,255	0	0	0	-1,255	0
Derivative financial instruments, net of tax		-114	0	0	0	-114	0
Available-for-sale securities, net of tax		0	0	0	0	0	0
Change in ownership from noncontrolling interests		4	0	0	0	0	4
Dividends declared		-1,662	0	0	-1,662	0	0
Distribution to noncontrolling interests		-7	0	0	0	0	-7
Common shares issued from treasury stock for stock-based compensation: 10,106,542, 6,258,692 and 7,515,149 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively		239	-127	366	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense		254	254	0	0	0	0
Net excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation		180	180	0	0	0	0
Common shares repurchased: 41,762,325 and 23,484,843 shares for years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively	[2]	-4,238	0	-4,238	0	0	0
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014		$16,826	$5,016	($15,726)	$33,887	($6,431)	$80
[1]	1 See Note 25 regarding the Cat Japan share redemption.
[2]	2 See Note 16 regarding shares repurchased.

Changes_in_Consolidated_Stockh1

Changes in Consolidated Stockholders' Equity (Parenthetical) (Parentheticals)	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Common shares issued from treasury stock for stock-based compensation (in shares)					10,106,542	6,258,692	7,515,149
Common shares repurchased (in shares)	23,651,590	18,110,735	11,942,737	11,542,106	41,762,325	23,484,843	0

Consolidated_Statement_of_Cash

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)
Cash flow from operating activities:
Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies	$3,711	$3,803	$5,722
Adjustments for non-cash items:
Depreciation and amortization	3,163	3,087	2,813
Net (gain)/loss from sale of businesses and investments	4	-68	-630
Goodwill impairment charge	0	0	580
Other	549	550	439
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and divestitures:
Receivables - trade and other	163	835	-15
Inventories	101	2,658	-1,149
Accounts payable	222	134	-1,868
Accrued expenses	-10	-108	126
Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits	901	-279	-490
Customer advances	-593	-301	83
Other assets - net	-300	-49	252
Other liabilities - net	146	-71	-679
Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities	8,057	10,191	5,184
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures - excluding equipment leased to others	-1,539	-2,522	-3,350
Expenditures for equipment leased to others	-1,840	-1,924	-1,726
Proceeds from disposals of leased assets and property, plant and equipment	904	844	1,117
Additions to finance receivables	-11,278	-11,422	-12,010
Collections of finance receivables	9,841	9,567	8,995
Proceeds from sale of finance receivables	177	220	132
Investments and acquisitions (net of cash acquired)	-30	-195	-618
Proceeds from sale of businesses and investments (net of cash sold)	199	365	1,199
Proceeds from sale of securities	810	449	306
Investments in securities	-825	-402	-402
Other - net	-46	-26	167
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities	-3,627	-5,046	-6,190
Cash flow from financing activities:
Dividends paid	-1,620	-1,111	-1,617
Distribution to noncontrolling interests	-7	-13	-6
Contribution from noncontrolling interests	4	0	0
Common stock issued, including treasury shares reissued	239	128	52
Treasury shares purchased	-4,238	-2,000	0
Excess tax benefit from stock-based compensation	182	96	192
Acquisitions of redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0	-444
Acquisitions of noncontrolling interests	0	0	-5
Proceeds from debt issued (original maturities greater than three months):
Machinery, Energy & Transportation	1,994	195	2,209
Financial Products	8,655	9,133	13,806
Payments on debt (original maturities greater than three months):
Machinery, Energy & Transportation	-785	-1,769	-1,107
Financial Products	-8,463	-9,101	-9,940
Short-term borrowings - net (original maturities three months or less)	1,043	-69	466
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	-2,996	-4,511	3,606
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	-174	-43	-167
Increase (decrease) in cash and short-term investments	1,260	591	2,433
Cash and short-term investments at beginning of period	6,081	5,490	3,057
Cash and short-term investments at end of period	7,341	6,081	5,490
Non-cash activities:
Debt exchange original debentures amount			1,325
Debt exchange new debentures amount			1,722
Debt exchange new debentures interest rate (as a percent)			3.80%
Debt exchange new debentures due date (year)			2042
Debt exchange cash paid			$179

Operations_and_summary_of_sign

Operations and summary of significant accounting policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Operations and summary of significant accounting policies	Operations and summary of significant accounting policies
	A.	Nature of operations
	Information in our financial statements and related commentary are presented in the following categories:
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation – Represents the aggregate total of Construction Industries, Resource Industries, Energy & Transportation and All Other operating segments and related corporate items and eliminations.
	Financial Products – Primarily includes the company’s Financial Products Segment.  This category includes Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (Cat Financial), Caterpillar Financial Insurance Services (Insurance Services) and their respective subsidiaries.
	Our products are sold primarily under the brands “Caterpillar,” “CAT,” design versions of “CAT” and “Caterpillar,” “Electro-Motive,” “FG Wilson,” “MaK,” “MWM,” “Perkins,” “Progress Rail,” “SEM” and “Solar Turbines”.
	We conduct operations in our Machinery, Energy & Transportation lines of business under highly competitive conditions, including intense price competition. We place great emphasis on the high quality and performance of our products and our dealers’ service support. Although no one competitor is believed to produce all of the same types of equipment that we do, there are numerous companies, large and small, which compete with us in the sale of each of our products.
	Our machines are distributed principally through a worldwide organization of dealers (dealer network), 48 located in the United States and 129 located outside the United States, serving 182 countries and operating 3,580 places of business, including 1,267 dealer rental outlets.  Reciprocating engines are sold principally through the dealer network and to other manufacturers for use in products. Some of the reciprocating engines manufactured by our subsidiary Perkins Engines Company Limited, are also sold through a worldwide network of 103 distributors located in 182 countries. Some of the electric power generation systems manufactured by our subsidiary Caterpillar Northern Ireland Limited, formerly known as F.G. Wilson Engineering Limited, are sold through its worldwide network of 264 distributors located in 145 countries.  Some of the large, medium speed reciprocating engines are also sold under the MaK brand through a worldwide network of 19 distributors located in 130 countries.  Our dealers do not deal exclusively with our products; however, in most cases sales and servicing of our products are the dealers’ principal business. Some products, primarily turbines and locomotives, are sold directly to end customers through sales forces employed by the company. At times, these employees are assisted by independent sales representatives.
	The Financial Products line of business also conducts operations under highly competitive conditions. Financing for users of Caterpillar products is available through a variety of competitive sources, principally commercial banks and finance and leasing companies. We emphasize prompt and responsive service to meet customer requirements, and offer various financing plans designed to increase the opportunity for sales of our products and generate financing income for our company. A significant portion of Financial Products activity is conducted in North America, with additional offices in Asia/Pacific, Europe and Latin America.
	B.	Basis of presentation
	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries where we have a controlling financial interest.
	Investments in companies where our ownership exceeds 20 percent and we do not have a controlling interest or where the ownership is less than 20 percent and for which we have a significant influence are accounted for by the equity method.  See Note 9 for further discussion.
	We consolidate all variable interest entities (VIEs) where Caterpillar Inc. is the primary beneficiary.  For VIEs, we assess whether we are the primary beneficiary as prescribed by the accounting guidance on the consolidation of VIEs.  The primary beneficiary of a VIE is the party that has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. See Note 21 for further discussion on a consolidated VIE.
	We have affiliates, suppliers and dealers that are VIEs of which we are not the primary beneficiary. Although we have provided financial support, we do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity's economic performance. Our maximum exposure to loss from VIEs for which we are not the primary beneficiary was as follows:
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014		2013		2012
	Receivables - trade and other		$	36	$	21	$	23
	Receivables - finance		216		185		122
	Long-term receivables - finance		285		334		353
	Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies		83		89		93
	Guarantees		129		151		176
	Total		$	749	$	780	$	767
	Shipping and handling costs are included in Cost of goods sold in Statement 1.  Other operating (income) expenses primarily include Cat Financial’s depreciation of equipment leased to others, Insurance Services’ underwriting expenses, gains (losses) on disposal of long-lived assets and business divestitures, long-lived asset impairment charges, legal settlements, employee separation charges and benefit plan curtailment, settlement and contractual termination benefits.
	Prepaid expenses and other current assets in Statement 3 include prepaid rent, prepaid insurance, assets held for sale, core to be returned for remanufacturing, restricted cash and other short-term investments, and other prepaid items.
	Certain amounts for prior years have been reclassified to conform with the current-year financial statement presentation.
	C.	Sales and revenue recognition
	Sales of Machinery, Energy & Transportation are recognized and earned when all the following criteria are satisfied:  (a) persuasive evidence of a sales arrangement exists; (b) price is fixed and determinable; (c) collectibility is reasonably assured; and (d) delivery has occurred.  Persuasive evidence of an arrangement and a fixed or determinable price exist once we receive an order or contract from a customer or independently owned and operated dealer.  We assess collectibility at the time of the sale and if collectibility is not reasonably assured, the sale is deferred and not recognized until collectibility is probable or payment is received.  Typically, where product is produced and sold in the same country, title and risk of ownership transfer when the product is shipped.  Products that are exported from a country for sale typically pass title and risk of ownership at the border of the destination country.
	Sales of certain turbine machinery units, draglines, large shovels and long wall roof supports are recognized under accounting for construction-type contracts, primarily using the percentage-of-completion method.  Revenue is recognized based upon progress towards completion, which is estimated and continually updated over the course of construction.  We provide for any loss that we expect to incur on these contracts when that loss is probable.
	Our remanufacturing operations are primarily focused on the remanufacture of Cat engines and components and rail related products.  In this business, used engines and related components (core) are inspected, cleaned and remanufactured.  In connection with the sale of most of our remanufactured product, we collect a deposit from the dealer that is repaid if the dealer returns an acceptable core within a specified time period.  Caterpillar owns and has title to the cores when they are returned from dealers.  The rebuilt engine or component (the core plus any new content) is then sold as a remanufactured product to dealers and customers.  Revenue is recognized pursuant to the same criteria as Machinery, Energy & Transportation sales noted above (title to the entire remanufactured product passes to the dealer upon sale).  At the time of sale, the deposit is recognized in Other current liabilities in Statement 3.  In addition, the core to be returned is recognized as an asset in Prepaid expenses and other current assets in Statement 3 at the estimated replacement cost (based on historical experience with useable cores).  Upon receipt of an acceptable core, we repay the deposit and relieve the liability.  The returned core is then included in inventory.  In the event that the deposit is forfeited (i.e. upon failure by the dealer to return an acceptable core in the specified time period), we recognize the core deposit and the cost of the core in Sales and Cost of goods sold, respectively.
	No right of return exists on sales of equipment.  Replacement part returns are estimable and accrued at the time a sale is recognized.
	We provide discounts to dealers through merchandising programs.  We have numerous programs that are designed to promote the sale of our products.  The most common dealer programs provide a discount when the dealer sells a product to a targeted end user.  The cost of these discounts is estimated based on historical experience and known changes in merchandising programs and is reported as a reduction to sales when the product sale is recognized.
	Our standard dealer invoice terms are established by marketing region. Our invoice terms for end-user customer sales are established by the responsible business unit. When a sale is made to a dealer, the dealer is responsible for payment even if the product is not sold to an end customer. Dealers and customers must make payment within the established invoice terms to avoid potential interest costs. Interest at or above prevailing market rates may be charged on any past due balance, and generally our practice is to not forgive this interest. In 2014 and 2013, terms were extended to not more than one year for $624 million and $706 million of receivables, respectively, which represent approximately 1 percent of consolidated sales. In 2012, terms were extended to not more than one year for $354 million of receivables, which represent less than 1 percent of consolidated sales.
	We establish a bad debt allowance for Machinery, Energy & Transportation receivables when it becomes probable that the receivable will not be collected.  Our allowance for bad debts is not significant.
	Revenues of Financial Products primarily represent the following Cat Financial revenues:
	•	Retail finance revenue on finance leases and installment sale contracts is recognized over the term of the contract at a constant rate of return on the scheduled outstanding principal balance.  Revenue on retail notes is recognized based on the daily balance of retail receivables outstanding and the applicable effective interest rate.
	•	Operating lease revenue is recorded on a straight-line basis in the period earned over the life of the contract.
	•	Cat Financial provides wholesale inventory financing to dealers. Wholesale finance revenue on finance leases and installment sale contracts related to financing dealer inventory and rental fleets is recognized over the term of the contract at a constant rate of return on the scheduled outstanding principal balance.  Revenue on wholesale notes is recognized based on the daily balance of wholesale receivables outstanding and the applicable effective interest rate.
	•	Loan origination and commitment fees are deferred and amortized to revenue using the interest method over the life of the finance receivables.
	Recognition of income is suspended and the loan or finance lease is placed on non-accrual status when management determines that collection of future income is not probable (generally after 120 days past due except in locations where local regulatory requirements dictate a different method, or instances in which relevant information is known that warrants placing the loan or finance lease on non-accrual status). Accrual is resumed, and previously suspended income is recognized, when the loan or finance lease becomes contractually current and/or collection doubts are removed. See Note 6 for more information.
	Sales and revenues are presented net of sales and other related taxes.
	D.	Inventories
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is principally determined using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method. The value of inventories on the LIFO basis represented about 60 percent of total inventories at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	If the FIFO (first-in, first-out) method had been in use, inventories would have been $2,430 million, $2,504 million and $2,750 million higher than reported at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	E.	Depreciation and amortization
	Depreciation of plant and equipment is computed principally using accelerated methods. Depreciation on equipment leased to others, primarily for Financial Products, is computed using the straight-line method over the term of the lease. The depreciable basis is the original cost of the equipment less the estimated residual value of the equipment at the end of the lease term. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, Cat Financial depreciation on equipment leased to others was $872 million, $768 million and $688 million, respectively, and was included in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, consolidated depreciation expense was $2,795 million, $2,710 million and $2,421 million, respectively. Amortization of purchased finite-lived intangibles is computed principally using the straight-line method, generally not to exceed a period of 20 years.
	F.	Foreign currency translation
	The functional currency for most of our Machinery, Energy & Transportation consolidated companies is the U.S. dollar. The functional currency for most of our Financial Products and affiliates accounted for under the equity method is the respective local currency.  Gains and losses resulting from the remeasurement of foreign currency amounts to the functional currency are included in Other income (expense) in Statement 1. Gains and losses resulting from translating assets and liabilities from the functional currency to U.S. dollars are included in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in Statement 3.
	G.	Derivative financial instruments
	Our earnings and cash flow are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices.  Our Risk Management Policy (policy) allows for the use of derivative financial instruments to prudently manage foreign currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price exposures. Our policy specifies that derivatives are not to be used for speculative purposes. Derivatives that we use are primarily foreign currency forward, option, and cross currency contracts, interest rate swaps, and commodity forward and option contracts. All derivatives are recorded at fair value.  See Note 3 for more information.
	H.	Income taxes
	The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach taking into account guidance related to uncertain tax positions.  Tax laws require items to be included in tax filings at different times than the items are reflected in the financial statements.  A current liability is recognized for the estimated taxes payable for the current year.  Deferred taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid.  Deferred taxes are adjusted for enacted changes in tax rates and tax laws.  Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.
	I.	Goodwill
	For acquisitions accounted for as a business combination, goodwill represents the excess of the cost over the fair value of the net assets acquired.  We are required to test goodwill for impairment, at the reporting unit level, annually and when events or circumstances indicate the fair value of a reporting unit may be below its carrying value.  A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment (referred to as a component) to which goodwill is assigned when initially recorded. We assign goodwill to reporting units based on our integration plans and the expected synergies resulting from the acquisition.  Because Caterpillar is a highly integrated company, the businesses we acquire are sometimes combined with or integrated into existing reporting units.  When changes occur in the composition of our operating segments or reporting units, goodwill is reassigned to the affected reporting units based on their relative fair values.
	We test goodwill for impairment annually and whenever events or circumstances make it more likely than not that an impairment may have occurred.  We perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of October 1 and monitor for interim triggering events on an ongoing basis.  Goodwill is reviewed for impairment utilizing a qualitative assessment or a two-step process.  We have an option to make a qualitative assessment of a reporting unit’s goodwill for impairment.  If we choose to perform a qualitative assessment and determine the fair value more likely than not exceeds the carrying value, no further evaluation is necessary.  For reporting units where we perform the two-step process, the first step requires us to compare the fair value of each reporting unit, which we primarily determine using an income approach based on the present value of discounted cash flows, to the respective carrying value, which includes goodwill.  If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, the goodwill is not considered impaired.  If the carrying value is higher than the fair value, there is an indication that an impairment may exist and the second step is required.  In step two, the implied fair value of goodwill is calculated as the excess of the fair value of a reporting unit over the fair values assigned to its assets and liabilities.  If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill, the difference is recognized as an impairment loss.  See Note 10 for further details.
	J.	Estimates in financial statements
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts. The more significant estimates include: residual values for leased assets, fair values for goodwill impairment tests, impairment of available-for-sale securities, warranty liability, stock-based compensation and reserves for product liability and insurance losses, postretirement benefits, post-sale discounts, credit losses and income taxes.
	K.	New accounting guidance
	Parent's accounting for the cumulative translation adjustment upon derecognition of certain subsidiaries or groups of assets within a foreign entity or of an investment in a foreign entity – In March 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued accounting guidance on the parent's accounting for the cumulative translation adjustment (CTA) upon derecognition of certain subsidiaries or groups of assets within a foreign entity or of an investment in a foreign entity. The new standard clarifies existing guidance regarding when the CTA should be released into earnings upon various deconsolidation and consolidation transactions. This guidance was effective January 1, 2014 and did not have a material impact on our financial statements.
	Presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists – In July 2013, the FASB issued accounting guidance on the financial statement presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The guidance requires an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, to be presented as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward in the financial statements if available under the applicable tax jurisdiction. The guidance was effective January 1, 2014 and did not have a material impact on our financial statements.
	Reporting discontinued operations and disclosures of disposals of components of an entity – In April 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance for determining which disposals can be presented as discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements. The guidance defines a discontinued operation as a disposal of a component or group of components that is disposed of or is classified as held for sale and represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results. This guidance is effective January 1, 2015. We do not expect the adoption to have a material impact on our financial statements.
	Revenue recognition – In May 2014, the FASB issued new revenue recognition guidance to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. Under the new guidance, an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. A five step model has been introduced for an entity to apply when recognizing revenue. The new guidance also includes enhanced disclosure requirements, and is effective January 1, 2017. Entities have the option to apply the new guidance under a retrospective approach to each prior reporting period presented, or a modified retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of initially applying the new guidance recognized at the date of initial application within the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders' Equity. We are in the process of evaluating the application and implementation of the new guidance.

Stockbased_compensation

Stock-based compensation	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-based compensation	Stock-based compensation
	Our stock-based compensation plans primarily provide for the granting of stock options, stock-settled stock appreciation rights (SARs) and restricted stock units (RSUs) to Officers and other key employees, as well as non-employee Directors. Stock options permit a holder to buy Caterpillar stock at the stock’s price when the option was granted. SARs permit a holder the right to receive the value in shares of the appreciation in Caterpillar stock that occurred from the date the right was granted up to the date of exercise.  A restricted stock unit (RSU) is an agreement to issue shares of Caterpillar stock at the time of vesting.
	Our long-standing practices and policies specify all stock-based compensation awards are approved by the Compensation Committee (the Committee) of the Board of Directors on the date of grant.  The stock-based award approval process specifies the number of awards granted, the terms of the award and the grant date.  The same terms and conditions are consistently applied to all employee grants, including Officers. The Committee approves all individual Officer grants.  The number of stock-based compensation awards included in an individual’s award is determined based on the methodology approved by the Committee.  In 2007, under the terms of the Caterpillar Inc. 2006 Long-Term Incentive Plan (approved by stockholders in June of 2006), the Compensation Committee approved the exercise price methodology to be the closing price of the Company stock on the date of the grant.
	Common stock issued from Treasury stock under the plans totaled 10,106,542 for 2014, 6,258,692 for 2013 and 7,515,149 for 2012.
	Awards generally vest three years after the date of grant.  At grant, SARs and option awards have a term life of ten years.  Upon separation from service, if the participant is 55 years of age or older with more than five years of service, the participant meets the criteria for a “Long Service Separation”.  If the “Long Service Separation” criteria are met, the vested options/SARs will have a life that is the lesser of ten years from the original grant date or five years from the separation date.
	Our stock-based compensation plans allow for the immediate vesting upon separation for employees who meet the criteria for a “Long Service Separation” and who have fulfilled the requisite service period of six months.  Compensation expense is recognized over the period from the grant date to the end date of the requisite service period for employees who meet the immediate vesting upon retirement requirements.  For those employees who become eligible for immediate vesting upon retirement subsequent to the requisite service period and prior to the completion of the vesting period, compensation expense is recognized over the period from grant date to the date eligibility is achieved.
	Accounting guidance on share-based payments requires companies to estimate the fair value of options/SARs on the date of grant using an option-pricing model.  The fair value of our option/SAR grants was estimated using a lattice-based option-pricing model.  The lattice-based option-pricing model considers a range of assumptions related to volatility, risk-free interest rate and historical employee behavior.  Expected volatility was based on historical Caterpillar stock price movement and current implied volatilities from traded options on Caterpillar stock. The risk-free rate was based on U.S. Treasury security yields at the time of grant.  The weighted-average dividend yield was based on historical information.  The expected life was determined from the lattice-based model. The lattice-based model incorporated exercise and post vesting forfeiture assumptions based on analysis of historical data. The following table provides the assumptions used in determining the fair value of the stock-based awards for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
		Grant Year
		2014			2013			2012
	Weighted-average dividend yield	2.2	%		2.1	%		2.2	%
	Weighted-average volatility	28.2	%		30.6	%		35	%
	Range of volatilities	18.4-36.2%			23.4-40.6%			33.3-40.4%
	Range of risk-free interest rates	0.12-2.60%			0.16-1.88%			0.17-2.00%
	Weighted-average expected lives	8 years			8 years			7 years
	The fair value of the RSU grant was determined by reducing the stock price on the date of grant by the present value of the estimated dividends to be paid during the vesting period.  The estimated dividends are based on Caterpillar’s dividend yield at the time of the grant.
	The amount of stock-based compensation expense capitalized for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 did not have a significant impact on our financial statements.
	At December 31, 2014, there was $193 million of total unrecognized compensation cost from stock-based compensation arrangements granted under the plans, which is related to non-vested stock-based awards.  The compensation expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.8 years.
	Please refer to Tables I and II below for additional information on our stock-based awards.
	TABLE I — Financial Information Related to Stock-based Compensation
		2014							2013					2012
		Shares			Weighted-				Shares			Weighted-		Shares		Weighted-
					Average							Average				Average
					Exercise							Exercise				Exercise
					Price							Price				Price
	Stock options/SARs activity:
	Outstanding at beginning of year	43,375,747			$	65.03			45,827,599			$	59.45	50,372,991		$	53.01
	Granted to officers and key employees 1	4,448,218			$	96.31			4,276,060			$	89.75	3,318,188		$	110.09
	Exercised	(13,026,311	)		$	50.27			(6,476,082	)		$	41.1	(7,708,343	)	$	38.73
	Forfeited / expired	(216,571	)		$	85.93			(251,830	)		$	84.64	(155,237	)	$	67.5
	Outstanding at end of year	34,581,083			$	74.48			43,375,747			$	65.03	45,827,599		$	59.45
	Exercisable at year-end	23,991,377			$	64.46			34,200,054			$	55.93	33,962,000		$	51.75
	RSUs activity:
	Outstanding at beginning of year	3,823,328							3,580,220					4,281,490
	Granted to officers and key employees	1,429,512							1,614,870					1,429,939
	Vested	(1,081,304	)						(1,286,934	)				(2,077,485	)
	Forfeited	(87,400	)						(84,828	)				(53,724	)
	Outstanding at end of year	4,084,136							3,823,328					3,580,220
	Stock options/SARs outstanding and exercisable:
			Outstanding											Exercisable
	Exercise Prices		Shares Outstanding at 12/31/14			Weighted-		Weighted-				Aggregate		Shares Outstanding at 12/31/14		Weighted-		Weighted-		Aggregate
						Average		Average				Intrinsic Value 2				Average		Average		Intrinsic Value 2
						Remaining		Exercise Price								Remaining		Exercise Price
						Contractual Life (Years)										Contractual Life (Years)
	$22.17 - 45.64		4,740,246			3.01		$	28.93			$	301	4,740,246		3.01		$	28.93	$	301
	$57.85 - 63.04		7,634,038			4.31		$	59.33			253		7,634,038		4.31		$	59.33	253
	$66.77 - 73.20		7,744,932			2.02		$	72.51			155		7,744,932		2.02		$	72.51	155
	$86.77 - 89.75		4,195,185			8.06		$	89.68			12		420,340		8.15		$	89.75	1
	$96.31 - 110.09		10,266,682			7.76		$	102.04			—		3,451,821		6.4		$	103.43	—
			34,581,083					$	74.48			$	721	23,991,377				$	64.46	$	710
	1	No SARs were granted during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 or 2012.
	2	The difference between a stock award’s exercise price and the underlying stock’s market price at December 31, 2014, for awards with market price greater than the exercise price. Amounts are in millions of dollars.
	The computations of weighted-average exercise prices and aggregate intrinsic values are not applicable to RSUs since an RSU represents an agreement to issue shares of stock at the time of vesting.  At December 31, 2014, there were 4,084,136 outstanding RSUs with a weighted average remaining contractual life of 1.2 years.
	TABLE II— Additional Stock-based Award Information
	(Dollars in millions except per share data)		2014				2013				2012
	Stock options/SARs activity:
	Weighted-average fair value per share of stock awards granted		$	29.52			$	28.34			$	39.2
	Intrinsic value of stock awards exercised		$	649			$	312			$	488
	Fair value of stock awards vested		$	108			$	167			$	66
	Cash received from stock awards exercised		$	259			$	152			$	112
	RSUs activity:
	Weighted-average fair value per share of stock awards granted		$	89.18			$	84.05			$	104.61
	Fair value of stock awards vested		$	106			$	117			$	229
	Before tax, stock-based compensation expense for 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $254 million, $231 million and $245 million, respectively, with a corresponding income tax benefit of $79 million, $73 million and $78 million, respectively.
	In accordance with guidance on share-based payments, we classify stock-based compensation within Cost of goods sold, Selling, general and administrative expenses and Research and development expenses corresponding to the same line item as the cash compensation paid to respective employees, officers and non-employee directors.
We currently use shares in treasury stock to satisfy share award exercises.
The cash tax benefits realized from stock awards exercised for 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $253 million, $127 million and $217 million, respectively. We use the direct only method and tax law ordering approach to calculate the tax effects of stock-based compensation.  In certain jurisdictions, tax deductions for exercises of stock-based awards did not generate a cash benefit.  A tax benefit of approximately $26 million will be recorded in additional paid-in capital when these deductions reduce our future income taxes payable.

Derivative_financial_instrumen

Derivative financial instruments and risk management	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative financial instruments and risk management	Derivative financial instruments and risk management
	Our earnings and cash flow are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices.  Our Risk Management Policy (policy) allows for the use of derivative financial instruments to prudently manage foreign currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price exposures.  Our policy specifies that derivatives are not to be used for speculative purposes.  Derivatives that we use are primarily foreign currency forward, option and cross currency contracts, interest rate swaps and commodity forward and option contracts.  Our derivative activities are subject to the management, direction and control of our senior financial officers.  Risk management practices, including the use of financial derivative instruments, are presented to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors at least annually.
	All derivatives are recognized in Statement 3 at their fair value. On the date the derivative contract is entered into, we designate the derivative as (1) a hedge of the fair value of a recognized asset or liability (fair value hedge), (2) a hedge of a forecasted transaction or the variability of cash flow to be paid (cash flow hedge), or (3) an undesignated instrument. Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is qualified, designated and highly effective as a fair value hedge, along with the gain or loss on the hedged recognized asset or liability that is attributable to the hedged risk, are recorded in current earnings. Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is qualified, designated and highly effective as a cash flow hedge are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (AOCI), to the extent effective, in Statement 3 until they are reclassified to earnings in the same period or periods during which the hedged transaction affects earnings.  Changes in the fair value of undesignated derivative instruments and the ineffective portion of designated derivative instruments are reported in current earnings. Cash flow from designated derivative financial instruments are classified within the same category as the item being hedged on Statement 5.  Cash flow from undesignated derivative financial instruments are included in the investing category on Statement 5.
	We formally document all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as the risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions.  This process includes linking all derivatives that are designated as fair value hedges to specific assets and liabilities in Statement 3 and linking cash flow hedges to specific forecasted transactions or variability of cash flow.
	We also formally assess, both at the hedge’s inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the designated derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in offsetting changes in fair values or cash flow of hedged items.  When a derivative is determined not to be highly effective as a hedge or the underlying hedged transaction is no longer probable, we discontinue hedge accounting prospectively, in accordance with the derecognition criteria for hedge accounting.
	A.	Foreign currency exchange rate risk
	Foreign currency exchange rate movements create a degree of risk by affecting the U.S. dollar value of sales made and costs incurred in foreign currencies. Movements in foreign currency rates also affect our competitive position as these changes may affect business practices and/or pricing strategies of non-U.S.-based competitors. Additionally, we have balance sheet positions denominated in foreign currencies, thereby creating exposure to movements in exchange rates.
	Our Machinery, Energy & Transportation operations purchase, manufacture and sell products in many locations around the world. As we have a diversified revenue and cost base, we manage our future foreign currency cash flow exposure on a net basis. We use foreign currency forward and option contracts to manage unmatched foreign currency cash inflow and outflow. Our objective is to minimize the risk of exchange rate movements that would reduce the U.S. dollar value of our foreign currency cash flow. Our policy allows for managing anticipated foreign currency cash flow for up to five years.
	We generally designate as cash flow hedges at inception of the contract any Australian dollar, Brazilian real, British pound, Canadian dollar, Chinese yuan, euro, Indian rupee, Japanese yen, Mexican peso, Singapore dollar, or Swiss franc forward or option contracts that meet the requirements for hedge accounting and the maturity extends beyond the current quarter-end. Designation is performed on a specific exposure basis to support hedge accounting. The remainder of Machinery, Energy & Transportation foreign currency contracts are undesignated, including any hedges designed to protect our competitive exposure.
	As of December 31, 2014, $68 million of deferred net losses, net of tax, included in equity (AOCI in Statement 3), are expected to be reclassified to current earnings (Other income (expense) in Statement 1) over the next twelve months when earnings are affected by the hedged transactions.  The actual amount recorded in Other income (expense) will vary based on exchange rates at the time the hedged transactions impact earnings.
	In managing foreign currency risk for our Financial Products operations, our objective is to minimize earnings volatility resulting from conversion and the remeasurement of net foreign currency balance sheet positions, and future transactions denominated in foreign currencies. Our policy allows the use of foreign currency forward, option and cross currency contracts to offset the risk of currency mismatch between our receivables and debt, and exchange rate risk associated with future transactions denominated in foreign currencies. Substantially all such foreign currency forward, option and cross currency contracts are undesignated.
	B.	Interest rate risk
	Interest rate movements create a degree of risk by affecting the amount of our interest payments and the value of our fixed-rate debt. Our practice is to use interest rate derivatives to manage our exposure to interest rate changes.
	Our Machinery, Energy & Transportation operations generally use fixed rate debt as a source of funding.  Our objective is to minimize the cost of borrowed funds.  Our policy allows us to enter into fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps and forward rate agreements to meet that objective. We designate fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps as fair value hedges at inception of the contract, and we designate certain forward rate agreements as cash flow hedges at inception of the contract.
	As of December 31, 2014, $4 million of deferred net losses, net of tax, included in equity (AOCI in Statement 3), related to Machinery, Energy & Transportation forward rate agreements, are expected to be reclassified to current earnings (Interest expense excluding Financial Products in Statement 1) over the next twelve months.
	Financial Products operations has a match-funding policy that addresses interest rate risk by aligning the interest rate profile (fixed or floating rate) of Cat Financial’s debt portfolio with the interest rate profile of their receivables portfolio within predetermined ranges on an ongoing basis. In connection with that policy, we use interest rate derivative instruments to modify the debt structure to match assets within the receivables portfolio. This matched funding reduces the volatility of margins between interest-bearing assets and interest-bearing liabilities, regardless of which direction interest rates move.
	Our policy allows us to use fixed-to-floating, floating-to-fixed, and floating-to-floating interest rate swaps to meet the match-funding objective.  We designate fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps as fair value hedges to protect debt against changes in fair value due to changes in the benchmark interest rate.  We designate most floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges to protect against the variability of cash flows due to changes in the benchmark interest rate.
	As of December 31, 2014, $1 million of deferred net losses, net of tax, included in equity (AOCI in Statement 3), related to Financial Products floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps, are expected to be reclassified to current earnings (Interest expense of Financial Products in Statement 1) over the next twelve months.  The actual amount recorded in Interest expense of Financial Products will vary based on interest rates at the time the hedged transactions impact earnings.
	We have, at certain times, liquidated fixed-to-floating and floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps at both Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products.  The gains or losses associated with these swaps at the time of liquidation are amortized into earnings over the original term of the previously designated hedged item.
	C.	Commodity price risk
	Commodity price movements create a degree of risk by affecting the price we must pay for certain raw material. Our policy is to use commodity forward and option contracts to manage the commodity risk and reduce the cost of purchased materials.
	Our Machinery, Energy & Transportation operations purchase base and precious metals embedded in the components we purchase from suppliers.  Our suppliers pass on to us price changes in the commodity portion of the component cost. In addition, we are subject to price changes on energy products such as natural gas and diesel fuel purchased for operational use.
	Our objective is to minimize volatility in the price of these commodities. Our policy allows us to enter into commodity forward and option contracts to lock in the purchase price of a portion of these commodities within a five-year horizon. All such commodity forward and option contracts are undesignated.
	The location and fair value of derivative instruments reported in Statement 3 are as follows:
		Consolidated		Asset (Liability) Fair Value
		Statement of Financial Position Location
	(Millions of dollars)			Years ended December 31,
				2014				2013				2012
	Designated derivatives
	Foreign exchange contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Receivables — trade and other		$	25			$	54			$	28
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Accrued expenses		(134		)		(39		)		(66		)
	Interest rate contracts
	Financial Products	Receivables — trade and other		6				7				17
	Financial Products	Long-term receivables — trade and other		73				115				209
	Financial Products	Accrued expenses		(8		)		(6		)		(8		)
				$	(38	)		$	131			$	180
	Undesignated derivatives
	Foreign exchange contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Receivables — trade and other		$	2			$	19			$	31
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Accrued expenses		(43		)		(1		)		(63		)
	Financial Products	Receivables — trade and other		5				7				10
	Financial Products	Long-term receivables — trade and other		17				9				—
	Financial Products	Accrued expenses		(15		)		(4		)		(6		)
	Interest rate contracts
	Financial Products	Receivables — trade and other		—				—				2
	Financial Products	Accrued expenses		—				—				(1		)
	Commodity contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Receivables — trade and other		—				—				1
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Accrued expenses		(14		)		—				—
				$	(48	)		$	30			$	(26	)
	The total notional amounts of the derivative instruments are as follows:
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	3,128			$	3,565			$	4,438
	Financial Products		$	5,249			$	6,743			$	9,817
	The notional amounts of the derivative financial instruments do not represent amounts exchanged by the parties. The amounts exchanged by the parties are calculated by reference to the notional amounts and by other terms of the derivatives, such as foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, or commodity prices.
	The effect of derivatives designated as hedging instruments on Statement 1 is as follows:
	Fair Value Hedges				Year ended December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Classification		Gains (Losses)				Gains (Losses)
					on Derivatives				on Borrowings
	Interest rate contracts
	Financial Products		Other income (expense)		$	(41	)		$	23
					$	(41	)		$	23
				Year ended December 31, 2013
		Classification		Gains (Losses)				Gains (Losses)
				on Derivatives				on Borrowings
Interest rate contracts
Financial Products		Other income (expense)		$	(107	)		$	114
				$	(107	)		$	114
				Year ended December 31, 2012
		Classification		Gains (Losses)				Gains (Losses)
				on Derivatives				on Borrowings
Interest rate contracts
Financial Products		Other income (expense)		(20		)		36
				$	(20	)		$	36
Cash Flow Hedges
(Millions of dollars)		Year ended December 31, 2014
						Recognized in Earnings
		Amount of				Classification of		Amount of Gains (Losses) Reclassified from AOCI to Earnings				Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)
		Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)				Gains (Losses)
Foreign exchange contracts
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(118	)		Other income (expense)		$	5			$	—
Interest rate contracts
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		(63		)		Interest expense excluding Financial Products		(5		)		—
Financial Products		(6		)		Interest expense of Financial Products		(6		)		—
		$	(187	)				$	(6	)		$	—
		Year ended December 31, 2013
						Recognized in Earnings
		Amount of				Classification of		Amount of				Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)
		Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)				Gains (Losses)		Gains (Losses)
								Reclassified
								from AOCI to
								Earnings
Foreign exchange contracts
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(4	)		Other income (expense)		$	(57	)	2	$	—
Interest rate contracts
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		—				Other income (expense)		(3		)		—
Financial Products		(2		)		Interest expense of Financial Products		(6		)		1			1
		$	(6	)				$	(66	)		$	1
		Year ended December 31, 2012
						Recognized in Earnings
		Amount of				Classification of		Amount of				Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)
		Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)				Gains (Losses)		Gains (Losses)
								Reclassified
								from AOCI to
								Earnings
Foreign exchange contracts
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(78	)		Other income (expense)		$	(30	)	2	$	—
Interest rate contracts
Financial Products		1				Interest expense of Financial Products		4				(1		)	1
		$	(77	)				$	(26	)		$	(1	)
1	The ineffective portion recognized in earnings is included in Other income (expense).
2	Includes $3 million and $7 million of losses reclassified from AOCI to Other income (expense) in 2013 and 2012, respectively as certain derivatives were dedesignated as the related transactions are no longer probable to occur.
The effect of derivatives not designated as hedging instruments on Statement 1 is as follows:
				Years ended December 31,
(Millions of dollars)		Classification of Gains (Losses)		2014				2013				2012
Foreign exchange contracts
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		Other income (expense)		$	(60	)		$	17			$	62
Financial Products		Other income (expense)		(47		)		8				6
Interest rate contracts
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		Other income (expense)		2				(1		)		2
Financial Products		Other income (expense)		—				(3		)		—
Commodity contracts
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		Other income (expense)		(15		)		(3		)		2
				$	(120	)		$	18			$	72
We enter into International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master netting agreements within Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products that permit the net settlement of amounts owed under their respective derivative contracts. Under these master netting agreements, net settlement generally permits the company or the counterparty to determine the net amount payable for contracts due on the same date and in the same currency for similar types of derivative transactions. The master netting agreements generally also provide for net settlement of all outstanding contracts with a counterparty in the case of an event of default or a termination event.
Collateral is generally not required of the counterparties or of our company under the master netting agreements. As of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, no cash collateral was received or pledged under the master netting agreements.
The effect of the net settlement provisions of the master netting agreements on our derivative balances upon an event of default or termination event is as follows:
December 31, 2014														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Assets				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Received		Net Amount of Assets
Derivatives
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	27			$	—			$	27			$	(27	)	$	—	$	—
Financial Products		101				—				101				(8		)	—		93
Total		$	128			$	—			$	128			$	(35	)	$	—	$	93
December 31, 2014														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Liabilities				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Pledged		Net Amount of Liabilities
Derivatives
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(191	)		$	—			$	(191	)		$	27		$	—	$	(164	)
Financial Products		(23		)		—				(23		)		8			—		(15		)
Total		$	(214	)		$	—			$	(214	)		$	35		$	—	$	(179	)
December 31, 2013														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Assets				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Received		Net Amount of Assets
Derivatives
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	73			$	—			$	73			$	(32	)	$	—	$	41
Financial Products		138				—				138				(9		)	—		129
Total		$	211			$	—			$	211			$	(41	)	$	—	$	170
December 31, 2013														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Liabilities				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Pledged		Net Amount of Liabilities
Derivatives
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(40	)		$	—			$	(40	)		$	32		$	—	$	(8	)
Financial Products		(10		)		—				(10		)		9			—		(1		)
Total		$	(50	)		$	—			$	(50	)		$	41		$	—	$	(9	)
December 31, 2012														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Assets				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Received		Net Amount of Assets
Derivatives
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	60			$	—			$	60			$	(59	)	$	—	$	1
Financial Products		238				—				238				(12		)	—		226
Total		$	298			$	—			$	298			$	(71	)	$	—	$	227
December 31, 2012														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Liabilities				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Pledged		Net Amount of Liabilities
Derivatives
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(129	)		$	—			$	(129	)		$	59		$	—	$	(70	)
Financial Products		(15		)		—				(15		)		12			—		(3		)
Total		$	(144	)		$	—			$	(144	)		$	71		$	—	$	(73	)

Other_income_expense

Other income (expense)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]
Other income (expense)	Other income (expense)
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012
	Investment and interest income		$	66		$	84		$	82
	Foreign exchange gains (losses) 1		54			(254		)	(116		)
	License fee income		128			114			99
	Gains (losses) on sale of securities and affiliated companies		36			21			4
	Miscellaneous income (loss)		(45		)	—			61
	Total		$	239		$	(35	)	$	130
	1	Includes gains (losses) from foreign exchange derivative contracts.  See Note 3 for further details.

Income_taxes

Income taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income taxes	Income taxes
	The components of profit before taxes were:
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	U.S.		$	2,022			$	1,938			$	4,090
	Non-U.S.		3,061				3,190				4,146
			$	5,083			$	5,128			$	8,236
	Profit before taxes, as shown above, is based on the location of the entity to which such earnings are attributable. Where an entity’s earnings are subject to taxation, however, may not correlate solely to where an entity is located.  Thus, the income tax provision shown below as U.S. or non-U.S. may not correspond to the earnings shown above.
	The components of the provision (benefit) for income taxes were:
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Current tax provision (benefit):
	U.S.		$	715			$	407			$	971
	Non-U.S.		883				805				1,250
	State (U.S.)		48				33				56
			1,646				1,245				2,277
	Deferred tax provision (benefit):
	U.S.		(167		)		79				332
	Non-U.S.		(77		)		(7		)		(89		)
	State (U.S.)		(22		)		2				8
			(266		)		74				251
	Total provision (benefit) for income taxes		$	1,380			$	1,319			$	2,528
	We paid net income tax and related interest of $1,595 million, $1,544 million and $2,396 million in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	Reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to effective rate:
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014							2013						2012
	Taxes at U.S. statutory rate		$	1,779			35	%		$	1,795			35	%	$	2,882		35	%
	(Decreases) increases in taxes resulting from:
	Non-U.S. subsidiaries taxed at other than 35%		(249		)		(4.9	)%		(268		)		(5.2	)%	(342		)	(4.2	)%
	State and local taxes, net of federal		17				0.3	%		23				0.4	%	55			0.7	%
	Interest and penalties, net of tax		12				0.2	%		4				0.1	%	22			0.3	%
	U.S. research and production incentives		(125		)		(2.4	)%		(91		)		(1.8	)%	(80		)	(1.0	)%
	Other—net		(10		)		(0.2	)%		(2		)		—	%	(27		)	(0.3	)%
			1,424				28	%		1,461				28.5	%	2,510			30.5	%
	Prior year tax and interest adjustments		(21		)		(0.4	)%		(55		)		(1.1	)%	(300		)	(3.7	)%
	Nondeductible goodwill		—				—	%		—				—	%	318			3.9	%
	Release of valuation allowances		(23		)		(0.5	)%		—				—	%	—			—	%
	Tax law changes		—				—	%		(87		)		(1.7	)%	—			—	%
	Provision (benefit) for income taxes		$	1,380			27.1	%		$	1,319			25.7	%	$	2,528		30.7	%
	The provision for income taxes for 2014 included a benefit of $23 million for the release of a valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets of a non-U.S. subsidiary and a net benefit of $21 million to adjust prior years' U.S. taxes and interest. The net benefit for prior years' U.S. taxes and interest included a $33 million benefit to reflect a settlement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) related to 1992 through 1994 which resulted in a $16 million benefit to remeasure previously unrecognized tax benefits and a $17 million benefit to adjust related interest, net of tax. This benefit of $33 million was offset by a net charge of $12 million to adjust prior years' U.S. taxes that included a charge of $55 million to correct for an error which resulted in an understatement of tax liabilities for prior years. Management has concluded that the error was not material to any period presented.
	The provision for income taxes for 2013 included a $87 million benefit primarily related to the research and development tax credit that was retroactively extended in 2013 for 2012 and a benefit of $55 million resulting from true-up of estimated amounts used in the tax provision to the 2012 U.S. tax return as filed in September 2013.
	The provision for income taxes for 2012 included a $300 million benefit for adjusting prior year taxes and interest primarily to reflect a settlement reached with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax years 2000 to 2006. The largest drivers of the settlement benefit were a $188 million benefit to remeasure and recognize previously unrecognized tax benefits and a $96 million benefit to adjust related interest and penalties, net of tax. This benefit was offset by a negative impact from nondeductible goodwill of $203 million related to the ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei) goodwill impairment and $115 million related to the divestiture of portions of the Bucyrus distribution business. See Note 10 and Note 26 for more information.
	We have recorded income tax expense at U.S. tax rates on all profits, except for undistributed profits of non-U.S. subsidiaries of approximately $18 billion which are considered indefinitely reinvested.  Determination of the amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability related to indefinitely reinvested profits is not feasible.  If management intentions or U.S. tax law changes in the future, there may be a significant negative impact on the provision for income taxes to record an incremental tax liability in the period the change occurs.
	Accounting for income taxes under U.S. GAAP requires that individual tax-paying entities of the company offset all current deferred tax liabilities and assets within each particular tax jurisdiction and present them as a single amount in the Consolidated Financial Position. A similar procedure is followed for all noncurrent deferred tax liabilities and assets. Amounts in different tax jurisdictions cannot be offset against each other. The amount of deferred income taxes at December 31, included on the following lines in Statement 3, are as follows:
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Assets:
	Deferred and refundable income taxes		$	992			$	877			$	979
	Noncurrent deferred and refundable income taxes		1,267				456				1,863
			2,259				1,333				2,842
	Liabilities:
	Other current liabilities		62				86				66
	Other liabilities		414				447				484
	Deferred income taxes—net		$	1,783			$	800			$	2,292
	Deferred income tax assets and liabilities:
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Deferred income tax assets:
	Pension		$	1,513			$	903			$	2,100
	Postemployment benefits other than pensions		1,514				1,435				1,678
	Tax carryforwards		826				760				663
	Warranty reserves		346				313				358
	Stock-based compensation		327				320				281
	Inventory		123				112				195
Allowance for credit losses		198				184				170
Post sale discounts		175				146				141
Deferred compensation		132				126				110
Other—net		549				524				491
		5,703				4,823				6,187
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Capital and intangible assets		(2,625		)		(2,815		)		(2,759		)
Bond discount		(233		)		(240		)		(249		)
Translation		(252		)		(133		)		(173		)
Undistributed profits of non-U.S. subsidiaries		(69		)		(90		)		(128		)
		(3,179		)		(3,278		)		(3,309		)
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets		(741		)		(745		)		(586		)
Deferred income taxes—net		$	1,783			$	800			$	2,292
At December 31, 2014, approximately $568 million of U.S. state tax net operating losses (NOLs) and $158 million of U.S. state tax credit carryforwards were available. The state NOLs primarily expire between 2015 and 2034.  The state tax credit carryforwards primarily expire over the next five years with certain carryforwards set to expire over the next fifteen years.  We established a valuation allowance of $162 million for those state NOLs and credit carryforwards that are more likely than not to expire prior to utilization.
At December 31, 2014, approximately $61 million of U.S. foreign tax credits were available for carryforward. These credits expire in 2025.
At December 31, 2014, amounts and expiration dates of net operating loss carryforwards in various non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions were:
(Millions of dollars)
2015				2016				2017				2018			2019-2035			Unlimited		Total
$	7			$	5			$	14			$	96		$	700		$	1,389	$	2,211
At December 31, 2014 a valuation allowance of $579 million has been recorded at certain non-U.S. entities that have not yet demonstrated consistent and/or sustainable profitability to support the realization of net deferred tax assets.
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions, including positions impacting only the timing of tax benefits, follows.
Reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits: 1
		Years ended December 31,
(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
Balance at January 1,		$	759			$	715			$	958
Additions for tax positions related to current year		58				63				64
Additions for tax positions related to prior years		84				52				178
Reductions for tax positions related to prior years		(31		)		(31		)		(266		)
Reductions for settlements 2		(18		)		(15		)		(191		)
Reductions for expiration of statute of limitations		(6		)		(25		)		(28		)
Balance at December 31,		$	846			$	759			$	715
Amount that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate		$	804			$	726			$	669
1	Foreign currency translation amounts are included within each line as applicable.
2	Includes cash payment or other reduction of assets to settle liability.
We classify interest and penalties on income taxes as a component of the provision for income taxes. We recognized a net provision (benefit) for interest and penalties of $3 million, $7 million and $(114) million during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The 2012 amount includes a benefit from adjustments for the 2000 through 2006 settlement discussed previously. The total amount of interest and penalties accrued was $61 million, $59 million and $134 million as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
On January 30, 2015, we received a Revenue Agent's Report (RAR) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicating the end of the field examination of our U.S. tax returns for 2007 to 2009 including the impact of a loss carryback to 2005. The RAR proposed tax increases and penalties for these years of approximately $1 billion primarily related to two significant areas that we intend to vigorously contest through the IRS Appeals process. In the first area, the IRS has proposed to tax in the United States profits earned from certain parts transactions by one of our non-U.S. subsidiaries, Caterpillar SARL (CSARL), based on the IRS examination team’s application of the “substance-over-form” or “assignment-of-income” judicial doctrines. We believe that the relevant transactions complied with applicable tax laws and did not violate judicial doctrines. We have filed U.S. tax returns on this same basis for years after 2009. In the second area, the IRS disallowed approximately $125 million of foreign tax credits that arose as a result of certain financings unrelated to CSARL. Based on the information currently available, we do not anticipate a significant increase or decrease to our recognized tax benefits for these matters within the next 12 months. We currently believe the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, liquidity or results of operations. We expect the IRS field examination of our U.S. tax returns for 2010 to 2012 to begin in 2015. In our major non-U.S. jurisdictions, tax years are typically subject to examination for three to eight years.

Cat_Financial_Financing_Activi

Cat Financial Financing Activities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]
Cat Financial Financing Activities	Cat Financial Financing Activities
	A.	Wholesale inventory receivables
	Wholesale inventory receivables are receivables of Cat Financial that arise when Cat Financial provides financing for a dealer’s purchase of inventory. These receivables are included in Receivables—trade and other and Long-term receivables—trade and other in Statement 3 and were $2,170 million, $1,945 million, and $2,152 million at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	Contractual maturities of outstanding wholesale inventory receivables:
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
	Amounts Due In		Wholesale				Wholesale				Wholesale				Total
			Installment				Finance				Notes
			Contracts				Leases
	2015		$	200			$	109			$	867			$	1,176
	2016		109				85				262				456
	2017		70				58				202				330
	2018		39				27				17				83
	2019		15				7				—				22
	Thereafter		3				2				—				5
			436				288				1,348				2,072
	Guaranteed residual value		—				98				—				98
	Unguaranteed residual value		—				38				—				38
	Less: Unearned income		(7		)		(28		)		(3		)		(38		)
	Total		$	429			$	396			$	1,345			$	2,170
	Please refer to Note 18 and Table III for fair value information.
	B.	Finance receivables
	Finance receivables are receivables of Cat Financial, which generally can be repaid or refinanced without penalty prior to contractual maturity. Total finance receivables reported in Statement 3 are net of an allowance for credit losses.
	Cat Financial provides financing only when acceptable criteria are met. Credit decisions are based on, among other things, the customer’s credit history, financial strength and intended use of equipment. Cat Financial typically maintains a security interest in retail financed equipment and requires physical damage insurance coverage on financed equipment.
	Contractual maturities of outstanding finance receivables:
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
	Amounts Due In		Retail				Retail Finance				Retail				Total
			Installment				Leases				Notes
			Contracts
	2015		$	2,308			$	2,956			$	3,891			$	9,155
	2016		1,736				2,064				2,238				6,038
	2017		1,184				1,159				1,896				4,239
	2018		587				513				1,069				2,169
	2019		174				209				848				1,231
	Thereafter		10				131				970				1,111
			5,999				7,032				10,912				23,943
	Guaranteed residual value		—				323				—				323
	Unguaranteed residual value		—				622				—				622
	Less: Unearned income		(106		)		(630		)		(86		)		(822		)
	Total		$	5,893			$	7,347			$	10,826			$	24,066
	Please refer to Note 18 and Table III for fair value information.
	C.	Credit quality of financing receivables and allowance for credit losses
	Cat Financial applies a systematic methodology to determine the allowance for credit losses for finance receivables.  Based upon Cat Financial’s analysis of credit losses and risk factors, portfolio segments are as follows:
	•	Customer - Finance receivables with retail customers.
	•	Dealer - Finance receivables with Caterpillar dealers.
	Cat Financial further evaluates portfolio segments by the class of finance receivables, which is defined as a level of information (below a portfolio segment) in which the finance receivables have the same initial measurement attribute and a similar method for assessing and monitoring credit risk.  Typically, Cat Financial’s finance receivables within a geographic area have similar credit risk profiles and methods for assessing and monitoring credit risk.  Cat Financial’s classes, which align with management reporting for credit losses, are as follows:
	•	North America - Finance receivables originated in the United States or Canada.
	•	Europe - Finance receivables originated in Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
	•	Asia Pacific - Finance receivables originated in Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.
	•	Mining - Finance receivables related to large mining customers worldwide.
	•	Latin America - Finance receivables originated in Central and South American countries and Mexico.
	•	Caterpillar Power Finance - Finance receivables related to marine vessels with Caterpillar engines worldwide and Caterpillar electrical power generation, gas compression and co-generation systems and non-Caterpillar equipment that is powered by these systems worldwide.
	Impaired loans and finance leases
	For all classes, a loan or finance lease is considered impaired, based on current information and events, if it is probable that Cat Financial will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan or finance lease.  Loans and finance leases reviewed for impairment include loans and finance leases that are past due, non-performing or in bankruptcy. Recognition of income is suspended and the loan or finance lease is placed on non-accrual status when management determines that collection of future income is not probable (generally after 120 days past due except in locations where local regulatory requirements dictate a different method, or in instances in which relevant information is known that warrants placing the loan or finance lease on non-accrual status).  Accrual is resumed, and previously suspended income is recognized, when the loan or finance lease becomes contractually current and/or collection doubts are removed.  Cash receipts on impaired loans or finance leases are recorded against the receivable and then to any unrecognized income.
	At December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, there were no impaired loans or finance leases for the Dealer portfolio segment.  The average recorded investment for impaired loans and finance leases within the Dealer portfolio segment was zero during 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	Individually impaired loans and finance leases for the Customer portfolio segment were as follows:
		December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)	Recorded				Unpaid Principal Balance				Related
		Investment								Allowance
	Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With No Allowance Recorded
	Customer
	North America	$	14			$	14			$	—
	Europe	44				43				—
	Asia Pacific	1				1				—
	Mining	29				29				—
Latin America	34				34				—
Caterpillar Power Finance	129				128				—
Total	$	251			$	249			$	—
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With An Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America	$	6			$	6			$	1
Europe	12				12				4
Asia Pacific	29				29				8
Mining	138				137				9
Latin America	42				42				12
Caterpillar Power Finance	135				134				41
Total	$	362			$	360			$	75
Total Impaired Loans and Finance Leases
Customer
North America	$	20			$	20			$	1
Europe	56				55				4
Asia Pacific	30				30				8
Mining	167				166				9
Latin America	76				76				12
Caterpillar Power Finance	264				262				41
Total	$	613			$	609			$	75
	December 31, 2013
(Millions of dollars)	Recorded				Unpaid Principal				Related
	Investment				Balance				Allowance
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With No Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America	$	23			$	22			$	—
Europe	48				47				—
Asia Pacific	7				7				—
Mining	134				134				—
Latin America	11				11				—
Caterpillar Power Finance	223				222				—
Total	$	446			$	443			$	—
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With An Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America	$	13			$	13			$	4
Europe	20				19				7
Asia Pacific	16				16				2
Mining	—				—				—
Latin America	23				23				6
Caterpillar Power Finance	110				106				51
Total	$	182			$	177			$	70
Total Impaired Loans and Finance Leases
Customer
North America	$	36			$	35			$	4
Europe	68				66				7
Asia Pacific	23				23				2
Mining	134				134				—
Latin America	34				34				6
Caterpillar Power Finance	333				328				51
Total	$	628			$	620			$	70
	December 31, 2012
(Millions of dollars)	Recorded				Unpaid Principal				Related
	Investment				Balance				Allowance
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With No Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America	$	28			$	27			$	—
Europe	45				45				—
Asia Pacific	2				2				—
Mining	1				1				—
Latin America	7				7				—
Caterpillar Power Finance	295				295				—
Total	$	378			$	377			$	—
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With An Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America	$	25			$	23			$	7
Europe	28				26				11
Asia Pacific	19				19				4
Mining	—				—				—
Latin America	30				30				8
Caterpillar Power Finance	113				109				24
Total	$	215			$	207			$	54
Total Impaired Loans and Finance Leases
Customer
North America	$	53			$	50			$	7
Europe	73				71				11
Asia Pacific	21				21				4
Mining	1				1				—
Latin America	37				37				8
Caterpillar Power Finance	408				404				24
Total	$	593			$	584			$	54
		Years ended December 31,
		2014								2013							2012
(Millions of dollars)		Average				Interest				Average				Interest			Average			Interest
		Recorded				Income				Recorded				Income			Recorded			Income
		Investment				Recognized				Investment				Recognized			Investment			Recognized
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With No Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America		$	20			$	1			$	25			$	3		$	50		$	3
Europe		47				1				49				1			45			1
Asia Pacific		3				—				4				—			3			—
Mining		69				3				61				3			8			—
Latin America		30				—				11				—			6			—
Caterpillar Power Finance		164				6				271				5			220			2
Total		$	333			$	11			$	421			$	12		$	332		$	6
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With An Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America		$	9			$	—			$	18			$	1		$	25		$	1
Europe		21				1				22				1			27			1
Asia Pacific		22				1				18				1			15			1
Mining		90				7				1				—			—			—
Latin America		36				1				44				2			27			2
Caterpillar Power Finance		96				2				135				1			94			—
Total		$	274			$	12			$	238			$	6		$	188		$	5
Total Impaired Loans and Finance Leases
Customer
North America		$	29			$	1			$	43			$	4		$	75		$	4
Europe		68				2				71				2			72			2
Asia Pacific		25				1				22				1			18			1
Mining		159				10				62				3			8			—
Latin America		66				1				55				2			33			2
Caterpillar Power Finance		260				8				406				6			314			2
Total		$	607			$	23			$	659			$	18		$	520		$	11
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
For all classes, Cat Financial considers a loan or finance lease past due if any portion of a contractual payment is due and unpaid for more than 30 days.  Recognition of income is suspended and the loan or finance lease is placed on non-accrual status when management determines that collection of future income is not probable (generally after 120 days past due except in locations where local regulatory requirements dictate a different method, or in instances in which relevant information is known that warrants placing the loan or finance lease on non-accrual status).  Accrual is resumed, and previously suspended income is recognized, when the loan or finance lease becomes contractually current and/or collection doubts are removed.
As of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, there were no loans or finance leases on non-accrual status for the Dealer portfolio segment.
The investment in customer loans and finance leases on non-accrual status was as follows:
		December 31,
(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
Customer
North America		$	27			$	26			$	59
Europe		28				28				38
Asia Pacific		54				50				36
Mining		62				23				12
Latin America		201				179				148
Caterpillar Power Finance		96				119				220
Total		$	468			$	425			$	513
Aging related to loans and finance leases was as follows:
(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
		31-60 Days Past Due				61-90 Days Past Due				91+				Total Past			Current			Total		91+ Still
										Days Past Due				Due						Finance		Accruing
																				Receivables
Customer
North America		$	46			$	8			$	27			$	81		$	7,192		$	7,273	$	4
Europe		16				23				29				68			2,607			2,675		6
Asia Pacific		29				22				69				120			2,316			2,436		16
Mining		28				—				11				39			2,084			2,123		—
Latin America		55				23				196				274			2,583			2,857		8
Caterpillar Power Finance		1				4				64				69			3,079			3,148		1
Dealer
North America		—				—				—				—			2,189			2,189		—
Europe		—				—				—				—			153			153		—
Asia Pacific		—				—				—				—			566			566		—
Mining		—				—				—				—			—			—		—
Latin America		—				—				—				—			646			646		—
Caterpillar Power Finance		—				—				—				—			—			—		—
Total		$	175			$	80			$	396			$	651		$	23,415		$	24,066	$	35
(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2013
		31-60 Days Past Due				61-90 Days Past Due				91+				Total Past			Current			Total		91+ Still
										Days Past Due				Due						Finance		Accruing
																				Receivables
Customer
North America		$	37			$	12			$	24			$	73		$	6,508		$	6,581	$	—
Europe		26				15				29				70			2,805			2,875		6
Asia Pacific		54				23				59				136			2,752			2,888		11
Mining		3				—				12				15			2,128			2,143		—
Latin America		54				25				165				244			2,474			2,718		5
Caterpillar Power Finance		55				30				60				145			2,946			3,091		—
Dealer
North America		—				—				—				—			2,283			2,283		—
Europe		—				—				—				—			150			150		—
Asia Pacific		—				—				—				—			583			583		—
Mining		—				—				—				—			1			1		—
Latin America		—				—				—				—			748			748		—
Caterpillar Power Finance		—				—				—				—			—			—		—
Total		$	229			$	105			$	349			$	683		$	23,378		$	24,061	$	22
(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2012
		31-60 Days Past Due				61-90 Days Past Due				91+				Total Past			Current			Total		91+ Still
										Days Past Due				Due						Finance		Accruing
																				Receivables
Customer
North America		$	35			$	8			$	52			$	95		$	5,872		$	5,967	$	—
Europe		23				9				36				68			2,487			2,555		6
Asia Pacific		53				19				54				126			2,912			3,038		18
Mining		—				1				12				13			1,960			1,973		—
Latin America		62				19				138				219			2,500			2,719		—
Caterpillar Power Finance		15				14				126				155			3,017			3,172		4
Dealer
North America		—				—				—				—			2,063			2,063		—
Europe		—				—				—				—			185			185		—
Asia Pacific		—				—				—				—			751			751		—
Mining		—				—				—				—			1			1		—
Latin America		—				—				—				—			884			884		—
Caterpillar Power Finance		—				—				—				—			—			—		—
Total		$	188			$	70			$	418			$	676		$	22,632		$	23,308	$	28
Allowance for credit loss activity
An analysis of the allowance for credit losses during 2014, 2013 and 2012 was as follows:
(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
		Customer				Dealer				Total
Allowance for Credit Losses:
Balance at beginning of year		$	365			$	10			$	375
Receivables written off		(151		)		—				(151		)
Recoveries on receivables previously written off		47				—				47
Provision for credit losses		150				—				150
Other		(23		)		—				(23		)
Balance at end of year		$	388			$	10			$	398
Individually evaluated for impairment		$	75			$	—			$	75
Collectively evaluated for impairment		313				10				323
Ending Balance		$	388			$	10			$	398
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables:
Individually evaluated for impairment		$	613			$	—			$	613
Collectively evaluated for impairment		19,899				3,554				23,453
Ending Balance		$	20,512			$	3,554			$	24,066
(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2013
		Customer				Dealer				Total
Allowance for Credit Losses:
Balance at beginning of year		$	414			$	9			$	423
Receivables written off		(179		)		—				(179		)
Recoveries on receivables previously written off		56				—				56
Provision for credit losses		83				1				84
Other		(9		)		—				(9		)
Balance at end of year		$	365			$	10			$	375
Individually evaluated for impairment		$	70			$	—			$	70
Collectively evaluated for impairment		295				10				305
Ending Balance		$	365			$	10			$	375
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables:
Individually evaluated for impairment		$	628			$	—			$	628
Collectively evaluated for impairment		19,668				3,765				23,433
Ending Balance		$	20,296			$	3,765			$	24,061
(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2012
		Customer				Dealer				Total
Allowance for Credit Losses:
Balance at beginning of year		$	360			$	6			$	366
Receivables written off		(149		)		—				(149		)
Recoveries on receivables previously written off		47				—				47
Provision for credit losses		157				3				160
Other		(1		)		—				(1		)
Balance at end of year		$	414			$	9			$	423
Individually evaluated for impairment		$	54			$	—			$	54
Collectively evaluated for impairment		360				9				369
Ending Balance		$	414			$	9			$	423
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables:
Individually evaluated for impairment		$	593			$	—			$	593
Collectively evaluated for impairment		18,831				3,884				22,715
Ending Balance		$	19,424			$	3,884			$	23,308
Credit quality of finance receivables
The credit quality of finance receivables is reviewed on a monthly basis.  Credit quality indicators include performing and non-performing.  Non-performing is defined as finance receivables currently over 120 days past due and/or on non-accrual status or in bankruptcy.  Finance receivables not meeting the criteria listed above are considered performing.  Non-performing receivables have the highest probability for credit loss.  The allowance for credit losses attributable to non-performing receivables is based on the most probable source of repayment, which is normally the liquidation of collateral.  In determining collateral value, Cat Financial estimates the current fair market value of the collateral less selling costs. In addition, Cat Financial considers credit enhancements such as additional collateral and contractual third-party guarantees in determining the allowance for credit losses attributable to non-performing receivables.
The recorded investment in performing and non-performing finance receivables was as follows:
(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
		Customer				Dealer				Total
Performing
North America		$	7,246			$	2,189			$	9,435
Europe		2,647				153				2,800
Asia Pacific		2,382				566				2,948
Mining		2,061				—				2,061
Latin America		2,656				646				3,302
Caterpillar Power Finance		3,052				—				3,052
Total Performing		$	20,044			$	3,554			$	23,598
Non-Performing
North America		$	27			$	—			$	27
Europe		28				—				28
Asia Pacific		54				—				54
Mining		62				—				62
Latin America		201				—				201
Caterpillar Power Finance		96				—				96
Total Non-Performing		$	468			$	—			$	468
Performing & Non-Performing
North America		$	7,273			$	2,189			$	9,462
Europe		2,675				153				2,828
Asia Pacific		2,436				566				3,002
Mining		2,123				—				2,123
Latin America		2,857				646				3,503
Caterpillar Power Finance		3,148				—				3,148
Total		$	20,512			$	3,554			$	24,066
(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2013
		Customer				Dealer				Total
Performing
North America		$	6,555			$	2,283			$	8,838
Europe		2,847				150				2,997
Asia Pacific		2,838				583				3,421
Mining		2,120				1				2,121
Latin America		2,539				748				3,287
Caterpillar Power Finance		2,972				—				2,972
Total Performing		$	19,871			$	3,765			$	23,636
Non-Performing
North America		$	26			$	—			$	26
Europe		28				—				28
Asia Pacific		50				—				50
Mining		23				—				23
Latin America		179				—				179
Caterpillar Power Finance		119				—				119
Total Non-Performing		$	425			$	—			$	425
Performing & Non-Performing
North America		$	6,581			$	2,283			$	8,864
Europe		2,875				150				3,025
Asia Pacific		2,888				583				3,471
Mining		2,143				1				2,144
Latin America		2,718				748				3,466
Caterpillar Power Finance		3,091				—				3,091
Total		$	20,296			$	3,765			$	24,061
(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2012
		Customer				Dealer				Total
Performing
North America		$	5,908			$	2,063			$	7,971
Europe		2,517				185				2,702
Asia Pacific		3,002				751				3,753
Mining		1,961				1				1,962
Latin America		2,571				884				3,455
Caterpillar Power Finance		2,952				—				2,952
Total Performing		$	18,911			$	3,884			$	22,795
Non-Performing
North America		$	59			$	—			$	59
Europe		38				—				38
Asia Pacific		36				—				36
Mining		12				—				12
Latin America		148				—				148
Caterpillar Power Finance		220				—				220
Total Non-Performing		$	513			$	—			$	513
Performing & Non-Performing
North America		$	5,967			$	2,063			$	8,030
Europe		2,555				185				2,740
Asia Pacific		3,038				751				3,789
Mining		1,973				1				1,974
Latin America		2,719				884				3,603
Caterpillar Power Finance		3,172				—				3,172
Total		$	19,424			$	3,884			$	23,308
Troubled Debt Restructurings
A restructuring of a loan or finance lease receivable constitutes a troubled debt restructuring (TDR) when the lender grants a concession it would not otherwise consider to a borrower experiencing financial difficulties.  Concessions granted may include extended contract maturities, inclusion of interest only periods, below market interest rates, extended skip payment periods and reduction of principal and/or accrued interest.
TDRs are reviewed along with other receivables as part of management’s ongoing evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses.  The allowance for credit losses attributable to TDRs is based on the most probable source of repayment, which is normally the liquidation of collateral.  In determining collateral value, Cat Financial estimates the current fair market value of the collateral less selling costs. In addition, Cat Financial considers credit enhancements such as additional collateral and contractual third-party guarantees in determining the allowance for credit losses attributable to TDRs.
There were no loans or finance lease receivables modified as TDRs during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 or 2012 for the Dealer portfolio segment.
Loan and finance lease receivables in the Customer portfolio segment modified as TDRs during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 were as follows:
(Millions of dollars)		Year ended December 31, 2014
		Number			Pre-TDR				Post-TDR
		of Contracts			Outstanding				Outstanding
					Recorded				Recorded
					Investment				Investment
Customer
North America		34			$	12			$	7
Europe		8			7				7
Asia Pacific		2			—				—
Mining		51			185				176
Latin America		51			32				31
Caterpillar Power Finance 1		18			137				139
Total 2		164			$	373			$	360
		Year ended December 31, 2013
		Number			Pre-TDR				Post-TDR
		of Contracts			Outstanding				Outstanding
					Recorded				Recorded
					Investment				Investment
Customer
North America		62			$	9			$	9
Europe		51			7				7
Asia Pacific		3			1				1
Mining		45			123				123
Latin America		16			2				2
Caterpillar Power Finance 1		17			153				157
Total 2		194			$	295			$	299
		Year ended December 31, 2012
		Number			Pre-TDR				Post-TDR
		of Contracts			Outstanding				Outstanding
					Recorded				Recorded
					Investment				Investment
Customer
North America		98			$	15			$	15
Europe		21			8				8
Asia Pacific		12			3				3
Mining		—			—				—
Latin America		41			5				5
Caterpillar Power Finance 1		27			253				253
Total 2		199			$	284			$	284
1	During the year ended December 31, 2014, no additional funds were subsequently loaned to a borrower whose terms had been modified in a TDR. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, $25 million and $24 million, respectively, of additional funds were subsequently loaned to a borrower whose terms had been modified in a TDR. The $25 million and $24 million of additional funds are not reflected in the table above as no incremental modifications have been made with the borrower during the periods presented. At December 31, 2014, there were no remaining commitments to lend additional funds to a borrower whose terms have been modified in a TDR.
2	Modifications include extended contract maturities, inclusion of interest only periods, below market interest rates, extended skip payment periods and reduction of principal and/or accrued interest.
TDRs in the Customer portfolio segment with a payment default during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date, were as follows:
(Millions of dollars)		Year ended December 31, 2014							Year ended December 31, 2013							Year ended December 31, 2012
		Number			Post-TDR				Number			Post-TDR				Number		Post-TDR
		of Contracts			Recorded				of Contracts			Recorded				of Contracts		Recorded
					Investment							Investment						Investment
Customer
North America		11			$	1			19			$	4			49		$	4
Europe		46			2				5			—				—		—
Asia Pacific		—			—				—			—				2		1
Mining		—			—				—			—				—		—
Latin America		11			1				—			—				—		—
Caterpillar Power Finance		—			—				2			3				16		21
Total		68			$	4			26			$	7			67		$	26

Inventories

Inventories	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventories	Inventories
	Inventories (principally using the LIFO method) are comprised of the following:
		December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014		2013		2012
	Raw materials	$	2,986	$	2,966	$	3,573
	Work-in-process	2,455		2,589		2,920
	Finished goods	6,504		6,785		8,767
	Supplies	260		285		287
	Total inventories	$	12,205	$	12,625	$	15,547
	We had long-term material purchase obligations of approximately $2,142 million at December 31, 2014.
	During 2013 inventory quantities were reduced. This reduction resulted in a liquidation of LIFO inventory layers carried at lower costs prevailing in prior years as compared with current costs. In 2013, the effect of this reduction of inventory decreased Cost of goods sold by approximately $115 million and increased Profit by approximately $81 million or $0.12 per share. There were no significant LIFO liquidations during 2014 or 2012.

Property_plant_and_equipment

Property, plant and equipment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment	Property, plant and equipment
					December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		Useful		2014				2013				2012
			Lives (Years)
	Land		—		$	665			$	688			$	723
	Buildings and land improvements		20-45		7,119				6,928				6,214
	Machinery, equipment and other		10-Mar		16,971				16,793				16,073
	Equipment leased to others		10-Jan		5,596				5,365				4,658
	Construction-in-process		—		1,221				1,542				2,264
	Total property, plant and equipment, at cost				31,572				31,316				29,932
	Less: Accumulated depreciation				(14,995		)		(14,241		)		(13,471		)
	Property, plant and equipment–net				$	16,577			$	17,075			$	16,461
	We had commitments for the purchase or construction of capital assets of approximately $294 million at December 31, 2014.
	Assets recorded under capital leases: 1
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Gross capital leases 2		$	111			$	125			$	134
	Less: Accumulated depreciation		(52		)		(50		)		(58		)
	Net capital leases		$	59			$	75			$	76
	1	Included in Property, plant and equipment table above.
	2	Consists primarily of machinery and equipment.
	At December 31, 2014, scheduled minimum rental payments on assets recorded under capital leases were:
	(Millions of dollars)
	2015				2016				2017				2018			2019		Thereafter
	$	8			$	26			$	10			$	7		$	7	$	35
	Equipment leased to others (primarily by Cat Financial):
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Equipment leased to others–at original cost		$	5,596			$	5,365			$	4,658
	Less: Accumulated depreciation		(1,565		)		(1,521		)		(1,383		)
	Equipment leased to others–net		$	4,031			$	3,844			$	3,275
	At December 31, 2014, scheduled minimum rental payments to be received for equipment leased to others were:
	(Millions of dollars)
	2015				2016				2017				2018			2019		Thereafter
	$	951			$	621			$	353			$	180		$	73	$	28

Investments_in_unconsolidated_

Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies	Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies
	Combined financial information of the unconsolidated affiliated companies accounted for by the equity method (generally on a lag of 3 months or less) was as follows:
	Results of Operations of unconsolidated affiliated companies:
		Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014			2013			2012
	Results of Operations:
	Sales	$	1,662		$	1,336		$	1,084
	Cost of sales	1,292			1,048			872
	Gross profit	$	370		$	288		$	212
	Profit (loss)	$	(30	)	$	(28	)	$	28
	Financial Position of unconsolidated affiliated companies:
		December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014			2013			2012
	Financial Position:
	Assets:
	Current assets	$	716		$	683		$	715
	Property, plant and equipment–net	653			710			529
	Other assets	557			608			616
		1,926			2,001			1,860
	Liabilities:
	Current liabilities	518			437			443
	Long-term debt due after one year	867			900			708
	Other liabilities	215			262			170
		1,600			1,599			1,321
	Equity	$	326		$	402		$	539
	Caterpillar’s investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies:
		December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014			2013			2012
	Investments in equity method companies	$	248		$	262		$	256
	Plus: Investments in cost method companies	9			10			16
	Total investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies	$	257		$	272		$	272

Intangible_assets_and_goodwill

Intangible assets and goodwill	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Intangible assets and goodwill	Intangible assets and goodwill
	A.	Intangible assets
	Intangible assets are comprised of the following:
					December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Weighted		Gross				Accumulated				Net
			Amortizable		Carrying				Amortization
			Life (Years)		Amount
	Customer relationships		15		$	2,489			$	(669	)		$	1,820
	Intellectual property		11		1,724				(578		)		1,146
	Other		11		239				(129		)		110
	Total finite-lived intangible assets		14		$	4,452			$	(1,376	)		$	3,076
					December 31, 2013
			Weighted		Gross				Accumulated				Net
			Amortizable		Carrying				Amortization
			Life (Years)		Amount
	Customer relationships		15		$	2,653			$	(539	)		$	2,114
	Intellectual property		11		1,821				(495		)		1,326
	Other		10		274				(136		)		138
	Total finite-lived intangible assets		13		4,748				(1,170		)		3,578
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets - In-process research & development				18				—				18
	Total intangible assets				$	4,766			$	(1,170	)		$	3,596
					December 31, 2012
			Weighted		Gross				Accumulated				Net
			Amortizable		Carrying				Amortization
			Life (Years)		Amount
	Customer relationships		15		$	2,756			$	(377	)		$	2,379
	Intellectual property		12		1,767				(342		)		1,425
	Other		10		299				(105		)		194
	Total finite-lived intangible assets		13		4,822				(824		)		3,998
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets - In-process research & development				18				—				18
	Total intangible assets				$	4,840			$	(824	)		$	4,016
	Gross customer relationship intangibles of $48 million and related accumulated amortization of $9 million were divested during 2014, and are not included in the December 31, 2014 balances in the table above. These transactions were related to the divestiture of portions of the Bucyrus distribution business. See Note 26 for additional information on divestitures.
	In-process research & development indefinite-lived intangibles of $18 million from the Energy & Transportation segment were impaired during 2014. Fair value of the intangibles was determined using an income approach based on the present value of discounted cash flows. The impairment of $18 million was recognized in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1 and included in the Energy & Transportation segment.
	During 2013, we acquired finite-lived intangible assets aggregating $70 million due to the purchase of Johan Walter Berg AB (Berg). See Note 24 for details on this acquisition.
	Gross customer relationship intangibles of $168 million and related accumulated amortization of $25 million were reclassified from Intangible assets to assets held for sale and/or divested during 2013, and are not included in the December 31, 2013 balances in the table above. These transactions were related to the divestiture of portions of the Bucyrus distribution business. See Note 26 for additional information on divestitures.
	During 2012, we acquired finite-lived intangible assets aggregating $120 million due to purchases of ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei) ($112 million) and Caterpillar Tohoku Ltd. (Cat Tohoku) ($8 million). See Note 24 for details on these acquisitions.
	Gross customer relationship intangibles of $207 million with related accumulated amortization of $93 million were reclassified from Intangible assets to held for sale and/or divested during 2012, and are not included in the December 31, 2012 balances in the table above. These transactions primarily related to the divestiture of portions of the Bucyrus distribution business and our third party logistics business. See Note 26 for additional information on divestitures.
	Gross customer relationship intangibles of $51 million with related accumulated amortization of $29 million from the All Other segments were impaired during 2012. Fair value of the intangibles was determined using an income approach based on the present value of discounted cash flows. The impairment of $22 million was recognized in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1 and included in the All Other segments.
	Finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives and tested for impairment if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset may be impaired.  Indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment at least annually.
	Amortization expense related to intangible assets was $365 million, $371 million and $387 million for 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	As of December 31, 2014, amortization expense related to intangible assets is expected to be:
	(Millions of dollars)
	2015				2016				2017				2018				2019				Thereafter
	$	345			$	323			$	322			$	320			$	318			$	1,448
	B.	Goodwill
	During 2013, we acquired net assets with related goodwill of $106 million due to the purchase of Berg. In 2014, we finalized the allocation of the Berg purchase price to identifiable assets and liabilities, adjusting goodwill from our December 31, 2013 preliminary allocation by an increase of $7 million. See Note 24 for details on this acquisition.
	There were no goodwill impairments during 2014 or 2013.
	As discussed in Note 24, we recorded goodwill of $625 million related to our May 2012 acquisition of Siwei. In November 2012, Caterpillar became aware of inventory accounting discrepancies at Siwei which led to an internal investigation. Caterpillar's investigation determined that Siwei had engaged in accounting misconduct prior to Caterpillar's acquisition of Siwei in mid-2012. The accounting misconduct included inappropriate accounting practices involving improper cost allocation that resulted in overstated profit and improper revenue recognition practices involving early and, at times unsupported, revenue recognition.
	Because of the accounting misconduct identified in the fourth quarter of 2012, Siwei's goodwill was tested for impairment as of November 30, 2012. We determined the carrying value of Siwei, which was a separate reporting unit, exceeded its fair value at the measurement date, requiring step two in the impairment test process.  The fair value of the Siwei reporting unit was determined primarily using an income approach based on the present value of discounted cash flows. We assigned the fair value to the reporting unit's assets and liabilities and determined the implied fair value of goodwill was substantially below the carrying value of the reporting unit's goodwill.  Accordingly, we recognized a $580 million goodwill impairment charge, which resulted in goodwill of $45 million remaining for Siwei as of December 31, 2012. The goodwill impairment was a result of changes in the assumptions used to determine the fair value resulting from the accounting misconduct that occurred before the acquisition. There was no tax benefit associated with this impairment charge. The Siwei goodwill impairment charge is reported in the Resource Industries segment.
	Additionally, during 2012, we recorded goodwill of $22 million related to the acquisition of Cat Tohoku. See Note 24 for details on this acquisition.
	Goodwill of $15 million, $65 million and $181 million was reclassified to held for sale and/or divested during 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and is not included in the December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 respective balances in the table below. The reclassified/divested amount in 2014 and 2012 primarily related to the divestiture of portions of the Bucyrus distribution business. The reclassified/divested amounts in 2013 was related to the divestiture of portions of the Bucyrus distribution business and the sale of certain Energy & Transportation assets that were accounted for as a business. See Note 26 for additional information on divestitures.
	As discussed in Note 23, effective January 1, 2014, we revised our reportable segments in line with the changes to our organization structure. Our reporting units did not significantly change as a result of the changes to our reportable segments.
	The changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2013				Acquisitions 1				Held for Sale and Business Divestitures 2				Impairment Loss				Other Adjustments 3				December 31, 2014
	Construction Industries
	Goodwill		$	291			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	(16	)		$	275
	Resource Industries
	Goodwill		4,468				—				(15		)		—				(166		)		4,287
	Impairments		(580		)		—				—				—				—				(580		)
	Net goodwill		3,888				—				(15		)		—				(166		)		3,707
	Energy & Transportation
	Goodwill		2,600				7				—				—				(65		)		2,542
	All Other 4
	Goodwill		199				—				—				—				(7		)		192
Impairment		(22		)		—				—				—				—				(22		)
Net goodwill		177				—				—				—				(7		)		170
Consolidated total
Goodwill		7,558				7				(15		)		—				(254		)		7,296
Impairments		(602		)		—				—				—				—				(602		)
Net goodwill		$	6,956			$	7			$	(15	)		$	—			$	(254	)		$	6,694
		December 31, 2012				Acquisitions 1				Held for Sale and Business Divestitures 2				Impairment Loss				Other Adjustments 3				December 31, 2013
Construction Industries
Goodwill		$	333			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	(42	)		$	291
Resource Industries
Goodwill		4,511				—				(55		)		—				12				4,468
Impairments		(580		)		—				—				—				—				(580		)
Net goodwill		3,931				—				(55		)		—				12				3,888
Energy & Transportation
Goodwill		2,486				106				(10		)		—				18				2,600
All Other 4
Goodwill		214				—				—				—				(15		)		199
Impairment		(22		)		—				—				—				—				(22		)
Net goodwill		192				—				—				—				(15		)		177
Consolidated total
Goodwill		7,544				106				(65		)		—				(27		)		7,558
Impairments		(602		)		—				—				—				—				(602		)
Net goodwill		$	6,942			$	106			$	(65	)		$	—			$	(27	)		$	6,956
		December 31, 2011				Acquisitions 1				Held for Sale and Business Divestitures 2				Impairment Loss				Other Adjustments 3				December 31, 2012
Construction Industries
Goodwill		$	331			$	15			$	—			$	—			$	(13	)		$	333
Resource Industries
Goodwill		4,073				597				(181		)		—				22				4,511
Impairments		—				—				—				(580		)		—				(580		)
Net goodwill		4,073				597				(181		)		(580		)		22				3,931
Energy & Transportation
Goodwill		2,486				9				—				—				(9		)		2,486
All Other 4
Goodwill		212				7				—				—				(5		)		214
Impairment		(22		)		—				—				—				—				(22		)
Net goodwill		190				7				—				—				(5		)		192
Consolidated total
Goodwill		7,102				628				(181		)		—				(5		)		7,544
Impairments		(22		)		—				—				(580		)		—				(602		)
Net goodwill		$	7,080			$	628			$	(181	)		$	(580	)		$	(5	)		$	6,942
1	See Note 24 for additional information.
2	See Note 26 for additional information.
3	Other adjustments are comprised primarily of foreign currency translation.
4	Includes All Other operating segments (See Note 23).

Availableforsale_securities

Available-for-sale securities	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Available-for-sale securities	Available-for-sale securities
	We have investments in certain debt and equity securities, primarily at Insurance Services, that have been classified as available-for-sale and recorded at fair value based upon quoted market prices.  These investments are primarily included in Other assets in Statement 3.  Unrealized gains and losses arising from the revaluation of available-for-sale securities are included, net of applicable deferred income taxes, in equity (Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in Statement 3).  Realized gains and losses on sales of investments are generally determined using the specific identification method for debt and equity securities.  Realized gains and losses are included in Other income (expense) in Statement 1.
			December 31, 2014						December 31, 2013							December 31, 2012
	(Millions of dollars)		Cost		Unrealized		Fair		Cost		Unrealized			Fair		Cost		Unrealized			Fair
			Basis		Pretax Net		Value		Basis		Pretax Net			Value		Basis		Pretax Net			Value
					Gains						Gains							Gains
					(Losses)						(Losses)							(Losses)
	Government debt
	U.S. treasury bonds		$	10	$	—	$	10	$	10	$	—		$	10	$	10	$	—		$	10
	Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds		94		—		94		119		1			120		144		2			146
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		677		16		693		612		21			633		626		38			664
	Asset-backed securities		103		2		105		72		—			72		96		—			96
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		292		2		294		322		(1		)	321		291		8			299
	Residential		15		—		15		18		—			18		26		(1		)	25
	Commercial		63		4		67		87		6			93		117		10			127
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		150		83		233		173		81			254		147		38			185
	Smaller company growth		17		26		43		25		24			49		22		12			34
	Total		$	1,421	$	133	$	1,554	$	1,438	$	132		$	1,570	$	1,479	$	107		$	1,586
	Investments in an unrealized loss position that are not other-than-temporarily impaired:
			December 31, 2014
			Less than 12 months 1				12 months or more 1				Total
	(Millions of dollars)		Fair		Unrealized		Fair		Unrealized		Fair			Unrealized
			Value		Losses		Value		Losses		Value			Losses
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		$	195	$	1	$	32	$	—	$	227		$	1
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		34		—		140		3		174			3
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		15		2		1		—		16			2
	Total		$	244	$	3	$	173	$	3	$	417		$	6
	1	Indicates length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position.
	Investments in an unrealized loss position that are not other-than-temporarily impaired:
			December 31, 2013
	(Millions of dollars)		Less than 12 months 1				12 months or more 1				Total
			Fair		Unrealized		Fair		Unrealized		Fair			Unrealized
			Value		Losses		Value		Losses		Value			Losses
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		$	159	$	2	$	1	$	—	$	160		$	2
	Asset-backed securities		6		—		20		1		26			1
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		140		4		65		2		205			6
	Total		$	305	$	6	$	86	$	3	$	391		$	9
	1	Indicates length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position.
	Investments in an unrealized loss position that are not other-than-temporarily impaired:
			December 31, 2012
	(Millions of dollars)		Less than 12 months 1				12 months or more 1				Total
			Fair		Unrealized		Fair		Unrealized		Fair			Unrealized
			Value		Losses		Value		Losses		Value			Losses
	Corporate bonds
	Asset-backed securities		$	—	$	—	$	20	$	3	$	20		$	3
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		84		1		15		—		99			1
	Residential		—		—		14		1		14			1
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		25		2		10		1		35			3
	Total		$	109	$	3	$	59	$	5	$	168		$	8
	1	Indicates length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position.
	Corporate Bonds.  The unrealized losses on our investments in corporate bonds relate to changes in interest rates and credit-related yield spreads since time of purchase.  We do not intend to sell the investments and it is not likely that we will be required to sell the investments before recovery of their amortized cost basis.  We do not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired as of December 31, 2014.
	Mortgage-Backed Debt Securities.  The unrealized losses on our investments in mortgage-backed securities relate to changes in interest rates and credit-related yield spreads since time of purchase.  We do not intend to sell the investments and it is not likely that we will be required to sell these investments before recovery of their amortized cost basis.  We do not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired as of December 31, 2014.
	Equity Securities.  Insurance Services maintains a well-diversified equity portfolio consisting of two specific mandates:  large capitalization value stocks and smaller company growth stocks.  The unrealized losses on our investments in equity securities relate to inherent risks of individual holdings and/or their respective sectors. U.S. equity valuations were higher on average during the fourth quarter of 2014 on generally favorable economic data.  We do not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired as of December 31, 2014.
	The cost basis and fair value of the available-for-sale debt securities at December 31, 2014, by contractual maturity, is shown below. Expected maturities will differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to prepay and creditors may have the right to call obligations.
		December 31, 2014
(Millions of dollars)		Cost Basis		Fair Value
Due in one year or less		$	72	$	73
Due after one year through five years		744		760
Due after five years through ten years		41		42
Due after ten years		27		27
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		292		294
Residential mortgage-backed securities		15		15
Commercial mortgage-backed securities		63		67
Total debt securities – available-for-sale		$	1,254	$	1,278
Sales of Securities:
		Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of dollars)		2014		2013		2012
Proceeds from the sale of available-for-sale securities		$	434	$	449	$	306
Gross gains from the sale of available-for-sale securities		$	38	$	22	$	6
Gross losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities		$	2	$	2	$	—

Postemployment_benefit_plans

Postemployment benefit plans	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Postemployment benefit plans	Postemployment benefit plans
	We provide defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution plans and/or other postretirement benefit plans (retirement health care and life insurance) to employees in many of our locations throughout the world. Our defined benefit pension plans provide a benefit based on years of service and/or the employee’s average earnings near retirement. Our defined contribution plans allow employees to contribute a portion of their salary to help save for retirement, and in certain cases, we provide a matching contribution. The benefit obligation related to our non-U.S. defined benefit pension plans are for employees located primarily in Europe, Japan and Brazil. For other postretirement benefits, substantially all of our benefit obligation is for employees located in the United States.
	Our U.S. defined benefit pension plans for support and management employees were frozen for certain employees on December 31, 2010, and will freeze for remaining employees on December 31, 2019. On the respective transition dates employees move to a retirement benefit that provides a frozen pension benefit and a 401(k) plan that will include a matching contribution and a new annual employer contribution.
	In February 2012, we announced the closure of the Electro-Motive Diesel facility located in London, Ontario. As a result of the closure, we recognized a $37 million other postretirement benefits curtailment gain. This excludes a $21 million loss of a third-party receivable for other postretirement benefits that was eliminated due to the closure. In addition, a $10 million contractual termination benefit expense was recognized related to statutory pension benefits required to be paid to certain affected employees. As a result, a net gain of $6 million related to the facility closure was recognized in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1.
	In August 2012, we announced changes to our U.S. hourly pension plan, which impacted certain hourly employees. For the impacted employees, pension benefit accruals were frozen on January 1, 2013 or will freeze January 1, 2016, at which time employees will become eligible for various provisions of company sponsored 401(k) plans including a matching contribution and an annual employer contribution. The plan changes resulted in a curtailment and required a remeasurement as of August 31, 2012. The curtailment and the remeasurement resulted in a net increase in our Liability for postemployment benefits of $243 million and a net loss of $153 million, net of tax, recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The increase in the liability was primarily due to a decline in the discount rate. Also, the curtailment resulted in expense of $7 million which was recognized in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1.
	A.	Benefit obligations
			U.S. Pension Benefits									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement
																					Benefits
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	Change in benefit obligation:
	Benefit obligation, beginning of year		$	14,419		$	15,913		$	14,782		$	4,609		$	4,737		$	4,299		$	4,784		$	5,453		$	5,381
	Service cost		157			196			185			109			120			108			82			108			92
	Interest cost		648			581			609			185			166			182			213			195			221
	Plan amendments		—			—			—			—			—			12			(1		)	1			(38		)
	Actuarial losses (gains)		1,994			(1,450		)	1,168			604			(41		)	385			196			(658		)	186
	Foreign currency exchange rates		—			—			—			(436		)	(81		)	49			(30		)	(19		)	(11		)
	Participant contributions		—			—			—			9			10			9			61			57			48
	Benefits paid - gross		(963		)	(845		)	(831		)	(206		)	(254		)	(190		)	(377		)	(339		)	(394		)
	Less: federal subsidy on benefits paid		—			—			—			—			—			—			14			8			16
	Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits		(6		)	(7		)	—			(53		)	(56		)	(67		)	(4		)	—			(48		)
	Acquisitions, divestitures and other 1		—			31			—			(20		)	8			(50		)	—			(22		)	—
	Benefit obligation, end of year		$	16,249		$	14,419		$	15,913		$	4,801		$	4,609		$	4,737		$	4,938		$	4,784		$	5,453
	Accumulated benefit obligation, end of year		$	15,701		$	14,056		$	15,132		$	4,408		$	4,247		$	4,329
	Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligation:
	Discount rate 2		3.8		%	4.6		%	3.7		%	3.3		%	4.1		%	3.7		%	3.9		%	4.6		%	3.7		%
	Rate of compensation increase 2		4		%	4		%	4.5		%	4		%	4.2		%	3.9		%	4		%	4		%	4.4		%
	1	In 2013, charge to recognize a previously unrecorded liability related to a subsidiary's pension plans and an adjustment to other postretirement benefits related to certain other benefits. See Note 26 regarding the divestiture of the third party logistics business in 2012.
	2	End of year rates are used to determine net periodic cost for the subsequent year. See Note 12E.
	Assumed health care cost trend rates have a significant effect on the amounts reported for the health care plans. A one-percentage-point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effects:
	(Millions of dollars)		One-percentage-			One-percentage-
			point increase			point decrease
	Effect on 2014 service and interest cost components of other postretirement benefit cost		$	24		$	(20	)
	Effect on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation		$	298		$	(245	)
	B.	Plan assets
			U.S. Pension Benefits									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement
																					Benefits
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	Change in plan assets:
	Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year		$	12,395		$	10,981		$	9,997		$	3,949		$	3,426		$	2,818		$	822		$	789		$	814
	Actual return on plan assets		849			1,722			1,235			507			535			368			75			158			117
	Foreign currency exchange rates		—			—			—			(352		)	(41		)	47			—			—			—
	Company contributions		255			541			580			265			303			446			195			157			204
	Participant contributions		—			—			—			9			10			9			61			57			48
	Benefits paid		(963		)	(845		)	(831		)	(206		)	(254		)	(190		)	(377		)	(339		)	(394		)
	Settlements and termination benefits		(6		)	(4		)	—			(50		)	(30		)	(72		)	—			—			—
	Acquisitions, divestitures and other		—			—			—			(22		)	—			—			—			—			—
	Fair value of plan assets, end of year		$	12,530		$	12,395		$	10,981		$	4,100		$	3,949		$	3,426		$	776		$	822		$	789
	In general, our strategy for both the U.S. and non-U.S. pensions includes further aligning our investments to our liabilities, while reducing risk in our portfolio. The current U.S. pension target asset allocations are 50 percent equities and 50 percent fixed income. These target allocations will be revisited periodically to ensure that they reflect our overall objectives. The non-U.S. pension weighted-average target allocations are 46 percent equities, 46 percent fixed income, 6 percent real estate and 2 percent other.  The target allocations for each plan vary based upon local statutory requirements, demographics of plan participants and funded status.  The non-U.S. plan assets are primarily invested in non-U.S. securities.
	Our target allocations for the other postretirement benefit plans are 70 percent equities and 30 percent fixed income.
	The U.S. plans are rebalanced to plus or minus 5 percentage points of the target asset allocation ranges on a monthly basis.  The frequency of rebalancing for the non-U.S. plans varies depending on the plan. As a result of our diversification strategies, there are no significant concentrations of risk within the portfolio of investments except for the holdings in Caterpillar stock in 2013 and 2012 as discussed below.
	The use of certain derivative instruments is permitted where appropriate and necessary for achieving overall investment policy objectives.  The plans do not engage in derivative contracts for speculative purposes.
	The accounting guidance on fair value measurements specifies a fair value hierarchy based upon the observability of inputs used in valuation techniques (Level 1, 2 and 3).  See Note 18 for a discussion of the fair value hierarchy.
	Fair values are determined as follows:
	•	Equity securities are primarily based on valuations for identical instruments in active markets.
	•	Fixed income securities are primarily based upon models that take into consideration such market-based factors as recent sales, risk-free yield curves and prices of similarly rated bonds.
	•	Real estate is stated at the fund’s net asset value or at appraised value.
	•	Cash, short-term instruments and other are based on the carrying amount, which approximates fair value, or the fund’s net asset value.
	The fair value of the pension and other postretirement benefit plan assets by category is summarized below:
			December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
												at Fair Value
	U.S. Pension
	Equity securities:
	U.S. equities		$	3,713		$	1		$	161		$	3,875
Non-U.S. equities		2,291			12			1			2,304
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			3,985			25			4,010
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			552			—			552
U.S. government bonds		—			528			—			528
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			752			2			754
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			62			2			64
Real estate		—			—			9			9
Cash, short-term instruments and other		37			397			—			434
Total U.S. pension assets		$	6,041		$	6,289		$	200		$	12,530
		December 31, 2013
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
U.S. Pension
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	4,337		$	—		$	129		$	4,466
Non-U.S. equities		3,058			—			—			3,058
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			2,123			34			2,157
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			327			20			347
U.S. government bonds		—			774			—			774
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			905			—			905
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			52			—			52
Real estate		—			—			8			8
Cash, short-term instruments and other		22			606			—			628
Total U.S. pension assets		$	7,417		$	4,787		$	191		$	12,395
		December 31, 2012
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
U.S. Pension
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	4,460		$	3		$	98		$	4,561
Non-U.S. equities		2,691			2			—			2,693
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			1,490			23			1,513
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			231			10			241
U.S. government bonds		—			694			8			702
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			794			1			795
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			33			3			36
Real estate		—			—			8			8
Cash, short-term instruments and other		13			419			—			432
Total U.S. pension assets		$	7,164		$	3,666		$	151		$	10,981
		December 31, 2014
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Non-U.S. Pension
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	552		$	—		$	—		$	552
Non-U.S. equities		794			250			—			1,044
Global equities 1		218			52			—			270
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			81			9			90
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			503			2			505
U.S. government bonds		—			1			—			1
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			836			—			836
Global fixed income 1		—			363			—			363
Real estate		—			182			48			230
Cash, short-term instruments and other 2		159			50			—			209
Total non-U.S. pension assets		$	1,723		$	2,318		$	59		$	4,100
		December 31, 2013
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Non-U.S. Pension
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	607		$	1		$	—		$	608
Non-U.S. equities		1,022			160			—			1,182
Global equities 1		235			54			—			289
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			84			9			93
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			534			12			546
U.S. government bonds		—			3			—			3
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			418			—			418
Global fixed income 1		—			397			—			397
Real estate		—			136			111			247
Cash, short-term instruments and other 2		141			25			—			166
Total non-U.S. pension assets		$	2,005		$	1,812		$	132		$	3,949
		December 31, 2012
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Non-U.S. Pension
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	436		$	2		$	—		$	438
Non-U.S. equities		1,038			118			—			1,156
Global equities 1		244			27			—			271
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			37			3			40
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			494			2			496
U.S. government bonds		—			3			—			3
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			169			—			169
Global fixed income 1		—			403			—			403
Real estate		—			114			104			218
Cash, short-term instruments and other 2		185			47			—			232
Total non-U.S. pension assets		$	1,903		$	1,414		$	109		$	3,426
1	Includes funds that invest in both U.S. and non-U.S. securities.
2	Includes funds that invest in multiple asset classes, hedge funds and other.
		December 31, 2014
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Other Postretirement Benefits
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	392		$	—		$	—		$	392
Non-U.S. equities		158			1			—			159
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			103			—			103
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			17			—			17
U.S. government bonds		—			30			—			30
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			50			—			50
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			3			—			3
Cash, short-term instruments and other		9			13			—			22
Total other postretirement benefit assets		$	559		$	217		$	—		$	776
		December 31, 2013
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Other Postretirement Benefits
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	388		$	—		$	—		$	388
Non-U.S. equities		189			—			—			189
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			101			—			101
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			17			—			17
U.S. government bonds		—			23			—			23
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			49			—			49
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			2			—			2
Cash, short-term instruments and other		8			45			—			53
Total other postretirement benefit assets		$	585		$	237		$	—		$	822
		December 31, 2012
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Other Postretirement Benefits
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	387		$	—		$	—		$	387
Non-U.S. equities		194			—			—			194
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			70			—			70
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			11			—			11
U.S. government bonds		—			27			—			27
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			33			—			33
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			2			—			2
Cash, short-term instruments and other		18			47			—			65
Total other postretirement benefit assets		$	599		$	190		$	—		$	789
Below are roll-forwards of assets measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.  These instruments were valued using pricing models that, in management’s judgment, reflect the assumptions a market participant would use.
(Millions of dollars)		Equities			Fixed Income			Real Estate			Other
U.S. Pension
Balance at December 31, 2011		$	77		$	51		$	8		$	—
Unrealized gains (losses)		(4		)	—			—			(1		)
Realized gains (losses)		4			2			—			—
Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		21			(4		)	—			1
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(4		)	—			—
Balance at December 31, 2012		$	98		$	45		$	8		$	—
Unrealized gains (losses)		10			(1		)	—			—
Realized gains (losses)		4			—			—			—
Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		17			12			—			—
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(2		)	—			—
Balance at December 31, 2013		$	129		$	54		$	8		$	—
Unrealized gains (losses)		1			—			1			—
Realized gains (losses)		19			3			—			—
Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		13			(23		)	—			—
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(5		)	—			—
Balance at December 31, 2014		$	162		$	29		$	9		$	—
Non-U.S. Pension
Balance at December 31, 2011		$	—		$	9		$	97		$	—
Unrealized gains (losses)		—			—			8			—
Realized gains (losses)		—			—			—			—
Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		—			(1		)	(1		)	—
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(3		)	—			—
Balance at December 31, 2012		$	—		$	5		$	104		$	—
Unrealized gains (losses)		—			—			7			—
Realized gains (losses)		—			—			—			—
Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		—			16			—			—
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			—			—			—
Balance at December 31, 2013		$	—		$	21		$	111		$	—
Unrealized gains (losses)		—			(1		)	(23		)	—
Realized gains (losses)		—			—			22			—
Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		—			(1		)	(62		)	—
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(8		)	—			—
Balance at December 31, 2014		$	—		$	11		$	48		$	—
Equity securities within plan assets include Caterpillar Inc. common stock in the amounts of:
		U.S. Pension Benefits 1									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement
																				Benefits
(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
Caterpillar Inc. common stock		$	—		$	495		$	597		$	—		$	—		$	1		$	—		$	—		$	1
1	Amounts represent 4 percent and 5 percent of total plan assets for 2013 and 2012, respectively.
C.	Funded status
The funded status of the plans, reconciled to the amount reported on Statement 3, is as follows:
		U.S. Pension Benefits									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement Benefits
(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
End of Year
Fair value of plan assets		$	12,530		$	12,395		$	10,981		$	4,100		$	3,949		$	3,426		$	776		$	822		$	789
Benefit obligations		16,249			14,419			15,913			4,801			4,609			4,737			4,938			4,784			5,453
Over (under) funded status recognized in financial position		$	(3,719	)	$	(2,024	)	$	(4,932	)	$	(701	)	$	(660	)	$	(1,311	)	$	(4,162	)	$	(3,962	)	$	(4,664	)
Components of net amount recognized in financial position:
Other assets (non-current asset)		$	3		$	5		$	—		$	144		$	123		$	30		$	—		$	—		$	—
Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits (current liability)		(28		)	(26		)	(23		)	(24		)	(29		)	(27		)	(160		)	(169		)	(169		)
Liability for postemployment benefits (non-current liability)		(3,694		)	(2,003		)	(4,909		)	(821		)	(754		)	(1,314		)	(4,002		)	(3,793		)	(4,495		)
Net liability recognized		$	(3,719	)	$	(2,024	)	$	(4,932	)	$	(701	)	$	(660	)	$	(1,311	)	$	(4,162	)	$	(3,962	)	$	(4,664	)
Amounts recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income (pre-tax) consist of:
Net actuarial loss (gain)		$	6,034		$	4,396		$	7,286		$	1,494		$	1,373		$	1,907		$	800		$	662		$	1,528
Prior service cost (credit)		2			19			36			9			13			22			(31		)	(84		)	(159		)
Transition obligation (asset)		—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—			3
Total		$	6,036		$	4,415		$	7,322		$	1,503		$	1,386		$	1,929		$	769		$	578		$	1,372
The estimated amounts that will be amortized from Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at December 31, 2014 into net periodic benefit cost (pre-tax) in 2015 are as follows:
(Millions of dollars)		U.S.			Non-U.S.			Other
		Pension Benefits			Pension Benefits			Postretirement
								Benefits
Net actuarial loss (gain)		$	507		$	101		$	53
Prior service cost (credit)		1			—			(55		)
Total		$	508		$	101		$	(2	)
The following amounts relate to our pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets:
		U.S. Pension Benefits at Year-end									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits at Year-end
(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
Projected benefit obligation		$	16,182		$	14,352		$	15,913		$	4,539		$	4,177		$	4,310
Accumulated benefit obligation		$	15,634		$	13,989		$	15,132		$	4,148		$	3,820		$	3,903
Fair value of plan assets		$	12,460		$	12,323		$	10,981		$	3,695		$	3,394		$	2,969
The following amounts relate to our pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets:
		U.S. Pension Benefits at Year-end									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits at Year-end
(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
Projected benefit obligation		$	16,182		$	14,352		$	15,913		$	1,879		$	1,436		$	4,107
Accumulated benefit obligation		$	15,634		$	13,989		$	15,132		$	1,734		$	1,374		$	3,752
Fair value of plan assets		$	12,460		$	12,323		$	10,981		$	1,068		$	797		$	2,806
The accumulated postretirement benefit obligation exceeds plan assets for all of our other postretirement benefit plans for all years presented.
D.	Expected cash flow
Information about the expected cash flow for the pension and other postretirement benefit plans is as follows:
(Millions of dollars)		U.S.			Non-U.S.			Other
		Pension Benefits			Pension Benefits			Postretirement
								Benefits
Employer contributions:
2015 (expected)		$	30		$	160		$	200
Expected benefit payments:
2015		$	890		$	220		$	320
2016		910			200			320
2017		920			190			320
2018		930			190			330
2019		940			200			330
2020-2024		4,790			1,140			1,630
Total		$	9,380		$	2,140		$	3,250
The above table reflects the total employer contributions and benefits expected to be paid from the plan or from company assets and does not include the participants’ share of the cost. The expected benefit payments for our other postretirement benefits include payments for prescription drug benefits. Medicare Part D subsidy amounts expected to be received by the company which will offset other postretirement benefit payments are as follows:
(Millions of dollars)		2015			2016			2017			2018			2019			2020-2024			Total
Other postretirement benefits		$	15		$	15		$	15		$	15		$	20		$	95		$	175
E.	Net periodic cost
		U.S. Pension Benefits									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement Benefits
(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost		$	157		$	196		$	185		$	109		$	120		$	108		$	82		$	108		$	92
Interest cost		648			581			609			185			166			182			213			195			221
Expected return on plan assets 1		(885		)	(832		)	(812		)	(258		)	(225		)	(215		)	(52		)	(56		)	(63		)
Other adjustments 2		—			31			—			—			—			—			—			(22		)	—
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits 3		—			—			7			14			2			38			(2		)	—			(40		)
Amortization of:
Transition obligation (asset)		—			—			—			—			—			—			—			2			2
Prior service cost (credit) 4		17			18			19			—			1			1			(55		)	(73		)	(68		)
Net actuarial loss (gain) 5		392			546			504			86			128			97			41			107			100
Total cost included in operating profit		$	329		$	540		$	512		$	136		$	192		$	211		$	227		$	261		$	244
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income (pre-tax):
Current year actuarial loss (gain)		$	2,030		$	(2,344	)	$	745		$	207		$	(406	)	$	225		$	179		$	(759	)	$	133
Amortization of actuarial (loss) gain		(392		)	(546		)	(504		)	(86		)	(128		)	(97		)	(41		)	(107		)	(100		)
Current year prior service cost (credit)		—			—			(7		)	(4		)	(7		)	10			(2		)	2			(38		)
Amortization of prior service (cost) credit		(17		)	(18		)	(19		)	—			(1		)	(1		)	55			73			68
Amortization of transition (obligation) asset		—			—			—			—			—			—			—			(2		)	(2		)
Total recognized in other comprehensive income		1,621			(2,908		)	215			117			(542		)	137			191			(793		)	61
Total recognized in net periodic cost and other comprehensive income		$	1,950		$	(2,368	)	$	727		$	253		$	(350	)	$	348		$	418		$	(532	)	$	305
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net cost:
Discount rate		4.6		%	3.7		%	4.3		%	4.1		%	3.7		%	4.3		%	4.6		%	3.7		%	4.3		%
Expected rate of return on plan assets 6		7.8		%	7.8		%	8		%	6.9		%	6.8		%	7.1		%	7.8		%	7.8		%	8		%
Rate of compensation increase		4		%	4.5		%	4.5		%	4.2		%	3.9		%	3.9		%	4		%	4.4		%	4.4		%
1	Expected return on plan assets developed using calculated market-related value of plan assets which recognizes differences in expected and actual returns over a three-year period.
2	Charge to recognize a previously unrecorded liability related to a subsidiary's pension plans and an adjustment to other postretirement benefits related to certain other benefits.
3	Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits were recognized in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1.
4	Prior service cost (credit) for both pension and other postretirement benefits are generally amortized using the straight-line method over the average remaining service period of active employees expected to receive benefits from the plan. For pension plans in which all or almost all of the plan's participants are inactive and other postretirement benefit plans in which all or almost all of the plan's participants are fully eligible for benefits under the plan, prior service cost (credit) are amortized using the straight-line method over the remaining life expectancy of those participants.
5	Net actuarial loss (gain) for pension and other postretirement benefit plans are generally amortized using the straight-line method over the average remaining service period of active employees expected to receive benefits from the plan. For plans in which all or almost all of the plan’s participants are inactive, net actuarial loss (gain) are amortized using the straight-line method over the remaining life expectancy of the inactive participants.
6	The weighted-average rates for 2015 are 7.4 percent and 6.8 percent for U.S. and non-U.S. pension plans, respectively.
The assumed discount rate is used to discount future benefit obligations back to today’s dollars.  The U.S. discount rate is based on a benefit cash flow-matching approach and represents the rate at which our benefit obligations could effectively be settled as of our measurement date, December 31.  The benefit cash flow-matching approach involves analyzing Caterpillar’s projected cash flows against a high quality bond yield curve, calculated using a wide population of corporate Aa bonds available on the measurement date.  The very highest and lowest yielding bonds (top and bottom 10 percent) are excluded from the analysis.  A similar process is used to determine the assumed discount rate for our most significant non-U.S. plans. This rate is sensitive to changes in interest rates. A decrease in the discount rate would increase our obligation and future expense.
Our U.S. expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is based on our estimate of long-term passive returns for equities and fixed income securities weighted by the allocation of our pension assets. Based on historical performance, we increase the passive returns due to our active management of the plan assets. To arrive at our expected long-term return, the amount added for active management was 1 percent for 2014, 2013 and 2012.  A similar process is used to determine this rate for our non-U.S. plans.
The assumed health care trend rate represents the rate at which health care costs are assumed to increase. We assumed a weighted-average increase of 6.6 percent in our calculation of 2014 benefit expense.  We expect a weighted-average increase of 6.6 percent during 2015.  The 2015 rates are assumed to decrease gradually to the ultimate health care trend rate of 5 percent in 2021. This rate represents 3 percent general inflation plus 2 percent additional health care inflation.
F.	Other postemployment benefit plans
We offer long-term disability benefits, continued health care for disabled employees, survivor income benefit insurance and supplemental unemployment benefits to substantially all U.S. employees.
G.	Defined contribution plans
We have both U.S. and non-U.S. employee defined contribution plans to help employees save for retirement. Our primary U.S. 401(k) plan allows eligible employees to contribute a portion of their cash compensation to the plan on a tax-deferred basis. Employees with frozen defined benefit pension accruals are eligible for matching contributions equal to 100 percent of employee contributions to the plan up to 6 percent of cash compensation and an annual employer contribution that ranges from 3 to 5 percent of cash compensation (depending on years of service and age). Employees that are still accruing benefits under a defined benefit pension plan are eligible for matching contributions equal to 50 percent of employee contributions up to 6 percent of cash compensation. Various other U.S. and non-U.S. defined contribution plans allow eligible employees to contribute a portion of their salary to the plans, and in some cases, we provide a matching contribution to the funds.
Total company costs related to U.S. and non-U.S. defined contribution plans were as follows:
(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012
U.S. plans		$	301		$	308		$	260
Non-U.S. plans		85			64			60
		$	386		$	372		$	320
H.	Summary of long-term liability:
		December 31,
(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012
Pensions:
U.S. pensions		$	3,694		$	2,003		$	4,909
Non-U.S. pensions		821			754			1,314
Total pensions		4,515			2,757			6,223
Postretirement benefits other than pensions		4,002			3,793			4,495
Other postemployment benefits		112			99			81
Defined contribution		334			324			286
		$	8,963		$	6,973		$	11,085

Shortterm_borrowings

Short-term borrowings	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Short-term Borrowings Disclosure [Abstract]
Short-term borrowings	Short-term borrowings
		December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014			2013				2012
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation:
	Notes payable to banks	$	9		$	16			$	484
	Notes payable to certain former shareholders of Siwei	—			—				152
	Commercial paper	—			—				—
		9			16				636
	Financial Products:
	Notes payable to banks	411			545				418
	Commercial paper	3,688			2,502				3,654
	Demand notes	600			616				579
		4,699			3,663				4,651
	Total short-term borrowings	$	4,708		$	3,679			$	5,287
	The weighted-average interest rates on short-term borrowings outstanding were:
		December 31,
		2014		2013			2012
	Notes payable to banks	6.8	%	6.3	%		5.8	%
	Commercial paper	0.3	%	0.5	%		0.6	%
	Demand notes	0.8	%	0.8	%		0.8	%
	The notes payable to certain former shareholders of Siwei did not bear interest and were settled during the second quarter of 2013. Please refer to Note 24 for more information. Please refer to Note 18 and Table III for fair value information on short-term borrowings.

Longterm_debt

Long-term debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-term debt	Long-term debt
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014		2013		2012
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation:
	Notes—1.375% due 2014		$	—	$	—	$	750
	Notes—5.700% due 2016		504		506		508
	Notes—3.900% due 2021		1,246		1,246		1,245
	Notes—5.200% due 2041		757		757		757
	Debentures—0.950% due 2015		—		500		500
	Debentures—1.500% due 2017		500		500		499
	Debentures—7.900% due 2018		899		899		899
	Debentures—9.375% due 2021		120		120		120
	Debentures—2.600% due 2022		498		498		498
	Debentures—8.000% due 2023		82		82		82
	Debentures—3.400% due 2024		1,000		—		—
	Debentures—6.625% due 2028		193		193		193
	Debentures—7.300% due 2031		241		241		241
	Debentures—5.300% due 20351		211		209		208
	Debentures—6.050% due 2036		459		459		459
	Debentures—8.250% due 2038		65		65		65
	Debentures—6.950% due 2042		160		160		160
	Debentures—3.803% due 20422		1,188		1,168		1,149
	Debentures—4.300% due 2044		497		—		—
	Debentures—4.750% due 2064		498		—		—
	Debentures—7.375% due 2097		244		244		244
	Capital lease obligations		85		97		73
	Other		46		55		16
	Total Machinery, Energy & Transportation		9,493		7,999		8,666
	Financial Products:
	Commercial paper		—		—		—
	Medium-term notes		17,295		17,856		18,036
	Other		996		864		1,050
	Total Financial Products		18,291		18,720		19,086
	Total long-term debt due after one year		$	27,784	$	26,719	$	27,752
	1	Debentures due in 2035 have a face value of $307 million and an effective yield to maturity of 8.55%.
	2	Debentures due in 2042 have a face value of $1,722 million and an effective yield to maturity of 6.33%.
	All outstanding notes and debentures are unsecured and rank equally with one another.
	On May 8, 2014, we issued $1.0 billion of 3.400% Senior Notes due 2024, $500 million of 4.300% Senior Notes due 2044, and $500 million of 4.750% Senior Notes due 2064.
	On June 26, 2012 we issued $500 million of 0.950% Senior Notes due 2015, $500 million of 1.500% Senior Notes due 2017, and $500 million of 2.600% Senior Notes due 2022.
	On August 15, 2012 and August 27, 2012, we exchanged $1.72 billion of newly issued 3.803% Debentures due 2042 and $179 million of cash for $1.33 billion of several series of our outstanding debentures of varying interest rates and maturity dates. This exchange met the requirements to be accounted for as a debt modification.
	We may redeem the 5.700%, 3.900% and 5.200% notes and the 7.900%, 6.625%, 7.300%, 5.300%, 6.050%, 8.250%, 6.950% and 7.375% debentures in whole or in part at our option at any time at a redemption price equal to the greater of 100% of the principal amount or the sum of the present value of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest of the notes or debentures to be redeemed. We may redeem some or all of the 0.950% debentures and the 1.500% debentures at our option at any time, and some or all of the 2.600% debentures at any time prior to March 26, 2022 (three months prior to the maturity date of the 2022 debentures), in each case at a redemption price equal to the greater of 100% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed or at the discounted present value of the notes, calculated in accordance with the terms of the relevant notes. We may redeem some or all of the 3.803% debentures at any time at a redemption price equal to the greater of 100% of the principal amount of the debentures being redeemed or at a make-whole price calculated in accordance with the terms of the debentures. The terms of other notes and debentures do not specify a redemption option prior to maturity.
	Cat Financial's medium term notes are offered by prospectus and are issued through agents at fixed and floating rates. These notes have a weighted average interest rate of 2.4% with remaining maturities up to 12 years at December 31, 2014.
	The aggregate amounts of maturities of long-term debt during each of the years 2015 through 2019, including amounts due within one year and classified as current, are:
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2015		2016		2017		2018		2019
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	510	$	543	$	509	$	906	$	7
	Financial Products		6,283		5,507		5,487		2,411		2,381
			$	6,793	$	6,050	$	5,996	$	3,317	$	2,388
	Interest paid on short-term and long-term borrowings for 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $1,109 million, $1,141 million and $1,404 million, respectively.
	Please refer to Note 18 and Table III for fair value information on long-term debt.

Credit_commitments

Credit commitments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Credit Commitments [Abstract]
Credit commitments	Credit commitments
			December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Consolidated			Machinery,			Financial
						Energy &			Products
						Transportation
	Credit lines available:
	Global credit facilities		$	10,500		$	2,750		$	7,750
	Other external		4,254			195			4,059
	Total credit lines available		14,754			2,945			11,809
	Less: Commercial paper outstanding		(3,688		)	—			(3,688		)
	Less: Utilized credit		(1,904		)	(9		)	(1,895		)
	Available credit		$	9,162		$	2,936		$	6,226
	We have three global credit facilities with a syndicate of banks totaling $10.50 billion (Credit Facility) available in the aggregate to both Caterpillar and Cat Financial for general liquidity purposes.  Based on management's allocation decision, which can be revised from time to time, the portion of the Credit Facility available to Machinery, Energy & Transportation as of December 31, 2014 was $2.75 billion. Our three Global Credit Facilities are:
	•	The 364-day facility of $3.15 billion (of which $0.82 billion is available to Machinery, Energy & Transportation) expires in September 2015.
	•	The 2010 four-year facility, as amended in September 2014, of $2.73 billion (of which $0.72 billion is available to Machinery, Energy & Transportation) expires in September 2017.
	•	The 2011 five-year facility, as amended in September 2014, of $4.62 billion (of which $1.21 billion is available to Machinery, Energy & Transportation) expires in September 2019.
	Other consolidated credit lines with banks as of December 31, 2014 totaled $4.25 billion. These committed and uncommitted credit lines, which may be eligible for renewal at various future dates or have no specified expiration date, are used primarily by our subsidiaries for local funding requirements.  Caterpillar or Cat Financial may guarantee subsidiary borrowings under these lines.
	At December 31, 2014, Caterpillar's consolidated net worth was $22.23 billion, which was above the $9.00 billion required under the Credit Facility.  The consolidated net worth is defined as the consolidated stockholder's equity including preferred stock but excluding the pension and other postretirement benefits balance within Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
	At December 31, 2014, Cat Financial's covenant interest coverage ratio was 2.19 to 1.  This is above the 1.15 to 1 minimum ratio, calculated as (1) profit excluding income taxes, interest expense and net gain/(loss) from interest rate derivatives to (2) interest expense calculated at the end of each calendar quarter for the rolling four quarter period then most recently ended, required by the Credit Facility.
	In addition, at December 31, 2014, Cat Financial's six-month covenant leverage ratio was 7.79 to 1 and year-end covenant leverage ratio was 7.83 to 1.  This is below the maximum ratio of debt to net worth of 10 to 1, calculated (1) on a monthly basis as the average of the leverage ratios determined on the last day of each of the six preceding calendar months and (2) at each December 31, required by the Credit Facility.
	In the event Caterpillar or Cat Financial does not meet one or more of their respective financial covenants under the Credit Facility in the future (and are unable to obtain a consent or waiver), the syndicate of banks may terminate the commitments allocated to the party that does not meet its covenants.  Additionally, in such event, certain of Cat Financial's other lenders under other loan agreements where similar financial covenants or cross default provisions are applicable, may, at their election, choose to pursue remedies under those loan agreements, including accelerating the repayment of outstanding borrowings.  At December 31, 2014, there were no borrowings under the Credit Facility.

Profit_per_share

Profit per share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Profit per share	Profit per share
	Computations of profit per share:
	(Dollars in millions except per share data)		2014		2013		2012
	Profit for the period (A) 1		$	3,695	$	3,789	$	5,681
	Determination of shares (in millions):
	Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (B)		617.2		645.2		652.6
	Shares issuable on exercise of stock awards, net of shares assumed to be purchased out of proceeds at average market price		11.7		13.4		17
	Average common shares outstanding for fully diluted computation (C) 2		628.9		658.6		669.6
	Profit per share of common stock:
	Assuming no dilution (A/B)		$	5.99	$	5.87	$	8.71
	Assuming full dilution (A/C) 2		$	5.88	$	5.75	$	8.48
	Shares outstanding as of December 31 (in millions)		606.2		637.8		655
	1	Profit attributable to common stockholders.
	2	Diluted by assumed exercise of stock-based compensation awards using the treasury stock method.
	SARs and stock options to purchase 10,266,682, 10,152,448 and 6,066,777 common shares were outstanding in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, which were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the effect would have been antidilutive.
	In February 2007, the Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of $7.5 billion of Caterpillar common stock (the 2007 Authorization), and in December 2011, the 2007 Authorization was extended through December 2015. In April 2013, we entered into a definitive agreement with Citibank, N.A. to purchase shares of our common stock under an accelerated stock repurchase transaction (April 2013 ASR Agreement), which was completed in June 2013. In accordance with the terms of the April 2013 ASR Agreement, a total of 11.5 million shares of our common stock were repurchased at an aggregate cost to Caterpillar of $1.0 billion.
	In July 2013, we entered into a definitive agreement with Société Générale to purchase shares of our common stock under an accelerated stock repurchase transaction (July 2013 ASR Agreement), which was completed in September 2013. In accordance with the terms of the July 2013 ASR Agreement, a total of 11.9 million shares of our common stock were repurchased at an aggregate cost to Caterpillar of $1.0 billion.
	In January 2014, we completed the 2007 Authorization and entered into a definitive agreement with Citibank, N.A. to purchase shares of our common stock under an accelerated stock repurchase transaction (January 2014 ASR Agreement), which was completed in March 2014. In accordance with the terms of the January 2014 ASR Agreement, a total of approximately 18.1 million shares of our common stock were repurchased at an aggregate cost to Caterpillar of approximately $1.7 billion.
	In January 2014, the Board approved a new authorization to repurchase up to $10.0 billion of Caterpillar common stock, which will expire on December 31, 2018. In July 2014, we entered into definitive agreements with Société Générale to purchase shares of our common stock under accelerated stock repurchase transactions (July 2014 ASR Agreements) which were completed in September 2014. In accordance with the terms of the July 2014 ASR Agreements, a total of approximately 23.7 million shares of our common stock were repurchased at an aggregate cost to Caterpillar of $2.5 billion. Through the end of 2014, $2.5 billion of the $10.0 billion authorization was spent.

Accumulated_other_comprehensiv

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
	Comprehensive income and its components are presented in Statement 2. Changes in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, included in Statement 4, consisted of the following:
	(Millions of dollars)	Foreign currency translation				Pension and other postretirement benefits				Derivative financial instruments			Available-for-sale securities			Total
	Balance at December 31, 2011	$	206			$	(6,568	)		$	(10	)	$	44		$	(6,328	)
	Balance at December 31, 2012 1	$	456			$	(6,914	)		$	(42	)	$	67		$	(6,433	)
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(280		)		2,280				(4		)	29			2,025
	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss	—				482				41			(13		)	510
	Other comprehensive income (loss)	(280		)		2,762				37			16			2,535
	Balance at December 31, 2013	$	176			$	(4,152	)		$	(5	)	$	83		$	(3,898	)
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(1,164		)		(1,574		)		(118		)	24			(2,832		)
	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss	—				319				4			(24		)	299
	Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,164		)		(1,255		)		(114		)	—			(2,533		)
	Balance at December 31, 2014	$	(988	)		$	(5,407	)		$	(119	)	$	83		$	(6,431	)
	1 In conjunction with the Cat Japan share redemption, to reflect the increase in our ownership interest in Cat Japan from 67 percent to 100 percent, $107 million was reclassified to Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) from other components of stockholders' equity and was not included in Comprehensive income during the second quarter of 2012. The amount was comprised of foreign currency translation of $167 million, pension and other postretirement benefits of $(61) million and available-for-sale securities of $1 million.
	The effect of the reclassifications out of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) on Statement 1 is as follows:
				Year ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	Classification of income (expense)		2014				2013
	Pension and other postretirement benefits:
	Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)	Note 12 1		$	(519	)		$	(781	)
	Amortization of prior service credit (cost)	Note 12 1		38				54
	Amortization of transition asset (obligation)	Note 12 1		—				(2		)
	Reclassifications before tax			(481		)		(729		)
	Tax (provision) benefit			162				247
	Reclassifications net of tax			$	(319	)		$	(482	)
	Derivative financial instruments:
	Foreign exchange contracts	Other income (expense)		$	5			$	(57	)
	Interest rate contracts	Interest expense excluding Financial Products		(5		)		—
	Interest rate contracts	Other income (expense)		—				(3		)
	Interest rate contracts	Interest expense of Financial Products		(6		)		(6		)
	Reclassifications before tax			(6		)		(66		)
	Tax (provision) benefit			2				25
	Reclassifications net of tax			$	(4	)		$	(41	)
	Available-for-sale securities:
	Realized gain (loss) on sale of securities	Other income (expense)		$	35			$	19
	Tax (provision) benefit			(11		)		(6		)
	Reclassifications net of tax			$	24			$	13
	Total reclassifications from Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)			$	(299	)		$	(510	)
	1    Amounts are included in the calculation of net periodic benefit cost. See Note 12 for additional information.

Fair_value_disclosures

Fair value disclosures	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair value disclosures	Fair value disclosures
	A.	Fair value measurements
	The guidance on fair value measurements defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants.  This guidance also specifies a fair value hierarchy based upon the observability of inputs used in valuation techniques.  Observable inputs (highest level) reflect market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs (lowest level) reflect internally developed market assumptions.  In accordance with this guidance, fair value measurements are classified under the following hierarchy:
	•	Level 1 – Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.
	•	Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs or significant value-drivers are observable in active markets.
	•	Level 3 – Model-derived valuations in which one or more significant inputs or significant value-drivers are unobservable.
	When available, we use quoted market prices to determine fair value, and we classify such measurements within Level 1.  In some cases where market prices are not available, we make use of observable market based inputs to calculate fair value, in which case the measurements are classified within Level 2.  If quoted or observable market prices are not available, fair value is based upon internally developed models that use, where possible, current market-based parameters such as interest rates, yield curves and currency rates.  These measurements are classified within Level 3.
	Fair value measurements are classified according to the lowest level input or value-driver that is significant to the valuation.  A measurement may therefore be classified within Level 3 even though there may be significant inputs that are readily observable.
	Fair value measurement includes the consideration of nonperformance risk.  Nonperformance risk refers to the risk that an obligation (either by a counterparty or Caterpillar) will not be fulfilled.  For financial assets traded in an active market (Level 1 and certain Level 2), the nonperformance risk is included in the market price.  For certain other financial assets and liabilities (certain Level 2 and Level 3), our fair value calculations have been adjusted accordingly.
	Available-for-sale securities
	Our available-for-sale securities, primarily at Insurance Services, include a mix of equity and debt instruments (see Note 11 for additional information).  Fair values for our U.S. treasury bonds and equity securities are based upon valuations for identical instruments in active markets.  Fair values for other government bonds, corporate bonds and mortgage-backed debt securities are based upon models that take into consideration such market-based factors as recent sales, risk-free yield curves and prices of similarly rated bonds.
	Derivative financial instruments
	The fair value of interest rate swap derivatives is primarily based on models that utilize the appropriate market-based forward swap curves and zero-coupon interest rates to determine discounted cash flows.  The fair value of foreign currency and commodity forward, option and cross currency contracts is based on a valuation model that discounts cash flows resulting from the differential between the contract price and the market-based forward rate.
	Guarantees
	The fair value of guarantees is based on our estimate of the premium a market participant would require to issue the same guarantee in a stand-alone arms-length transaction with an unrelated party. If quoted or observable market prices are not available, fair value is based upon internally developed models that utilize current market-based assumptions.
	Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis at fair value, primarily related to Financial Products, included in Statement 3 as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are summarized below:
			December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2		Level 3		Total
										Assets / Liabilities,
										at Fair Value
	Assets
	Available-for-sale securities
	Government debt
	U.S. treasury bonds		$	10		$	—	$	—	$	10
	Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds		—			94		—		94
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		—			693		—		693
	Asset-backed securities		—			105		—		105
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		—			294		—		294
	Residential		—			15		—		15
	Commercial		—			67		—		67
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		233			—		—		233
	Smaller company growth		43			—		—		43
	Total available-for-sale securities		286			1,268		—		1,554
	Total Assets		$	286		$	1,268	$	—	$	1,554
	Liabilities
	Derivative financial instruments, net		$	—		$	86	$	—	$	86
	Guarantees		—			—		12		12
	Total Liabilities		$	—		$	86	$	12	$	98
			December 31, 2013
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2		Level 3		Total
										Assets / Liabilities,
										at Fair Value
	Assets
	Available-for-sale securities
	Government debt
	U.S. treasury bonds		$	10		$	—	$	—	$	10
	Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds		—			120		—		120
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		—			633		—		633
	Asset-backed securities		—			72		—		72
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		—			321		—		321
	Residential		—			18		—		18
	Commercial		—			93		—		93
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		254			—		—		254
	Smaller company growth		49			—		—		49
	Total available-for-sale securities		313			1,257		—		1,570
	Derivative financial instruments, net		—			161		—		161
	Total Assets		$	313		$	1,418	$	—	$	1,731
	Liabilities
Guarantees		$	—		$	—	$	13	$	13
Total Liabilities		$	—		$	—	$	13	$	13
		December 31, 2012
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2		Level 3		Total
									Assets / Liabilities,
									at Fair Value
Assets
Available-for-sale securities
Government debt
U.S. treasury bonds		$	10		$	—	$	—	$	10
Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds		—			146		—		146
Corporate bonds
Corporate bonds		—			664		—		664
Asset-backed securities		—			96		—		96
Mortgage-backed debt securities
U.S. governmental agency		—			299		—		299
Residential		—			25		—		25
Commercial		—			127		—		127
Equity securities
Large capitalization value		185			—		—		185
Smaller company growth		34			—		—		34
Total available-for-sale securities		229			1,357		—		1,586
Derivative financial instruments, net		—			154		—		154
Total Assets		$	229		$	1,511	$	—	$	1,740
Liabilities
Guarantees		$	—		$	—	$	14	$	14
Total Liabilities		$	—		$	—	$	14	$	14
Below are roll-forwards of liabilities measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.  These instruments were valued using pricing models that, in management’s judgment, reflect the assumptions of a market participant.
(Millions of dollars)		Guarantees
Balance at December 31, 2011		$	7
Acquisitions		6
Issuance of guarantees		7
Expiration of guarantees		(6		)
Balance at December 31, 2012		$	14
Issuance of guarantees		6
Expiration of guarantees		(7		)
Balance at December 31, 2013		$	13
Issuance of guarantees		1
Expiration of guarantees		(2		)
Balance at December 31, 2014		$	12
In addition to the amounts above, Cat Financial impaired loans are subject to measurement at fair value on a nonrecurring basis. A loan is considered impaired when management determines that collection of contractual amounts due is not probable.  In these cases, an allowance for credit losses may be established based primarily on the fair value of associated collateral.  As the collateral’s fair value is based on observable market prices and/or current appraised values, the impaired loans are classified as Level 2 measurements. Cat Financial had impaired loans with a fair value of $248 million, $81 million and $117 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
B.	Fair values of financial instruments
In addition to the methods and assumptions we use to record the fair value of financial instruments as discussed in the Fair value measurements section above, we used the following methods and assumptions to estimate the fair value of our financial instruments:
Cash and short-term investments
Carrying amount approximated fair value.
Restricted cash and short-term investments
Carrying amount approximated fair value.  Restricted cash and short-term investments are included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets in Statement 3.
Finance receivables
Fair value was estimated by discounting the future cash flows using current rates, representative of receivables with similar remaining maturities.
Wholesale inventory receivables
Fair value was estimated by discounting the future cash flows using current rates, representative of receivables with similar remaining maturities.
Short-term borrowings
Carrying amount approximated fair value.
Long-term debt
Fair value for fixed and floating rate debt was estimated based on quoted market prices.
Please refer to the table below for the fair values of our financial instruments.
TABLE III—Fair Values of Financial Instruments
		2014					2013				2012
(Millions of dollars)		Carrying			Fair		Carrying		Fair		Carrying		Fair		Fair Value Levels	Reference
		Amount			Value		Amount		Value		Amount		Value
Assets at December 31,
Cash and short-term investments		$	7,341		$	7,341	$	6,081	$	6,081	$	5,490	$	5,490	1	Statement 3
Restricted cash and short-term investments		62			62		53		53		53		53		1	Statement 3
Available-for-sale securities		1,554			1,554		1,570		1,570		1,586		1,586		1 & 2	Notes 11 & 19
Finance receivables–net (excluding finance leases 1)		16,426			16,159		16,049		15,913		15,404		15,359		3	Notes 6 & 19
Wholesale inventory receivables–net (excluding finance leases 1)		1,774			1,700		1,529		1,467		1,674		1,609		3	Notes 6 & 19
Foreign currency contracts–net		—			—		45		45		—		—		2	Notes 3 & 19
Interest rate swaps–net		71			71		116		116		219		219		2	Notes 3 & 19
Commodity contracts–net		—			—		—		—		1		1		2	Notes 3 & 19
Liabilities at December 31,
Short-term borrowings		4,708			4,708		3,679		3,679		5,287		5,287		1	Note 13
Long-term debt (including amounts due within one year):
Machinery, Energy & Transportation		10,003			11,973		8,759		9,905		9,779		11,969		2	Note 14
Financial Products		24,574			25,103		25,312		25,849		25,077		26,063		2	Note 14
Foreign currency contracts–net		143			143		—		—		66		66		2	Notes 3 & 19
Commodity contracts–net		14			14		—		—		—		—		2	Notes 3 & 19
Guarantees		12			12		13		13		14		14		3	Note 21
1	Total excluded items have a net carrying value at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 of $7,638 million, $8,053 million and $7,959 million, respectively.

Concentration_of_credit_risk

Concentration of credit risk	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Concentration of credit risk	Concentration of credit risk
	Financial instruments with potential credit risk consist primarily of trade and finance receivables and short-term and long-term investments. Additionally, to a lesser extent, we have a potential credit risk associated with counterparties to derivative contracts.
	Trade receivables are primarily short-term receivables from independently owned and operated dealers and customers which arise in the normal course of business. We perform regular credit evaluations of our dealers and customers. Collateral generally is not required, and the majority of our trade receivables are unsecured. We do, however, when deemed necessary, make use of various devices such as security agreements and letters of credit to protect our interests. No single dealer or customer represents a significant concentration of credit risk.
	Finance receivables and wholesale inventory receivables primarily represent receivables under installment sales contracts, receivables arising from leasing transactions and notes receivable. We generally maintain a secured interest in the equipment financed. No single customer or dealer represents a significant concentration of credit risk.
	Short-term and long-term investments are held with high quality institutions and, by policy, the amount of credit exposure to any one institution is limited. Long-term investments, primarily included in Other assets in Statement 3, are comprised primarily of available-for-sale securities at Insurance Services.
	For derivative contracts, collateral is generally not required of the counterparties or of our company.  The company generally enters into International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master netting agreements within Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products that permit the net settlement of amounts owed under their respective derivative contracts.  Our exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the counterparties is limited to only those gains that we have recorded, but for which we have not yet received cash payment. The master netting agreements reduce the amount of loss the company would incur should the counterparties fail to meet their obligations.  At December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the maximum exposure to credit loss, including accrued interest, was $151 million, $251 million and $366 million, respectively, before the application of any master netting agreements.
	Please refer to Note 18 and Table III above for fair value information.

Operating_leases

Operating leases	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
Operating leases	Operating leases
	We lease certain computer and communications equipment, transportation equipment and other property through operating leases. Total rental expense for operating leases was $391 million, $436 million, and $474 million for 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	Minimum payments for operating leases having initial or remaining non-cancelable terms in excess of one year are:
	Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)
	2015		2016		2017		2018		2019		Thereafter		Total
	$	229	$	174	$	125	$	92	$	65	$	189	$	874

Guarantees_and_product_warrant

Guarantees and product warranty	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Guarantees and product warranty	Guarantees and product warranty
	We have provided an indemnity to a third-party insurance company for potential losses related to performance bonds issued on behalf of Caterpillar dealers.  The bonds are issued to insure governmental agencies against nonperformance by certain dealers.  We also provided guarantees to a third-party related to the performance of contractual obligations by certain Caterpillar dealers. The guarantees cover potential financial losses incurred by the third-party resulting from the dealers’ nonperformance.
	We provide loan guarantees to third-party lenders for financing associated with machinery purchased by customers. These guarantees have varying terms and are secured by the machinery. In addition, Cat Financial participates in standby letters of credit issued to third parties on behalf of their customers. These standby letters of credit have varying terms and beneficiaries and are secured by customer assets.
	We have provided a guarantee to one of our customers in Brazil related to the performance of contractual obligations by a supplier consortium to which one of our Caterpillar subsidiaries is a member. The guarantees cover potential damages (some of them capped) incurred by the customer resulting from the supplier consortium’s non-performance. The guarantee will expire when the supplier consortium performs all its contractual obligations, which is expected to be completed in 2025.
	We have provided guarantees to third-party lessors for certain properties leased by Cat Logistics Services, LLC, in which we sold a 65 percent equity interest in the third quarter of 2012. See Note 26 for further discussion on this divestiture. The guarantees are for the possibility that the third party logistics business would default on real estate lease payments. The guarantees were granted at lease inception, which was prior to the divestiture, and generally will expire at the end of the lease terms.
	No significant loss has been experienced or is anticipated under any of these guarantees. At December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the related liability was $12 million, $13 million and $14 million, respectively. The maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted and without reduction for any amounts that may possibly be recovered under recourse or collateralized provisions) we could be required to make under the guarantees at December 31 are as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)	2014				2013			2012
	Caterpillar dealer guarantees	$	209			$	193		$	180
	Customer guarantees	49				62			77
	Customer guarantees - supplier consortium	321				364			—
	Third party logistics business guarantees	129				151			176
	Other guarantees	32				35			53
	Total guarantees	$	740			$	805		$	486
	Cat Financial provides guarantees to repurchase certain loans of Caterpillar dealers from a special-purpose corporation (SPC) that qualifies as a variable interest entity.  The purpose of the SPC is to provide short-term working capital loans to Caterpillar dealers.  This SPC issues commercial paper and uses the proceeds to fund its loan program.  Cat Financial has a loan purchase agreement with the SPC that obligates Cat Financial to purchase certain loans that are not paid at maturity.  Cat Financial receives a fee for providing this guarantee, which provides a source of liquidity for the SPC.  Cat Financial is the primary beneficiary of the SPC as its guarantees result in Cat Financial having both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the SPC’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses, and therefore Cat Financial has consolidated the financial statements of the SPC.  As of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the SPC’s assets of $1,086 million, $1,005 million and $927 million, respectively, were primarily comprised of loans to dealers, and the SPC’s liabilities of $1,085 million, $1,005 million and $927 million, respectively, were primarily comprised of commercial paper.  The assets of the SPC are not available to pay Cat Financial's creditors. Cat Financial may be obligated to perform under the guarantee if the SPC experiences losses. No loss has been experienced or is anticipated under this loan purchase agreement.
	Cat Financial is party to agreements in the normal course of business with selected customers and Caterpillar dealers in which they commit to provide a set dollar amount of financing on a pre-approved basis.  They also provide lines of credit to certain customers and Caterpillar dealers, of which a portion remains unused as of the end of the period.  Commitments and lines of credit generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses. It has been Cat Financial's experience that not all commitments and lines of credit will be used. Management applies the same credit policies when making commitments and granting lines of credit as it does for any other financing.
	Cat Financial does not require collateral for these commitments/lines, but if credit is extended, collateral may be required upon funding.  The amount of the unused commitments and lines of credit for dealers as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $12,412 million, $10,503 million and $10,863 million, respectively.  The amount of the unused commitments and lines of credit for customers as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $4,005 million, $4,635 million and $4,690 million, respectively.
	Our product warranty liability is determined by applying historical claim rate experience to the current field population and dealer inventory.  Generally, historical claim rates are based on actual warranty experience for each product by machine model/engine size by customer or dealer location (inside or outside North America).  Specific rates are developed for each product shipment month and are updated monthly based on actual warranty claim experience.
	(Millions of dollars)	2014				2013			2012
	Warranty liability, January 1	$	1,367			$	1,477		$	1,308
	Reduction in liability (payments)	(1,071		)		(938		)	(920		)
	Increase in liability (new warranties)	1,130			1	828			1,089
	Warranty liability, December 31	$	1,426			$	1,367		$	1,477
	1 The increase in liability includes approximately $170 million for changes in estimates for pre-existing warranties due to higher than expected actual warranty claim experience.

Environmental_and_legal_matter

Environmental and legal matters	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]
Environmental and legal matters	Environmental and legal matters
	The company is regulated by federal, state and international environmental laws governing our use, transport and disposal of substances and control of emissions. In addition to governing our manufacturing and other operations, these laws often impact the development of our products, including, but not limited to, required compliance with air emissions standards applicable to internal combustion engines. We have made, and will continue to make, significant research and development and capital expenditures to comply with these emissions standards.
	We are engaged in remedial activities at a number of locations, often with other companies, pursuant to federal and state laws.  When it is probable we will pay remedial costs at a site, and those costs can be reasonably estimated, the investigation, remediation, and operating and maintenance costs are accrued against our earnings.  Costs are accrued based on consideration of currently available data and information with respect to each individual site, including available technologies, current applicable laws and regulations, and prior remediation experience. Where no amount within a range of estimates is more likely, we accrue the minimum. Where multiple potentially responsible parties are involved, we consider our proportionate share of the probable costs. In formulating the estimate of probable costs, we do not consider amounts expected to be recovered from insurance companies or others.  We reassess these accrued amounts on a quarterly basis. The amount recorded for environmental remediation is not material and is included in Accrued expenses in Statement 3. There is no more than a remote chance that a material amount for remedial activities at any individual site, or at all the sites in the aggregate, will be required.
	On January 8, 2015, the Company received a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The subpoena requests documents and information from the Company relating to, among other things, financial information concerning U.S. and non-U.S. Caterpillar subsidiaries (including undistributed profits of non-U.S. subsidiaries and the movement of cash among U.S. and non-U.S. subsidiaries). The Company is cooperating with this investigation. The Company is unable to predict the outcome or reasonably estimate any potential loss; however, we currently believe that this matter will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
	On September 12, 2014, the SEC notified the Company that it was conducting an informal investigation relating to Caterpillar SARL and related structures. The SEC asked the Company to preserve relevant documents and, on a voluntary basis, the Company made a presentation to the staff of the SEC on these topics. The Company is cooperating with the SEC regarding this investigation. The Company is unable to predict the outcome or reasonably estimate any potential loss; however, we currently believe that this matter will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
	On September 10, 2014, the SEC issued to Caterpillar a subpoena seeking information concerning the Company’s accounting for the goodwill relating to its acquisition of Bucyrus International Inc. in 2011 and related matters. The Company is cooperating with the SEC regarding this subpoena and its ongoing investigation. The Company is unable to predict the outcome or reasonably estimate any potential loss; however, we currently believe that this matter will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
	On March 20, 2014, Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) published a Technical Opinion which named 18 companies and over 100 individuals as defendants, including two subsidiaries of Caterpillar Inc., MGE - Equipamentos e Serviços Ferroviários Ltda. (MGE) and Caterpillar Brasil Ltda. The publication of the Technical Opinion opened CADE's official administrative investigation into allegations that the defendants participated in anticompetitive bid activity for the construction and maintenance of metro and train networks in Brazil. While companies cannot be held criminally liable for anticompetitive conduct in Brazil, criminal charges have been brought against two current employees of MGE and one former employee of MGE involving the same conduct alleged by CADE. The Company has responded to all requests for information from the authorities. The Company is unable to predict the outcome or reasonably estimate the potential loss; however, we currently believe that this matter will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
	On February 19, 2014, Progress Rail Services Corporation (Progress Rail), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., received information from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Enforcement Division indicating it was contemplating an enforcement proceeding with potential monetary sanctions in excess of $100,000 in connection with a notice of violation received by Progress Rail on March 15, 2013 alleging violations of air emissions regulations applicable to compression ignition mobile cargo handling equipment operating at California ports or intermodal rail yards. Despite uncertainty regarding the applicability of these regulations, Progress Rail, in coordination with CARB, implemented certain corrective action measures. On November 26, 2014, Progress Rail settled this matter with CARB and paid a civil penalty of $390,733 to resolve the alleged violations.
	On October 24, 2013, Progress Rail received a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The subpoena requests documents and information from Progress Rail, United Industries Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Progress Rail, and Caterpillar Inc. relating to allegations that Progress Rail conducted improper or unnecessary railcar inspections and repairs and improperly disposed of parts, equipment, tools and other items. In connection with this subpoena, Progress Rail was informed by the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California that it is a target of a criminal investigation into potential violations of environmental laws and alleged improper business practices. The Company is cooperating with the authorities and is currently in discussions regarding a potential resolution of the matter. Although the Company believes a loss is probable, we currently believe that this matter will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
	In addition, we are involved in other unresolved legal actions that arise in the normal course of business. The most prevalent of these unresolved actions involve disputes related to product design, manufacture and performance liability (including claimed asbestos and welding fumes exposure), contracts, employment issues, environmental matters or intellectual property rights.  The aggregate range of reasonably possible losses in excess of accrued liabilities, if any, associated with these unresolved legal actions is not material.  In some cases, we cannot reasonably estimate a range of loss because there is insufficient information regarding the matter.  However, there is no more than a remote chance that any liability arising from these matters would be material.  Although it is not possible to predict with certainty the outcome of these unresolved legal actions, we believe that these actions will not individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

Segment_information

Segment information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment information	Segment information
	A.	Basis for segment information
	Our Executive Office is comprised of five Group Presidents, a Senior Vice President, an Executive Vice President and a CEO. Group Presidents are accountable for a related set of end-to-end businesses that they manage.  The Senior Vice President leads the Caterpillar Enterprise System Group, which was formed during the second quarter of 2013, and the Executive Vice President leads the Law and Public Policy Division. The CEO allocates resources and manages performance at the Group President level.  As such, the CEO serves as our Chief Operating Decision Maker and operating segments are primarily based on the Group President reporting structure.
	Three of our operating segments, Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation are led by Group Presidents.  One operating segment, Financial Products, is led by a Group President who also has responsibility for Corporate Services.  Corporate Services is a cost center primarily responsible for the performance of certain support functions globally and to provide centralized services; it does not meet the definition of an operating segment. One Group President leads three smaller operating segments that are included in the All Other operating segments. The Caterpillar Enterprise System Group and Law and Public Policy Division are cost centers and do not meet the definition of an operating segment.
	Effective January 1, 2014, responsibility for paving products, forestry products and industrial and waste products moved from Resource Industries to the All Other operating segments. The responsibility for select work tools was moved from Resource Industries to Construction Industries, and the responsibility for administration of a wholly-owned dealer in Japan moved from Construction Industries to the All Other operating segments. Segment information for 2012 and 2013 has been retrospectively adjusted to conform to the 2014 presentation.
	In addition, restructuring costs in 2013 were included in operating segments, and now these costs (including restructuring costs in 2014) are a reconciling item between Segment profit and Consolidated profit before taxes. The restructuring costs in 2012 are included in operating segments.
	B.             Description of segments
	We have seven operating segments, of which four are reportable segments.  Following is a brief description of our reportable segments and the business activities included in the All Other operating segments:
	Construction Industries:  A segment primarily responsible for supporting customers using machinery in infrastructure and building construction applications. Responsibilities include business strategy, product design, product management and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales and product support. The product portfolio includes backhoe loaders, small wheel loaders, small track-type tractors, skid steer loaders, multi-terrain loaders, mini excavators, compact wheel loaders, telehandlers, select work tools, small, medium and large track excavators, wheel excavators, medium wheel loaders, compact track loaders, medium track-type tractors, track-type loaders, motor graders, pipelayers and mid-tier soil compactors. In addition, Construction Industries has responsibility for an integrated manufacturing cost center. Inter-segment sales are a source of revenue for this segment.
	Resource Industries:  A segment primarily responsible for supporting customers using machinery in mining and quarrying applications. Responsibilities include business strategy, product design, product management and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales and product support. The product portfolio includes large track-type tractors, large mining trucks, hard rock vehicles, longwall miners, electric rope shovels, draglines, hydraulic shovels, drills, highwall miners, large wheel loaders, off-highway trucks, articulated trucks, wheel tractor scrapers, wheel dozers, select work tools, machinery components and electronics and control systems. Resource Industries also manages areas that provide services to other parts of the company, including integrated manufacturing and research and development. In addition, segment profit includes the impact from divestiture of portions of the Bucyrus distribution business and the acquisition of ERA Mining Machinery Limited, including its wholly-owned subsidiary Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical & Electrical Manufacturing Co., Ltd., commonly known as Siwei, which was completed during the second quarter of 2012. In the fourth quarter of 2013, Siwei was renamed Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd. Siwei primarily designs, manufactures, sells and supports underground coal mining equipment in China. Inter-segment sales are a source of revenue for this segment.
	Energy & Transportation (formerly Power Systems):  A segment primarily responsible for supporting customers using reciprocating engines, turbines, diesel-electric locomotives and related parts across industries serving power generation, industrial, oil and gas and transportation applications, including marine and rail-related businesses. Responsibilities include business strategy, product design, product management, development, manufacturing, marketing, sales and product support of turbines and turbine-related services, reciprocating engine powered generator sets, integrated systems used in the electric power generation industry, reciprocating engines and integrated systems and solutions for the marine and oil and gas industries; reciprocating engines supplied to the industrial industry as well as Caterpillar machinery; the business strategy, product design, product management, development, manufacturing, remanufacturing, leasing and service of diesel-electric locomotives and components and other rail-related products and services. Inter-segment sales are a source of revenue for this segment.
	Financial Products Segment:  Provides financing to customers and dealers for the purchase and lease of Caterpillar and other equipment, as well as some financing for Caterpillar sales to dealers.  Financing plans include operating and finance leases, installment sale contracts, working capital loans and wholesale financing plans. The segment also provides various forms of insurance to customers and dealers to help support the purchase and lease of our equipment.
	All Other operating segments:  Primarily includes activities such as: the remanufacturing of Cat® engines and components and remanufacturing services for other companies as well as the business strategy, product management, development, manufacturing, marketing and product support of undercarriage, specialty products, hardened bar stock components and ground engaging tools primarily for Cat products, paving products, forestry products and industrial and waste products; the product management, development, marketing, sales and product support of on-highway vocational trucks for North America; parts distribution; distribution services responsible for dealer development and administration including a wholly-owned dealer in Japan, dealer portfolio management and ensuring the most efficient and effective distribution of machines, engines and parts. On July 31, 2012, we sold a majority interest in Caterpillar's third party logistics business. Results for the All Other operating segments are included as a reconciling item between reportable segments and consolidated external reporting.
	C.             Segment measurement and reconciliations
	There are several methodology differences between our segment reporting and our external reporting.  The following is a list of the more significant methodology differences:
	•	Machinery, Energy & Transportation segment net assets generally include inventories, receivables, property, plant and equipment, goodwill, intangibles, accounts payable, and customer advances.  Liabilities other than accounts payable and customer advances are generally managed at the corporate level and are not included in segment operations.  Financial Products Segment assets generally include all categories of assets.
	•	Segment inventories and cost of sales are valued using a current cost methodology.
	•	Goodwill allocated to segments is amortized using a fixed amount based on a 20 year useful life.  This methodology difference only impacts segment assets; no goodwill amortization expense is included in segment profit. In addition, only a portion of goodwill for certain acquisitions made in 2011 or later has been allocated to segments.
	•	The present value of future lease payments for certain Machinery, Energy & Transportation operating leases is included in segment assets.  The estimated financing component of the lease payments is excluded.
	•	Currency exposures for Machinery, Energy & Transportation are generally managed at the corporate level and the effects of changes in exchange rates on results of operations within the year are not included in segment profit.  The net difference created in the translation of revenues and costs between exchange rates used for U.S. GAAP reporting and exchange rates used for segment reporting is recorded as a methodology difference.
	•	Postretirement benefit expenses are split; segments are generally responsible for service and prior service costs, with the remaining elements of net periodic benefit cost included as a methodology difference.
	•	Machinery, Energy & Transportation segment profit is determined on a pretax basis and excludes interest expense and other income/expense items.  Financial Products Segment profit is determined on a pretax basis and includes other income/expense items.
	Reconciling items are created based on accounting differences between segment reporting and our consolidated external reporting. Please refer to pages A-86 to A-91 for financial information regarding significant reconciling items.  Most of our reconciling items are self-explanatory given the above explanations.  For the reconciliation of profit, we have grouped the reconciling items as follows:
	•	Corporate costs:  These costs are related to corporate requirements and strategies that are considered to be for the benefit of the entire organization.
	•	Restructuring costs:  Primarily costs for employee separation costs and long-lived asset impairments. A table, Reconciliation of Restructuring Costs on page A-88, has been included to illustrate how segment profit would have been impacted by the restructuring costs. See Note 27 for more information.
	•	Methodology differences:  See previous discussion of significant accounting differences between segment reporting and consolidated external reporting.
	•	Timing:   Timing differences in the recognition of costs between segment reporting and consolidated external reporting.
	Segment Information
	(Millions of dollars)
	Reportable Segments:
			External			Inter-			Total sales				Depreciation			Segment		Segment		Capital
			sales and			segment			and				and			profit		assets at		expenditures
			revenues			sales and			revenues				amortization					December 31
						revenues
	2014
	Construction Industries		$	19,362		$	250		$	19,612			$	522		$	2,207	$	6,596	$	369
	Resource Industries		8,921			585			9,506				691			501		9,568		277
	Energy & Transportation		21,727			2,248			23,975				646			4,038		8,399		608
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	50,010		$	3,083		$	53,093			$	1,859		$	6,746	$	24,563	$	1,254
	Financial Products Segment		3,313			—			3,313				885			901		37,011		1,634
	Total		$	53,323		$	3,083		$	56,406			$	2,744		$	7,647	$	61,574	$	2,888
	2013
	Construction Industries		$	18,532		$	330		$	18,862			$	493		$	1,374	$	7,607	$	551
	Resource Industries		11,805			465			12,270				698			1,586		10,389		499
	Energy & Transportation		20,155			1,895			22,050				642			3,401		8,492		677
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	50,492		$	2,690		$	53,182			$	1,833		$	6,361	$	26,488	$	1,727
	Financial Products Segment		3,224			—			3,224				789			990		36,980		1,806
	Total		$	53,716		$	2,690		$	56,406			$	2,622		$	7,351	$	63,468	$	3,533
	2012
	Construction Industries		$	19,451		$	470		$	19,921			$	459		$	1,846	$	9,624	$	984
	Resource Industries		19,715			726			20,441				649			4,285		12,466		1,078
	Energy & Transportation		21,122			2,407			23,529				604			3,422		9,323		960
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	60,288		$	3,603		$	63,891			$	1,712		$	9,553	$	31,413	$	3,022
	Financial Products Segment		3,090			—			3,090				708			763		36,563		1,660
	Total		$	63,378		$	3,603		$	66,981			$	2,420		$	10,316	$	67,976	$	4,682
	Reconciliation of Sales and Revenues:
	(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidating				Consolidated
			Energy &			Products			Adjustments				Total
			Transportation
	2014
	Total external sales and revenues from reportable segments		$	50,010		$	3,313		$	—			$	53,323
	All Other operating segments		2,251			—			—				2,251
	Other		(119		)	73			(344		)	1	(390		)
	Total sales and revenues		$	52,142		$	3,386		$	(344	)		$	55,184
2013
Total external sales and revenues from reportable segments		$	50,492		$	3,224		$	—			$	53,716
All Other operating segments		2,263			—			—				2,263
Other		(61		)	78			(340		)	1	(323		)
Total sales and revenues		$	52,694		$	3,302		$	(340	)		$	55,656
2012
Total external sales and revenues from reportable segments		$	60,288		$	3,090		$	—			$	63,378
All Other operating segments		2,827			—			—				2,827
Other		(47		)	70			(353		)	1	(330		)
Total sales and revenues		$	63,068		$	3,160		$	(353	)		$	65,875
1	Elimination of Financial Products revenues from Machinery, Energy & Transportation.
Reconciliation of consolidated profit before taxes:
(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidated
		Energy &			Products			Total
		Transportation
2014
Total profit from reportable segments		$	6,746		$	901		$	7,647
All Other operating segments		850			—			850
Cost centers		38			—			38
Corporate costs		(1,584		)	—			(1,584		)
Timing		(244		)	—			(244		)
Restructuring costs		(441		)	—			(441		)
Methodology differences:
Inventory/cost of sales		55			—			55
Postretirement benefit expense		(411		)	—			(411		)
Financing costs		(502		)	—			(502		)
Equity in (profit) loss of unconsolidated affiliated companies		(8		)	—			(8		)
Currency		(52		)	—			(52		)
Other income/expense methodology differences		(249		)	—			(249		)
Other methodology differences		(24		)	8			(16		)
Total consolidated profit before taxes		$	4,174		$	909		$	5,083
2013
Total profit from reportable segments		$	6,361		$	990		$	7,351
All Other operating segments		736			—			736
Cost centers		119			—			119
Corporate costs		(1,368		)	—			(1,368		)
Timing		116			—			116
Restructuring costs		(200		)	—			(200		)
Methodology differences:
Inventory/cost of sales		(112		)	—			(112		)
Postretirement benefit expense		(685		)	—			(685		)
Financing costs		(469		)	—			(469		)
Equity in (profit) loss of unconsolidated affiliated companies		6			—			6
Currency		(110		)	—			(110		)
Other income/expense methodology differences		(238		)	—			(238		)
Other methodology differences		(48		)	30			(18		)
Total consolidated profit before taxes		$	4,108		$	1,020		$	5,128
2012
Total profit from reportable segments		$	9,553		$	763		$	10,316
All Other operating segments		994			—			994
Cost centers		11			—			11
Corporate costs		(1,502		)	—			(1,502		)
Timing		(298		)	—			(298		)
Methodology differences:
Inventory/cost of sales		43			—			43
Postretirement benefit expense		(696		)	—			(696		)
Financing costs		(474		)	—			(474		)
Equity in (profit) loss of unconsolidated affiliated companies		(14		)	—			(14		)
Currency		108			—			108
Other income/expense methodology differences		(249		)	—			(249		)
Other methodology differences		(20		)	17			(3		)
Total consolidated profit before taxes		$	7,456		$	780		$	8,236
Reconciliation of Restructuring costs:
As noted above, restructuring costs are a reconciling item between Segment profit and Consolidated profit before taxes. Had we included the amounts in the segments' results, the profit would have been as shown below:
Reconciliation of Restructuring costs:
(Millions of dollars)		Segment			Restructuring costs			Segment profit with
		profit						restructuring costs
2014
Construction Industries		$	2,207		$	(293	)	$	1,914
Resource Industries		501			(72		)	429
Energy & Transportation		4,038			(31		)	4,007
Financial Products Segment		901			—			901
All Other operating segments		850			(36		)	814
Total		$	8,497		$	(432	)	$	8,065
2013
Construction Industries		$	1,374		$	(33	)	$	1,341
Resource Industries		1,586			(105		)	1,481
Energy & Transportation		3,401			(32		)	3,369
Financial Products Segment		990			—			990
All Other operating segments		736			(27		)	709
Total		$	8,087		$	(197	)	$	7,890
Reconciliation of Assets:
(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidating				Consolidated
		Energy &			Products			Adjustments				Total
		Transportation
2014
Total assets from reportable segments		$	24,563		$	37,011		$	—			$	61,574
All Other operating segments		2,810			—			—				2,810
Items not included in segment assets:
Cash and short-term investments		6,317			—			—				6,317
Intercompany receivables		1,185			—			(1,185		)		—
Investment in Financial Products		4,488			—			(4,488		)		—
Deferred income taxes		3,627			—			(674		)		2,953
Goodwill and intangible assets		3,492			—			—				3,492
Property, plant and equipment – net and other assets		1,174			—			—				1,174
Operating lease methodology difference		(213		)	—			—				(213		)
Liabilities included in segment assets		9,837			—			—				9,837
Inventory methodology differences		(2,697		)	—			—				(2,697		)
Other		(395		)	(102		)	(69		)		(566		)
Total assets		$	54,188		$	36,909		$	(6,416	)		$	84,681
2013
Total assets from reportable segments		$	26,488		$	36,980		$	—			$	63,468
All Other operating segments		2,973			—			—				2,973
Items not included in segment assets:
Cash and short-term investments		4,597			—			—				4,597
Intercompany receivables		1,219			—			(1,219		)		—
Investment in Financial Products		4,798			—			(4,798		)		—
Deferred income taxes		2,541			—			(525		)		2,016
Goodwill and intangible assets		3,582			—			—				3,582
Property, plant and equipment – net and other assets		1,175			—			—				1,175
Operating lease methodology difference		(273		)	—			—				(273		)
Liabilities included in segment assets		10,357			—			—				10,357
Inventory methodology differences		(2,539		)	—			—				(2,539		)
Other		(214		)	(135		)	(111		)		(460		)
Total assets		$	54,704		$	36,845		$	(6,653	)		$	84,896
2012
Total assets from reportable segments		$	31,413		$	36,563		$	—			$	67,976
All Other operating segments		3,179			—			—				3,179
Items not included in segment assets:
Cash and short-term investments		3,306			—			—				3,306
Intercompany receivables		303			—			(303		)		—
Investment in Financial Products		4,433			—			(4,433		)		—
Deferred income taxes		3,926			—			(516		)		3,410
Goodwill and intangible assets		3,145			—			—				3,145
Property, plant and equipment – net and other assets		723			—			—				723
Operating lease methodology difference		(305		)	—			—				(305		)
Liabilities included in segment assets		10,900			—			—				10,900
Inventory methodology differences		(2,949		)	—			—				(2,949		)
Other		(176		)	(107		)	(132		)		(415		)
Total assets		$	57,898		$	36,456		$	(5,384	)		$	88,970
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidated
		Energy &			Products			Total
		Transportation
2014
Total depreciation and amortization from reportable segments		$	1,859		$	885		$	2,744
Items not included in segment depreciation and amortization:
All Other operating segments		279			—			279
Cost centers		150			—			150
Other		(35		)	25			(10		)
Total depreciation and amortization		$	2,253		$	910		$	3,163
2013
Total depreciation and amortization from reportable segments		$	1,833		$	789		$	2,622
Items not included in segment depreciation and amortization:
All Other operating segments		305			—			305
Cost centers		151			—			151
Other		(16		)	25			9
Total depreciation and amortization		$	2,273		$	814		$	3,087
2012
Total depreciation and amortization from reportable segments		$	1,712		$	708		$	2,420
Items not included in segment depreciation and amortization:
All Other operating segments		313			—			313
Cost centers		96			—			96
Other		(39		)	23			(16		)
Total depreciation and amortization		$	2,082		$	731		$	2,813
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures:
(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidating				Consolidated
		Energy &			Products			Adjustments				Total
		Transportation
2014
Total capital expenditures from reportable segments		$	1,254		$	1,634		$	—			$	2,888
Items not included in segment capital expenditures:
All Other operating segments		331			—			—				331
Cost centers		181			—			—				181
Timing		21			—			—				21
Other		(146		)	183			(79		)		(42		)
Total capital expenditures		$	1,641		$	1,817		$	(79	)		$	3,379
2013
Total capital expenditures from reportable segments		$	1,727		$	1,806		$	—			$	3,533
Items not included in segment capital expenditures:
All Other operating segments		452			—			—				452
Cost centers		191			—			—				191
Timing		363			—			—				363
Other		(128		)	105			(70		)		(93		)
Total capital expenditures		$	2,605		$	1,911		$	(70	)		$	4,446
2012
Total capital expenditures from reportable segments		$	3,022		$	1,660		$	—			$	4,682
Items not included in segment capital expenditures:
All Other operating segments		459			—			—				459
Cost centers		201			—			—				201
Timing		(71		)	—			—				(71		)
Other		(176		)	136			(155		)		(195		)
Total capital expenditures		$	3,435		$	1,796		$	(155	)		$	5,076
Enterprise-wide Disclosures:
Information about Geographic Areas:
												Property, plant and equipment - net
		External sales and revenues 1										December 31,
(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012				2014			2013		2012
Inside United States		$	21,122		$	18,579		$	20,239			$	8,714		$	8,723	$	8,559
Outside United States		34,062			37,077			45,636			2	7,863			8,352		7,902
Total		$	55,184		$	55,656		$	65,875			$	16,577		$	17,075	$	16,461
1	Sales of Machinery, Energy & Transportation are based on dealer or customer location. Revenues from services provided are based on where service is rendered.
2	The only country with greater than 10 percent of external sales and revenues for any of the periods presented, other than the United States, is Australia with $6,822 million as of December 31, 2012.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	Acquisitions
	Johan Walter Berg AB
	In September 2013, we acquired 100 percent of the stock of Johan Walter Berg AB (Berg). Berg is a leading manufacturer of mechanically and electrically driven propulsion systems and marine controls for ships. Headquartered in Öckerö Islands, Sweden, Berg has designed and manufactured heavy-duty marine thrusters and controllable pitch propellers since 1929. Its proprietary systems are employed in maritime applications throughout the world that require precise maneuvering and positioning. With the acquisition, Caterpillar will transition from selling only engines and generators to providing complete marine propulsion package systems. The purchase price, net of $9 million of acquired cash, was approximately $169 million. The purchase price includes contingent consideration, payable in 2016, with a fair value of approximately $7 million. The contingent consideration will be based on the revenues achieved by Berg in the period from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015 and is capped at €30 million. The contingent consideration will be remeasured each reporting period at its estimated fair value with any adjustment included in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1.
	The transaction was financed with available cash. Tangible assets as of the acquisition date were $82 million, recorded at their fair values, and primarily included cash of $9 million, receivables of $13 million, inventories of $32 million and property, plant and equipment of $28 million. Finite-lived intangible assets acquired of $70 million included developed technology, customer relationships, and trade names. The finite lived intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a weighted-average amortization period of approximately 11 years. Liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date were $87 million, recorded at their fair values, and primarily included accounts payable of $19 million, customer advances of $31 million and net deferred tax liabilities of $15 million. Goodwill of $113 million, non-deductible for income tax purposes, represented the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets recognized and represented the estimated future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired that could not be individually identified and separately recognized. Factors that contributed to a purchase price resulting in the recognition of goodwill include Berg’s strategic fit into our product portfolio, the opportunity to provide worldwide support to marine operators for a complete, optimized propulsion package, and the acquired assembled workforce. The results of the acquired business for the period from the acquisition date are included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and are reported in the Energy & Transportation segment in Note 23. Assuming this transaction had been made at the beginning of any period presented, the consolidated pro forma results would not be materially different from reported results.
	Black Horse Joint Venture
	In December 2012, Caterpillar and Ariel Corporation (Ariel) contributed $70 million each to obtain a 50 percent equity interest in a newly formed company, Black Horse LLC (Black Horse). Immediately upon formation, Black Horse acquired ProSource, a pump manufacturer headquartered in Houston, Texas. The acquisition of ProSource, which designs and manufactures reciprocating pressure pumps, enables Black Horse to serve the well service market. Black Horse will leverage Caterpillar and Ariel engineering and manufacturing expertise to expand ProSource's existing product line to better serve global oil and gas customers. Frac pumps sold through the combined venture are branded and sold under the Caterpillar name and are distributed through the Caterpillar dealer network. Our investment in Black Horse, accounted for by the equity method, is included in Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies in Statement 3.
	ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei)
	During the second quarter of 2012, Caterpillar, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.A. (CAT Lux), completed a tender offer to acquire the issued shares of ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei), including its wholly-owned subsidiary Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical Manufacturing Co., Ltd. In the fourth quarter of 2013, Siwei was renamed Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd. Substantially all of the issued shares of Siwei, a public company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange, were acquired at the end of May 2012. In October 2012, the remaining shares of Siwei common stock were acquired for approximately $7 million in cash. Siwei primarily designs, manufactures, sells and supports underground coal mining equipment in mainland China and is known for its expertise in manufacturing mining roof support equipment. The acquisition supports Caterpillar's long-term commitment to invest in China in order to support our growing base of Chinese customers and will further expand our underground mining business both inside and outside of China.
	The tender offer allowed Siwei shareholders to choose between two types of consideration in exchange for their shares. The alternatives were either cash consideration of HK$0.88 or a HK$1.00 loan note issued by CAT Lux to the former shareholders of Siwei that provided, subject to its terms, for the holder to receive on redemption a minimum of HK$0.75 up to a maximum of HK$1.15 depending on Siwei's consolidated gross profit for 2012 and 2013. Approximately 4 billion Siwei shares were tendered for the cash alternative and approximately 1.6 billion Siwei shares were tendered for the loan note alternative. The purchase price of approximately $677 million was comprised of net cash paid of approximately $444 million ($475 million in cash paid for shares and to cancel share options less cash acquired of $31 million), the fair value of the loan notes of $152 million, approximately $168 million of assumed third-party short term borrowings and notes payable, a loan and interest payable to Caterpillar from Siwei of $51 million, less restricted cash acquired of approximately $138 million. The noncontrolling interest for the outstanding shares not tendered was approximately $7 million.
	The transaction was financed with available cash and included the issuance of loan notes to certain former shareholders of Siwei, which had a debt component and a portion that was contingent consideration. The $152 million fair value represented the minimum redemption amount of the debt component payable in April 2013.
	Tangible assets as of the acquisition date and after giving effect to the adjustments described below were $598 million, recorded at their fair values, and primarily included cash of $31 million, restricted cash of $138 million, receivables of $184 million, inventories of $77 million and property, plant and equipment of $94 million. Finite-lived intangible assets acquired of $112 million were primarily related to customer relationships and also included trade names. The finite-lived intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over a weighted average amortization period of approximately 14 years. Liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date and after giving effect to the adjustments described below were $626 million, recorded at their fair values, and primarily included accounts payable of $352 million, third-party short term borrowings and notes payable of $168 million and accrued expenses of $37 million. Additionally, deferred tax liabilities were $25 million. Goodwill of $625 million, substantially all of which is non-deductible for income tax purposes, represented the excess of the consideration transferred over the net assets recognized and represented the estimated future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired that could not be individually identified and separately recognized. Goodwill will not be amortized, but will be tested for impairment at least annually. Factors that contributed to a purchase price resulting in the recognition of goodwill include expected cost savings primarily from increased purchasing power for raw materials, improved working capital management, expanded underground mining equipment sales opportunities in China and internationally, along with the acquired assembled workforce. The results of the acquired business for the period from the acquisition date are included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and are reported in the Resource Industries segment in Note 23. Assuming this transaction had been made at the beginning of any period presented, the consolidated pro forma results would not be materially different from reported results.
	In November 2012, Caterpillar became aware of inventory accounting discrepancies at Siwei which led to an internal investigation. Caterpillar's investigation determined that Siwei had engaged in accounting misconduct prior to Caterpillar's acquisition of Siwei in mid-2012. The accounting misconduct included inappropriate accounting practices involving improper cost allocation that resulted in overstated profit and improper revenue recognition practices involving early and, at times unsupported, revenue recognition. Due to the identified accounting misconduct that occurred before the acquisition, measurement period adjustments were made to the fair value of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities during the fourth quarter of 2012. The fair values presented above are a final allocation of the purchase price and reflect these changes, which are primarily comprised of a decrease in finite-lived intangible assets of $82 million, a decrease in receivables of $29 million, a decrease in inventory of $17 million and a net increase in liabilities of $23 million, resulting in an increase in goodwill of $149 million.
	Because of the accounting misconduct identified in the fourth quarter of 2012, Siwei's goodwill was tested for impairment as of November 30, 2012. We determined the carrying value of Siwei, which was a separate reporting unit, exceeded its fair value at the measurement date, requiring step two in the impairment test process.  The fair value of the Siwei reporting unit was determined primarily using an income approach based on the present value of discounted cash flows. We assigned the fair value to the reporting unit's assets and liabilities and determined the implied fair value of goodwill was substantially below the carrying value of the reporting unit's goodwill.  Accordingly, we recognized a $580 million goodwill impairment charge, which resulted in goodwill of approximately $45 million remaining for Siwei. The goodwill impairment was a result of changes in the assumptions used to determine the fair value resulting from the accounting misconduct that occurred before the acquisition. There was no tax benefit associated with this impairment charge. The Siwei goodwill impairment charge was reported in the fourth quarter of 2012 in the Resource Industries segment.
	In May 2013, Caterpillar and its wholly-owned subsidiaries CAT Lux and Siwei entered into a settlement agreement with two former directors of Siwei and two other parties with an interest in the settlement, including Mining Machinery Limited (MML). The agreement settles the dispute between the parties which arose from Caterpillar's determination that Siwei senior managers had engaged in accounting misconduct for several years prior to Caterpillar's announcement of the completion of its tender offer for Siwei in the second quarter of 2012.
	Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the parties agreed that (i) the loan notes issued by CAT Lux (and guaranteed by Caterpillar) as a portion of the Siwei purchase price and held by MML and (ii) loans made by the two former Siwei directors to Siwei prior to its acquisition by Caterpillar would all be canceled and discharged in exchange for payments by CAT Lux to MML and the two former directors in an aggregate amount of approximately $30 million. As of the settlement in May 2013, the loan notes had a book value of approximately $152 million and the obligation related to the loans by the two former directors was approximately $13 million. The settlement agreement contains a mutual release and discharge of the parties' respective claims with respect to the dispute and contains an agreement by Caterpillar and CAT Lux not to pursue any such claims against either the auditors or former directors of Siwei. The settlement and discharge of the loan obligations resulted in the recognition of a gain of approximately $135 million reported in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1 and is included in the Resource Industries segment.
	Caterpillar Tohoku Ltd.
	In March 2012, we acquired 100 percent of the stock of Caterpillar Tohoku Ltd. (Cat Tohoku). Cat Tohoku was an independently owned and operated dealership providing sales, rental, service and after market support for Caterpillar machines and engines in the northeastern part of Japan. The purchase price, net of $18 million of acquired cash, was approximately $206 million. The purchase price included the assumption of $77 million in third-party debt, as well as $64 million net trade payables due to Caterpillar. We paid approximately $59 million at closing, $22 million in July 2012, and $3 million in March 2013. The acquisition of Cat Tohoku supports Caterpillar's efforts to restructure its distribution network in Japan.
	The transaction was financed with available cash. Tangible assets as of the acquisition date were $252 million and primarily included cash of $18 million, receivables of $34 million, inventory of $26 million, and property, plant and equipment of $157 million. Finite-lived intangible assets acquired were $8 million. Liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date were $135 million, recorded at their fair values, and primarily included debt of $77 million and accounts payable of $39 million. Goodwill of $22 million, which is deductible for income tax purposes, represents the excess of cost over the fair value of net tangible assets acquired. The results of the acquired business for the period from the acquisition date are included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and are reported in the All Other operating segments in Note 23. Assuming this transaction had been made at the beginning of any period presented, the consolidated pro forma results would not be materially different from reported results.

Redeemable_Noncontrolling_Inte

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest - Caterpillar Japan Ltd.	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest Disclosure Abstract
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest - Caterpillar Japan Ltd.	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest – Caterpillar Japan Ltd.
	On August 1, 2008, Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. (SCM) completed the first phase of a share redemption plan whereby SCM redeemed half of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' (MHI’s) shares in SCM. This resulted in Caterpillar owning 67 percent of the outstanding shares of SCM and MHI owning the remaining 33 percent. As part of the share redemption, SCM was renamed Caterpillar Japan Ltd. (Cat Japan) and we consolidated its financial statements. On April 2, 2012, we redeemed the remaining 33 percent interest at its carrying amount, resulting in Caterpillar becoming the sole owner of Cat Japan. Caterpillar paid $444 million (36.5 billion Japanese Yen) to acquire the remaining equity interest held in Cat Japan by MHI.

Divestitures

Divestitures	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Divestitures
Divestitures	Divestitures
	Bucyrus Distribution Business Divestitures
	In conjunction with our acquisition of Bucyrus in July 2011, we announced our intention to sell the Bucyrus distribution business to Caterpillar dealers that support mining customers around the world in a series of individual transactions.  Bucyrus predominantly employed a direct to end customer model to sell and support products.  The intention is for all Bucyrus products to be sold and serviced by Caterpillar dealers, consistent with our long-held distribution strategy.  These transitions occurred in phases based on the mining business opportunity within each dealer territory and were substantially complete by the end of 2014.
	The portions of the Bucyrus distribution business that were sold did not qualify as discontinued operations because Caterpillar expects significant continuing direct cash flows from the Caterpillar dealers after the divestitures. The gain or loss on disposal, along with the continuing operations of these disposal groups, has been reported in the Resource Industries segment. Goodwill was allocated to each disposal group using the relative fair value method. The value of the customer relationship intangibles related to each portion of the Bucyrus distribution business was included in the disposal groups. The disposal groups were recorded at the lower of their carrying value or fair value less cost to sell. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, we recorded asset impairment charges of $4 million, $11 million and $27 million respectively, related to disposal groups being sold to Caterpillar dealers. Fair value was determined based upon the negotiated sales price. The impairments were recorded in Other operating (income) expenses and included in the Resource Industries segment. The portions of the distribution business that were sold were not material to our results of operations, financial position or cash flow.
	In 2014, we completed 32 sale transactions whereby we sold portions of the Bucyrus distribution business to Caterpillar dealers for an aggregate price of $199 million. For the full year 2014, after-tax profit was unfavorably impacted by $22 million as a result of the Bucyrus distribution divestiture activities. This is comprised of $21 million of income related to sales transactions, a net unfavorable adjustment of $14 million related to prior sale transactions (both included in Other operating (income) expenses), costs incurred related to the Bucyrus distribution divestiture activities of $25 million (included in Selling, general and administrative expenses) and income tax of $4 million.
	Assets sold in 2014 included customer relationship intangibles of $82 million, other assets of $24 million, which consisted primarily of inventory and fixed assets, and allocated goodwill of $63 million related to the divested portions of the Bucyrus distribution business.
	As part of the 2014 divestitures, Cat Financial provided $20 million of financing to two of the Caterpillar dealers.
	In 2013, we completed 19 sale transactions whereby we sold portions of the Bucyrus distribution business to Caterpillar dealers for an aggregate price of $467 million. For the full year 2013, after-tax profit was unfavorably impacted by $39 million as a result of the Bucyrus distribution divestiture activities. This is comprised of $95 million of income related to sales transactions, a $34 million unfavorable adjustment due to a change in estimate to increase the reserve for parts returns related to prior sale transactions (both included in Other operating (income) expenses), costs incurred related to the Bucyrus distribution divestiture activities of $104 million (included in Selling, general and administrative expenses) and an income tax benefit of $4 million.
	Assets sold in 2013 included customer relationship intangibles of $127 million, other assets of $65 million, which consisted primarily of inventory and fixed assets, and allocated goodwill of $56 million related to the divested portions of the Bucyrus distribution business.
	As part of the 2013 divestitures, Cat Financial provided $132 million of financing to five of the Caterpillar dealers.
	In 2012, we completed 12 sale transactions whereby we sold portions of the Bucyrus distribution business to Caterpillar dealers for an aggregate price of $1,436 million. For the full year 2012, after-tax profit was unfavorably impacted by $28 million as a result of the Bucyrus distribution divestiture activities. This is comprised of $310 million of income (included in Other operating (income) expenses) related to sales transactions, offset by costs incurred related to the Bucyrus distribution divestiture activities of $177 million (included in Selling, general and administrative expenses) and income tax of $161 million.
	Assets sold in 2012 included customer relationship intangibles of $256 million, other assets of $254 million, which consisted primarily of inventory and fixed assets, and allocated goodwill of $405 million related to the divested portions of the Bucyrus distribution business.
	As part of the 2012 divestitures, Cat Financial provided $739 million of financing to five of the Caterpillar dealers.
	Third Party Logistics Business Divestiture
	On July 31, 2012, Platinum Equity acquired a 65 percent equity interest in Caterpillar Logistics Services LLC, the third party logistics division of our wholly owned subsidiary, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., for $567 million subject to certain working capital adjustments. The purchase price of $567 million was comprised of a $107 million equity contribution from Platinum Equity to, and third party debt raised by, Caterpillar Logistics Services LLC. The sale of the third party logistics business supports Caterpillar's increased focus on the continuing growth opportunities in its core businesses. Under the terms of the agreement, Caterpillar retained a 35 percent equity interest.
	As a result of the divestiture, we recorded a pretax gain of $278 million (included in Other operating (income) expenses). In addition, we recognized $8 million of incremental incentive compensation expense. The fair value of our retained noncontrolling interest was $58 million, as determined by the $107 million equity contribution from Platinum Equity, and was included in Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies in Statement 3. The disposal did not qualify as discontinued operations because Caterpillar has significant continuing involvement through its noncontrolling interest. The financial impact of the disposal was reported in the All Other operating segments. Results for our remaining interest will be recorded in Equity in profit (loss) of unconsolidated affiliated companies and are reported in the All Other operating segments.
	The controlling financial interest in Caterpillar Logistics Services LLC was not material to our results of operations, financial position or cash flow.

Restructuring_Costs

Restructuring Costs	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Charges [Abstract]
Restructuring Costs	Restructuring costs
	Restructuring costs for 2014, 2013, and 2012 were $441 million, $200 million and $94 million, respectively, and were recognized in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1. The 2014 restructuring costs included $382 million of employee separation costs, $33 million of long-lived asset impairments and $26 million of other restructuring costs. The 2013 restructuring costs included $151 million of employee separation costs, $41 million of long-lived asset impairments and $8 million of other restructuring costs. The 2012 costs were for employee separations.
	The restructuring costs in 2014 were primarily related to a reduction in workforce at our Gosselies, Belgium, facility. The most significant charges in 2013 were for the restructuring of management and support functions and the closure or downsizing of several facilities related to our mining business. The separation charges in 2012 were primarily in the Energy & Transportation segment and were related to the closure of the Electro-Motive Diesel facility located in London, Ontario and separation programs in Europe.
	Restructuring costs for 2014 and 2013 are a reconciling item between Segment profit and Consolidated profit before taxes. See Note 23 for more information.
	Our accounting for separations was dependent upon how the particular program was designed. For voluntary programs, eligible separation costs were recognized at the time of employee acceptance. For involuntary programs, eligible costs were recognized when management had approved the program, the affected employees had been properly notified and the costs were estimable.
	The following table summarizes the 2012, 2013 and 2014 employee separation activity:
	(Millions of dollars)	Total
	Liability balance at December 31, 2011	$	90
	Increase in liability (separation charges)	94
	Reduction in liability (payments and other adjustments)	(155		)
	Liability balance at December 31, 2012	$	29
	Increase in liability (separation charges)	151
	Reduction in liability (payments and other adjustments)	(91		)
	Liability balance at December 31, 2013	$	89
	Increase in liability (separation charges)	382
	Reduction in liability (payments and other adjustments)	(289		)
	Liability balance at December 31, 2014	$	182
	The remaining liability balance as of December 31, 2014 represents costs for employees who have not yet separated from the Company or whose full severance has not yet been paid.  The majority of these remaining costs are expected to be paid in 2015.
	In December 2013, we announced a restructuring plan for our Gosselies, Belgium, facility. This restructuring plan was designed to improve the competitiveness of our European manufacturing footprint and achieve competitiveness in our European operations by refocusing our current Gosselies operations on final machine assembly, test and paint with limited component and fabrication operations. This action includes reshaping our supply base for more efficient sourcing, improving factory efficiencies and workforce reductions and was approved by the Belgian Minister of Employment in February 2014. We estimate the total employee cash separation costs to be about $300 million before tax, which represents substantially all of the restructuring costs to be incurred under the restructuring plan. In 2014, we recognized $273 million of these separation-related charges. The remaining costs are expected to be recognized in 2015.

Selected_quarterly_financial_r

Selected quarterly financial results (unaudited)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Selected quarterly financial results (unaudited)	Selected quarterly financial results (unaudited)
			2014 Quarter
	(Dollars in millions except per share data)		1st			2nd			3rd			4th
	Sales and revenues		$	13,241		$	14,150		$	13,549		$	14,244
	Less: Revenues		(748		)	(759		)	(791		)	(744		)
	Sales		12,493			13,391			12,758			13,500
	Cost of goods sold		9,437			10,197			9,634			10,499
	Gross margin		3,056			3,194			3,124			3,001
	Profit 1		$	922		$	999		$	1,017		$	757
	Profit per common share		$	1.47		$	1.6		$	1.66		$	1.25
	Profit per common share–diluted 2		$	1.44		$	1.57		$	1.63		$	1.23
			2013 Quarter
			1st			2nd			3rd			4th
	Sales and revenues		$	13,210		$	14,621		$	13,423		$	14,402
	Less: Revenues		(726		)	(735		)	(745		)	(756		)
	Sales		12,484			13,886			12,678			13,646
	Cost of goods sold		9,639			10,773			9,774			10,541
	Gross margin		2,845			3,113			2,904			3,105
	Profit 1		$	880		$	960		$	946		$	1,003
	Profit per common share		$	1.34		$	1.48		$	1.48		$	1.57
	Profit per common share–diluted 2		$	1.31		$	1.45		$	1.45		$	1.54
	1	Profit attributable to common stockholders.
	2	Diluted by assumed exercise of stock-based compensation awards using the treasury stock method.
	As previously disclosed, in connection with the preparation of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2014, we concluded that certain non-cash transactions should be excluded from both changes in Receivables-trade and other and Accounts payable when preparing our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow. Accordingly, we prepared our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow for the six and nine months ended June 30, 2014 and September 30, 2014 on that basis, and we revised our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow for the comparative periods in 2013. We subsequently concluded that our prior policy of including those transactions in the changes in Receivables-trade and other and Accounts payable is acceptable. Accordingly, we prepared our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow for the year ended December 31, 2014 using our prior policy. We will revise our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow to increase Receivables-trade and other and decrease Accounts payable for $113 million and $149 million for the six and nine months ended June 30, 2014 and September 30, 2014, respectively, the next time they are filed. The revisions will not impact net cash provided by operating activities.

Operations_and_summary_of_sign1

Operations and summary of significant accounting policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation, Policy
	B.	Basis of presentation
	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries where we have a controlling financial interest.
	Investments in companies where our ownership exceeds 20 percent and we do not have a controlling interest or where the ownership is less than 20 percent and for which we have a significant influence are accounted for by the equity method.  See Note 9 for further discussion.
	We consolidate all variable interest entities (VIEs) where Caterpillar Inc. is the primary beneficiary.  For VIEs, we assess whether we are the primary beneficiary as prescribed by the accounting guidance on the consolidation of VIEs.  The primary beneficiary of a VIE is the party that has both the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. See Note 21 for further discussion on a consolidated VIE.
	We have affiliates, suppliers and dealers that are VIEs of which we are not the primary beneficiary. Although we have provided financial support, we do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity's economic performance. Our maximum exposure to loss from VIEs for which we are not the primary beneficiary was as follows:
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014		2013		2012
	Receivables - trade and other		$	36	$	21	$	23
	Receivables - finance		216		185		122
	Long-term receivables - finance		285		334		353
	Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies		83		89		93
	Guarantees		129		151		176
	Total		$	749	$	780	$	767
	Shipping and handling costs are included in Cost of goods sold in Statement 1.  Other operating (income) expenses primarily include Cat Financial’s depreciation of equipment leased to others, Insurance Services’ underwriting expenses, gains (losses) on disposal of long-lived assets and business divestitures, long-lived asset impairment charges, legal settlements, employee separation charges and benefit plan curtailment, settlement and contractual termination benefits.
	Prepaid expenses and other current assets in Statement 3 include prepaid rent, prepaid insurance, assets held for sale, core to be returned for remanufacturing, restricted cash and other short-term investments, and other prepaid items.
	Certain amounts for prior years have been reclassified to conform with the current-year financial statement presentation.
Sales and Revenue Recognition, Policy
	C.	Sales and revenue recognition
	Sales of Machinery, Energy & Transportation are recognized and earned when all the following criteria are satisfied:  (a) persuasive evidence of a sales arrangement exists; (b) price is fixed and determinable; (c) collectibility is reasonably assured; and (d) delivery has occurred.  Persuasive evidence of an arrangement and a fixed or determinable price exist once we receive an order or contract from a customer or independently owned and operated dealer.  We assess collectibility at the time of the sale and if collectibility is not reasonably assured, the sale is deferred and not recognized until collectibility is probable or payment is received.  Typically, where product is produced and sold in the same country, title and risk of ownership transfer when the product is shipped.  Products that are exported from a country for sale typically pass title and risk of ownership at the border of the destination country.
	Sales of certain turbine machinery units, draglines, large shovels and long wall roof supports are recognized under accounting for construction-type contracts, primarily using the percentage-of-completion method.  Revenue is recognized based upon progress towards completion, which is estimated and continually updated over the course of construction.  We provide for any loss that we expect to incur on these contracts when that loss is probable.
	Our remanufacturing operations are primarily focused on the remanufacture of Cat engines and components and rail related products.  In this business, used engines and related components (core) are inspected, cleaned and remanufactured.  In connection with the sale of most of our remanufactured product, we collect a deposit from the dealer that is repaid if the dealer returns an acceptable core within a specified time period.  Caterpillar owns and has title to the cores when they are returned from dealers.  The rebuilt engine or component (the core plus any new content) is then sold as a remanufactured product to dealers and customers.  Revenue is recognized pursuant to the same criteria as Machinery, Energy & Transportation sales noted above (title to the entire remanufactured product passes to the dealer upon sale).  At the time of sale, the deposit is recognized in Other current liabilities in Statement 3.  In addition, the core to be returned is recognized as an asset in Prepaid expenses and other current assets in Statement 3 at the estimated replacement cost (based on historical experience with useable cores).  Upon receipt of an acceptable core, we repay the deposit and relieve the liability.  The returned core is then included in inventory.  In the event that the deposit is forfeited (i.e. upon failure by the dealer to return an acceptable core in the specified time period), we recognize the core deposit and the cost of the core in Sales and Cost of goods sold, respectively.
	No right of return exists on sales of equipment.  Replacement part returns are estimable and accrued at the time a sale is recognized.
	We provide discounts to dealers through merchandising programs.  We have numerous programs that are designed to promote the sale of our products.  The most common dealer programs provide a discount when the dealer sells a product to a targeted end user.  The cost of these discounts is estimated based on historical experience and known changes in merchandising programs and is reported as a reduction to sales when the product sale is recognized.
	Our standard dealer invoice terms are established by marketing region. Our invoice terms for end-user customer sales are established by the responsible business unit. When a sale is made to a dealer, the dealer is responsible for payment even if the product is not sold to an end customer. Dealers and customers must make payment within the established invoice terms to avoid potential interest costs. Interest at or above prevailing market rates may be charged on any past due balance, and generally our practice is to not forgive this interest. In 2014 and 2013, terms were extended to not more than one year for $624 million and $706 million of receivables, respectively, which represent approximately 1 percent of consolidated sales. In 2012, terms were extended to not more than one year for $354 million of receivables, which represent less than 1 percent of consolidated sales.
	We establish a bad debt allowance for Machinery, Energy & Transportation receivables when it becomes probable that the receivable will not be collected.  Our allowance for bad debts is not significant.
	Revenues of Financial Products primarily represent the following Cat Financial revenues:
	•	Retail finance revenue on finance leases and installment sale contracts is recognized over the term of the contract at a constant rate of return on the scheduled outstanding principal balance.  Revenue on retail notes is recognized based on the daily balance of retail receivables outstanding and the applicable effective interest rate.
	•	Operating lease revenue is recorded on a straight-line basis in the period earned over the life of the contract.
	•	Cat Financial provides wholesale inventory financing to dealers. Wholesale finance revenue on finance leases and installment sale contracts related to financing dealer inventory and rental fleets is recognized over the term of the contract at a constant rate of return on the scheduled outstanding principal balance.  Revenue on wholesale notes is recognized based on the daily balance of wholesale receivables outstanding and the applicable effective interest rate.
	•	Loan origination and commitment fees are deferred and amortized to revenue using the interest method over the life of the finance receivables.
	Recognition of income is suspended and the loan or finance lease is placed on non-accrual status when management determines that collection of future income is not probable (generally after 120 days past due except in locations where local regulatory requirements dictate a different method, or instances in which relevant information is known that warrants placing the loan or finance lease on non-accrual status). Accrual is resumed, and previously suspended income is recognized, when the loan or finance lease becomes contractually current and/or collection doubts are removed. See Note 6 for more information.
	Sales and revenues are presented net of sales and other related taxes.
Inventories, Policy
	D.	Inventories
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is principally determined using the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method. The value of inventories on the LIFO basis represented about 60 percent of total inventories at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	If the FIFO (first-in, first-out) method had been in use, inventories would have been $2,430 million, $2,504 million and $2,750 million higher than reported at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Depreciation and Amortization, Policy
	E.	Depreciation and amortization
	Depreciation of plant and equipment is computed principally using accelerated methods. Depreciation on equipment leased to others, primarily for Financial Products, is computed using the straight-line method over the term of the lease. The depreciable basis is the original cost of the equipment less the estimated residual value of the equipment at the end of the lease term. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, Cat Financial depreciation on equipment leased to others was $872 million, $768 million and $688 million, respectively, and was included in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, consolidated depreciation expense was $2,795 million, $2,710 million and $2,421 million, respectively. Amortization of purchased finite-lived intangibles is computed principally using the straight-line method, generally not to exceed a period of 20 years.
Foreign Currency Translation, Policy
	F.	Foreign currency translation
	The functional currency for most of our Machinery, Energy & Transportation consolidated companies is the U.S. dollar. The functional currency for most of our Financial Products and affiliates accounted for under the equity method is the respective local currency.  Gains and losses resulting from the remeasurement of foreign currency amounts to the functional currency are included in Other income (expense) in Statement 1. Gains and losses resulting from translating assets and liabilities from the functional currency to U.S. dollars are included in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in Statement 3.
Derivative Financial Instruments, Policy
	G.	Derivative financial instruments
	Our earnings and cash flow are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices.  Our Risk Management Policy (policy) allows for the use of derivative financial instruments to prudently manage foreign currency exchange rate, interest rate and commodity price exposures. Our policy specifies that derivatives are not to be used for speculative purposes. Derivatives that we use are primarily foreign currency forward, option, and cross currency contracts, interest rate swaps, and commodity forward and option contracts. All derivatives are recorded at fair value.  See Note 3 for more information.
Income Taxes, Policy
	H.	Income taxes
	The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach taking into account guidance related to uncertain tax positions.  Tax laws require items to be included in tax filings at different times than the items are reflected in the financial statements.  A current liability is recognized for the estimated taxes payable for the current year.  Deferred taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid.  Deferred taxes are adjusted for enacted changes in tax rates and tax laws.  Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.
Goodwill, Policy
	I.	Goodwill
	For acquisitions accounted for as a business combination, goodwill represents the excess of the cost over the fair value of the net assets acquired.  We are required to test goodwill for impairment, at the reporting unit level, annually and when events or circumstances indicate the fair value of a reporting unit may be below its carrying value.  A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment (referred to as a component) to which goodwill is assigned when initially recorded. We assign goodwill to reporting units based on our integration plans and the expected synergies resulting from the acquisition.  Because Caterpillar is a highly integrated company, the businesses we acquire are sometimes combined with or integrated into existing reporting units.  When changes occur in the composition of our operating segments or reporting units, goodwill is reassigned to the affected reporting units based on their relative fair values.
	We test goodwill for impairment annually and whenever events or circumstances make it more likely than not that an impairment may have occurred.  We perform our annual goodwill impairment test as of October 1 and monitor for interim triggering events on an ongoing basis.  Goodwill is reviewed for impairment utilizing a qualitative assessment or a two-step process.  We have an option to make a qualitative assessment of a reporting unit’s goodwill for impairment.  If we choose to perform a qualitative assessment and determine the fair value more likely than not exceeds the carrying value, no further evaluation is necessary.  For reporting units where we perform the two-step process, the first step requires us to compare the fair value of each reporting unit, which we primarily determine using an income approach based on the present value of discounted cash flows, to the respective carrying value, which includes goodwill.  If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, the goodwill is not considered impaired.  If the carrying value is higher than the fair value, there is an indication that an impairment may exist and the second step is required.  In step two, the implied fair value of goodwill is calculated as the excess of the fair value of a reporting unit over the fair values assigned to its assets and liabilities.  If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill, the difference is recognized as an impairment loss.  See Note 10 for further details.
Estimates in Financial Statements, Policy
	J.	Estimates in financial statements
	The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts. The more significant estimates include: residual values for leased assets, fair values for goodwill impairment tests, impairment of available-for-sale securities, warranty liability, stock-based compensation and reserves for product liability and insurance losses, postretirement benefits, post-sale discounts, credit losses and income taxes.

Derivative_financial_instrumen1

Derivative financial instruments and risk management (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivative Risk Management, Policy
	A.	Foreign currency exchange rate risk
	Foreign currency exchange rate movements create a degree of risk by affecting the U.S. dollar value of sales made and costs incurred in foreign currencies. Movements in foreign currency rates also affect our competitive position as these changes may affect business practices and/or pricing strategies of non-U.S.-based competitors. Additionally, we have balance sheet positions denominated in foreign currencies, thereby creating exposure to movements in exchange rates.
	Our Machinery, Energy & Transportation operations purchase, manufacture and sell products in many locations around the world. As we have a diversified revenue and cost base, we manage our future foreign currency cash flow exposure on a net basis. We use foreign currency forward and option contracts to manage unmatched foreign currency cash inflow and outflow. Our objective is to minimize the risk of exchange rate movements that would reduce the U.S. dollar value of our foreign currency cash flow. Our policy allows for managing anticipated foreign currency cash flow for up to five years.
	We generally designate as cash flow hedges at inception of the contract any Australian dollar, Brazilian real, British pound, Canadian dollar, Chinese yuan, euro, Indian rupee, Japanese yen, Mexican peso, Singapore dollar, or Swiss franc forward or option contracts that meet the requirements for hedge accounting and the maturity extends beyond the current quarter-end. Designation is performed on a specific exposure basis to support hedge accounting. The remainder of Machinery, Energy & Transportation foreign currency contracts are undesignated, including any hedges designed to protect our competitive exposure.
	As of December 31, 2014, $68 million of deferred net losses, net of tax, included in equity (AOCI in Statement 3), are expected to be reclassified to current earnings (Other income (expense) in Statement 1) over the next twelve months when earnings are affected by the hedged transactions.  The actual amount recorded in Other income (expense) will vary based on exchange rates at the time the hedged transactions impact earnings.
	In managing foreign currency risk for our Financial Products operations, our objective is to minimize earnings volatility resulting from conversion and the remeasurement of net foreign currency balance sheet positions, and future transactions denominated in foreign currencies. Our policy allows the use of foreign currency forward, option and cross currency contracts to offset the risk of currency mismatch between our receivables and debt, and exchange rate risk associated with future transactions denominated in foreign currencies. Substantially all such foreign currency forward, option and cross currency contracts are undesignated.
	B.	Interest rate risk
	Interest rate movements create a degree of risk by affecting the amount of our interest payments and the value of our fixed-rate debt. Our practice is to use interest rate derivatives to manage our exposure to interest rate changes.
	Our Machinery, Energy & Transportation operations generally use fixed rate debt as a source of funding.  Our objective is to minimize the cost of borrowed funds.  Our policy allows us to enter into fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps and forward rate agreements to meet that objective. We designate fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps as fair value hedges at inception of the contract, and we designate certain forward rate agreements as cash flow hedges at inception of the contract.
	As of December 31, 2014, $4 million of deferred net losses, net of tax, included in equity (AOCI in Statement 3), related to Machinery, Energy & Transportation forward rate agreements, are expected to be reclassified to current earnings (Interest expense excluding Financial Products in Statement 1) over the next twelve months.
	Financial Products operations has a match-funding policy that addresses interest rate risk by aligning the interest rate profile (fixed or floating rate) of Cat Financial’s debt portfolio with the interest rate profile of their receivables portfolio within predetermined ranges on an ongoing basis. In connection with that policy, we use interest rate derivative instruments to modify the debt structure to match assets within the receivables portfolio. This matched funding reduces the volatility of margins between interest-bearing assets and interest-bearing liabilities, regardless of which direction interest rates move.
	Our policy allows us to use fixed-to-floating, floating-to-fixed, and floating-to-floating interest rate swaps to meet the match-funding objective.  We designate fixed-to-floating interest rate swaps as fair value hedges to protect debt against changes in fair value due to changes in the benchmark interest rate.  We designate most floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges to protect against the variability of cash flows due to changes in the benchmark interest rate.
	As of December 31, 2014, $1 million of deferred net losses, net of tax, included in equity (AOCI in Statement 3), related to Financial Products floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps, are expected to be reclassified to current earnings (Interest expense of Financial Products in Statement 1) over the next twelve months.  The actual amount recorded in Interest expense of Financial Products will vary based on interest rates at the time the hedged transactions impact earnings.
	We have, at certain times, liquidated fixed-to-floating and floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps at both Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products.  The gains or losses associated with these swaps at the time of liquidation are amortized into earnings over the original term of the previously designated hedged item.
	C.	Commodity price risk
	Commodity price movements create a degree of risk by affecting the price we must pay for certain raw material. Our policy is to use commodity forward and option contracts to manage the commodity risk and reduce the cost of purchased materials.
	Our Machinery, Energy & Transportation operations purchase base and precious metals embedded in the components we purchase from suppliers.  Our suppliers pass on to us price changes in the commodity portion of the component cost. In addition, we are subject to price changes on energy products such as natural gas and diesel fuel purchased for operational use.
	Our objective is to minimize volatility in the price of these commodities. Our policy allows us to enter into commodity forward and option contracts to lock in the purchase price of a portion of these commodities within a five-year horizon. All such commodity forward and option contracts are undesignated.

Operations_and_summary_of_sign2

Operations and summary of significant accounting policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Variable Interest Entities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Maximum Exposure to Loss from Variable Interest Entities	Our maximum exposure to loss from VIEs for which we are not the primary beneficiary was as follows:
		December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014		2013		2012
	Receivables - trade and other	$	36	$	21	$	23
	Receivables - finance	216		185		122
	Long-term receivables - finance	285		334		353
	Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies	83		89		93
	Guarantees	129		151		176
	Total	$	749	$	780	$	767

Stockbased_compensation_Tables

Stock-based compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Schedule providing assumptions used in determining the fair value of stock-based awards	The following table provides the assumptions used in determining the fair value of the stock-based awards for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
		Grant Year
		2014			2013			2012
	Weighted-average dividend yield	2.2	%		2.1	%		2.2	%
	Weighted-average volatility	28.2	%		30.6	%		35	%
	Range of volatilities	18.4-36.2%			23.4-40.6%			33.3-40.4%
	Range of risk-free interest rates	0.12-2.60%			0.16-1.88%			0.17-2.00%
	Weighted-average expected lives	8 years			8 years			7 years
Schedule of stock-based compensation activity	Please refer to Tables I and II below for additional information on our stock-based awards.
	TABLE I — Financial Information Related to Stock-based Compensation
		2014							2013					2012
		Shares			Weighted-				Shares			Weighted-		Shares		Weighted-
					Average							Average				Average
					Exercise							Exercise				Exercise
					Price							Price				Price
	Stock options/SARs activity:
	Outstanding at beginning of year	43,375,747			$	65.03			45,827,599			$	59.45	50,372,991		$	53.01
	Granted to officers and key employees 1	4,448,218			$	96.31			4,276,060			$	89.75	3,318,188		$	110.09
	Exercised	(13,026,311	)		$	50.27			(6,476,082	)		$	41.1	(7,708,343	)	$	38.73
	Forfeited / expired	(216,571	)		$	85.93			(251,830	)		$	84.64	(155,237	)	$	67.5
	Outstanding at end of year	34,581,083			$	74.48			43,375,747			$	65.03	45,827,599		$	59.45
	Exercisable at year-end	23,991,377			$	64.46			34,200,054			$	55.93	33,962,000		$	51.75
	RSUs activity:
	Outstanding at beginning of year	3,823,328							3,580,220					4,281,490
	Granted to officers and key employees	1,429,512							1,614,870					1,429,939
	Vested	(1,081,304	)						(1,286,934	)				(2,077,485	)
	Forfeited	(87,400	)						(84,828	)				(53,724	)
	Outstanding at end of year	4,084,136							3,823,328					3,580,220
	Stock options/SARs outstanding and exercisable:
			Outstanding											Exercisable
	Exercise Prices		Shares Outstanding at 12/31/14			Weighted-		Weighted-				Aggregate		Shares Outstanding at 12/31/14		Weighted-		Weighted-		Aggregate
						Average		Average				Intrinsic Value 2				Average		Average		Intrinsic Value 2
						Remaining		Exercise Price								Remaining		Exercise Price
						Contractual Life (Years)										Contractual Life (Years)
	$22.17 - 45.64		4,740,246			3.01		$	28.93			$	301	4,740,246		3.01		$	28.93	$	301
	$57.85 - 63.04		7,634,038			4.31		$	59.33			253		7,634,038		4.31		$	59.33	253
	$66.77 - 73.20		7,744,932			2.02		$	72.51			155		7,744,932		2.02		$	72.51	155
	$86.77 - 89.75		4,195,185			8.06		$	89.68			12		420,340		8.15		$	89.75	1
	$96.31 - 110.09		10,266,682			7.76		$	102.04			—		3,451,821		6.4		$	103.43	—
			34,581,083					$	74.48			$	721	23,991,377				$	64.46	$	710
	1	No SARs were granted during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 or 2012.
	2	The difference between a stock award’s exercise price and the underlying stock’s market price at December 31, 2014, for awards with market price greater than the exercise price. Amounts are in millions of dollars.
Schedule of financial information related to stock-based compensation
	TABLE II— Additional Stock-based Award Information
	(Dollars in millions except per share data)		2014				2013				2012
	Stock options/SARs activity:
	Weighted-average fair value per share of stock awards granted		$	29.52			$	28.34			$	39.2
	Intrinsic value of stock awards exercised		$	649			$	312			$	488
	Fair value of stock awards vested		$	108			$	167			$	66
	Cash received from stock awards exercised		$	259			$	152			$	112
	RSUs activity:
	Weighted-average fair value per share of stock awards granted		$	89.18			$	84.05			$	104.61
	Fair value of stock awards vested		$	106			$	117			$	229

Derivative_financial_instrumen2

Derivative financial instruments and risk management (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Location and fair value of derivative instruments reported in the Consolidated Financial Position	The location and fair value of derivative instruments reported in Statement 3 are as follows:
		Consolidated		Asset (Liability) Fair Value
		Statement of Financial Position Location
	(Millions of dollars)			Years ended December 31,
				2014				2013				2012
	Designated derivatives
	Foreign exchange contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Receivables — trade and other		$	25			$	54			$	28
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Accrued expenses		(134		)		(39		)		(66		)
	Interest rate contracts
	Financial Products	Receivables — trade and other		6				7				17
	Financial Products	Long-term receivables — trade and other		73				115				209
	Financial Products	Accrued expenses		(8		)		(6		)		(8		)
				$	(38	)		$	131			$	180
	Undesignated derivatives
	Foreign exchange contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Receivables — trade and other		$	2			$	19			$	31
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Accrued expenses		(43		)		(1		)		(63		)
	Financial Products	Receivables — trade and other		5				7				10
	Financial Products	Long-term receivables — trade and other		17				9				—
	Financial Products	Accrued expenses		(15		)		(4		)		(6		)
	Interest rate contracts
	Financial Products	Receivables — trade and other		—				—				2
	Financial Products	Accrued expenses		—				—				(1		)
	Commodity contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Receivables — trade and other		—				—				1
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation	Accrued expenses		(14		)		—				—
				$	(48	)		$	30			$	(26	)
Total notional amounts of derivative instruments	The total notional amounts of the derivative instruments are as follows:
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	3,128			$	3,565			$	4,438
	Financial Products		$	5,249			$	6,743			$	9,817
Effect of derivatives designated as hedging instruments on Consolidated Results of Operations	The effect of derivatives designated as hedging instruments on Statement 1 is as follows:
	Fair Value Hedges				Year ended December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Classification		Gains (Losses)				Gains (Losses)
					on Derivatives				on Borrowings
	Interest rate contracts
	Financial Products		Other income (expense)		$	(41	)		$	23
					$	(41	)		$	23
					Year ended December 31, 2013
			Classification		Gains (Losses)				Gains (Losses)
					on Derivatives				on Borrowings
	Interest rate contracts
	Financial Products		Other income (expense)		$	(107	)		$	114
					$	(107	)		$	114
					Year ended December 31, 2012
			Classification		Gains (Losses)				Gains (Losses)
					on Derivatives				on Borrowings
	Interest rate contracts
	Financial Products		Other income (expense)		(20		)		36
					$	(20	)		$	36
	Cash Flow Hedges
	(Millions of dollars)		Year ended December 31, 2014
							Recognized in Earnings
			Amount of				Classification of		Amount of Gains (Losses) Reclassified from AOCI to Earnings				Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)
			Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)				Gains (Losses)
	Foreign exchange contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(118	)		Other income (expense)		$	5			$	—
	Interest rate contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		(63		)		Interest expense excluding Financial Products		(5		)		—
	Financial Products		(6		)		Interest expense of Financial Products		(6		)		—
			$	(187	)				$	(6	)		$	—
			Year ended December 31, 2013
							Recognized in Earnings
			Amount of				Classification of		Amount of				Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)
			Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)				Gains (Losses)		Gains (Losses)
									Reclassified
									from AOCI to
									Earnings
	Foreign exchange contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(4	)		Other income (expense)		$	(57	)	2	$	—
	Interest rate contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		—				Other income (expense)		(3		)		—
	Financial Products		(2		)		Interest expense of Financial Products		(6		)		1			1
			$	(6	)				$	(66	)		$	1
			Year ended December 31, 2012
							Recognized in Earnings
			Amount of				Classification of		Amount of				Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)
			Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)				Gains (Losses)		Gains (Losses)
									Reclassified
									from AOCI to
									Earnings
	Foreign exchange contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(78	)		Other income (expense)		$	(30	)	2	$	—
	Interest rate contracts
	Financial Products		1				Interest expense of Financial Products		4				(1		)	1
			$	(77	)				$	(26	)		$	(1	)
	1	The ineffective portion recognized in earnings is included in Other income (expense).
	2	Includes $3 million and $7 million of losses reclassified from AOCI to Other income (expense) in 2013 and 2012, respectively as certain derivatives were dedesignated as the related transactions are no longer probable to occur.
Effect of derivatives not designated as hedging instruments on the Consolidated Results of Operations	The effect of derivatives not designated as hedging instruments on Statement 1 is as follows:
					Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		Classification of Gains (Losses)		2014				2013				2012
	Foreign exchange contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		Other income (expense)		$	(60	)		$	17			$	62
	Financial Products		Other income (expense)		(47		)		8				6
	Interest rate contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		Other income (expense)		2				(1		)		2
	Financial Products		Other income (expense)		—				(3		)		—
	Commodity contracts
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		Other income (expense)		(15		)		(3		)		2
					$	(120	)		$	18			$	72
Effect of net settlement provisions of the master netting agreements on derivative assets
	December 31, 2012														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
	(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Assets				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Received		Net Amount of Assets
	Derivatives
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	60			$	—			$	60			$	(59	)	$	—	$	1
	Financial Products		238				—				238				(12		)	—		226
	Total		$	298			$	—			$	298			$	(71	)	$	—	$	227
	December 31, 2013														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
	(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Assets				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Received		Net Amount of Assets
	Derivatives
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	73			$	—			$	73			$	(32	)	$	—	$	41
	Financial Products		138				—				138				(9		)	—		129
	Total		$	211			$	—			$	211			$	(41	)	$	—	$	170
	The effect of the net settlement provisions of the master netting agreements on our derivative balances upon an event of default or termination event is as follows:
	December 31, 2014														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
	(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Assets				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Received		Net Amount of Assets
	Derivatives
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	27			$	—			$	27			$	(27	)	$	—	$	—
	Financial Products		101				—				101				(8		)	—		93
	Total		$	128			$	—			$	128			$	(35	)	$	—	$	93
Effect of net settlement provisions of the master netting agreements on derivative liabilities
	December 31, 2013														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
	(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Liabilities				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Pledged		Net Amount of Liabilities
	Derivatives
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(40	)		$	—			$	(40	)		$	32		$	—	$	(8	)
	Financial Products		(10		)		—				(10		)		9			—		(1		)
	Total		$	(50	)		$	—			$	(50	)		$	41		$	—	$	(9	)
	December 31, 2012														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
	(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Liabilities				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Pledged		Net Amount of Liabilities
	Derivatives
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(129	)		$	—			$	(129	)		$	59		$	—	$	(70	)
	Financial Products		(15		)		—				(15		)		12			—		(3		)
	Total		$	(144	)		$	—			$	(144	)		$	71		$	—	$	(73	)
	December 31, 2014														Gross Amounts Not Offset in the Statement of Financial Position
	(Millions of dollars)		Gross Amount of Recognized Liabilities				Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position				Net Amount of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Position				Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Pledged		Net Amount of Liabilities
	Derivatives
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	(191	)		$	—			$	(191	)		$	27		$	—	$	(164	)
	Financial Products		(23		)		—				(23		)		8			—		(15		)
	Total		$	(214	)		$	—			$	(214	)		$	35		$	—	$	(179	)

Other_income_expense_Tables

Other income (expense) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]
Other income (expense)
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012
	Investment and interest income		$	66		$	84		$	82
	Foreign exchange gains (losses) 1		54			(254		)	(116		)
	License fee income		128			114			99
	Gains (losses) on sale of securities and affiliated companies		36			21			4
	Miscellaneous income (loss)		(45		)	—			61
	Total		$	239		$	(35	)	$	130
	1	Includes gains (losses) from foreign exchange derivative contracts.  See Note 3 for further details.

Income_taxes_Tables

Income taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of profit (loss) before taxes
	The components of profit before taxes were:
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	U.S.		$	2,022			$	1,938			$	4,090
	Non-U.S.		3,061				3,190				4,146
			$	5,083			$	5,128			$	8,236
Components of the provision (benefit) for income taxes
	The components of the provision (benefit) for income taxes were:
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Current tax provision (benefit):
	U.S.		$	715			$	407			$	971
	Non-U.S.		883				805				1,250
	State (U.S.)		48				33				56
			1,646				1,245				2,277
	Deferred tax provision (benefit):
	U.S.		(167		)		79				332
	Non-U.S.		(77		)		(7		)		(89		)
	State (U.S.)		(22		)		2				8
			(266		)		74				251
	Total provision (benefit) for income taxes		$	1,380			$	1,319			$	2,528
Reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to effective rate	Reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to effective rate:
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014							2013						2012
	Taxes at U.S. statutory rate		$	1,779			35	%		$	1,795			35	%	$	2,882		35	%
	(Decreases) increases in taxes resulting from:
	Non-U.S. subsidiaries taxed at other than 35%		(249		)		(4.9	)%		(268		)		(5.2	)%	(342		)	(4.2	)%
	State and local taxes, net of federal		17				0.3	%		23				0.4	%	55			0.7	%
	Interest and penalties, net of tax		12				0.2	%		4				0.1	%	22			0.3	%
	U.S. research and production incentives		(125		)		(2.4	)%		(91		)		(1.8	)%	(80		)	(1.0	)%
	Other—net		(10		)		(0.2	)%		(2		)		—	%	(27		)	(0.3	)%
			1,424				28	%		1,461				28.5	%	2,510			30.5	%
	Prior year tax and interest adjustments		(21		)		(0.4	)%		(55		)		(1.1	)%	(300		)	(3.7	)%
	Nondeductible goodwill		—				—	%		—				—	%	318			3.9	%
	Release of valuation allowances		(23		)		(0.5	)%		—				—	%	—			—	%
	Tax law changes		—				—	%		(87		)		(1.7	)%	—			—	%
	Provision (benefit) for income taxes		$	1,380			27.1	%		$	1,319			25.7	%	$	2,528		30.7	%
Deferred income tax assets and liabilities	The amount of deferred income taxes at December 31, included on the following lines in Statement 3, are as follows:
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Assets:
	Deferred and refundable income taxes		$	992			$	877			$	979
	Noncurrent deferred and refundable income taxes		1,267				456				1,863
			2,259				1,333				2,842
	Liabilities:
	Other current liabilities		62				86				66
	Other liabilities		414				447				484
	Deferred income taxes—net		$	1,783			$	800			$	2,292
	Deferred income tax assets and liabilities:
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Deferred income tax assets:
	Pension		$	1,513			$	903			$	2,100
	Postemployment benefits other than pensions		1,514				1,435				1,678
	Tax carryforwards		826				760				663
	Warranty reserves		346				313				358
	Stock-based compensation		327				320				281
	Inventory		123				112				195
	Allowance for credit losses		198				184				170
	Post sale discounts		175				146				141
	Deferred compensation		132				126				110
	Other—net		549				524				491
			5,703				4,823				6,187
	Deferred income tax liabilities:
	Capital and intangible assets		(2,625		)		(2,815		)		(2,759		)
	Bond discount		(233		)		(240		)		(249		)
	Translation		(252		)		(133		)		(173		)
	Undistributed profits of non-U.S. subsidiaries		(69		)		(90		)		(128		)
			(3,179		)		(3,278		)		(3,309		)
	Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets		(741		)		(745		)		(586		)
	Deferred income taxes—net		$	1,783			$	800			$	2,292
Summary of net operating loss carryforwards	At December 31, 2014, amounts and expiration dates of net operating loss carryforwards in various non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions were:
	(Millions of dollars)
	2015				2016				2017				2018			2019-2035			Unlimited		Total
	$	7			$	5			$	14			$	96		$	700		$	1,389	$	2,211
Reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits
	Reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits: 1
			Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Balance at January 1,		$	759			$	715			$	958
	Additions for tax positions related to current year		58				63				64
	Additions for tax positions related to prior years		84				52				178
	Reductions for tax positions related to prior years		(31		)		(31		)		(266		)
	Reductions for settlements 2		(18		)		(15		)		(191		)
	Reductions for expiration of statute of limitations		(6		)		(25		)		(28		)
	Balance at December 31,		$	846			$	759			$	715
	Amount that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate		$	804			$	726			$	669
	1	Foreign currency translation amounts are included within each line as applicable.
	2	Includes cash payment or other reduction of assets to settle liability.

Cat_Financial_Financing_Activi1

Cat Financial Financing Activities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]
Contractual maturities of outstanding wholesale inventory receivables
	Contractual maturities of outstanding wholesale inventory receivables:
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
	Amounts Due In		Wholesale				Wholesale				Wholesale				Total
			Installment				Finance				Notes
			Contracts				Leases
	2015		$	200			$	109			$	867			$	1,176
	2016		109				85				262				456
	2017		70				58				202				330
	2018		39				27				17				83
	2019		15				7				—				22
	Thereafter		3				2				—				5
			436				288				1,348				2,072
	Guaranteed residual value		—				98				—				98
	Unguaranteed residual value		—				38				—				38
	Less: Unearned income		(7		)		(28		)		(3		)		(38		)
	Total		$	429			$	396			$	1,345			$	2,170
Contractual maturities of outstanding finance receivables
	Contractual maturities of outstanding finance receivables:
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
	Amounts Due In		Retail				Retail Finance				Retail				Total
			Installment				Leases				Notes
			Contracts
	2015		$	2,308			$	2,956			$	3,891			$	9,155
	2016		1,736				2,064				2,238				6,038
	2017		1,184				1,159				1,896				4,239
	2018		587				513				1,069				2,169
	2019		174				209				848				1,231
	Thereafter		10				131				970				1,111
			5,999				7,032				10,912				23,943
	Guaranteed residual value		—				323				—				323
	Unguaranteed residual value		—				622				—				622
	Less: Unearned income		(106		)		(630		)		(86		)		(822		)
	Total		$	5,893			$	7,347			$	10,826			$	24,066
Impaired loans and finance leases	Individually impaired loans and finance leases for the Customer portfolio segment were as follows:
		December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)	Recorded				Unpaid Principal Balance				Related
		Investment								Allowance
	Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With No Allowance Recorded
	Customer
	North America	$	14			$	14			$	—
	Europe	44				43				—
	Asia Pacific	1				1				—
	Mining	29				29				—
	Latin America	34				34				—
	Caterpillar Power Finance	129				128				—
	Total	$	251			$	249			$	—
	Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With An Allowance Recorded
	Customer
	North America	$	6			$	6			$	1
	Europe	12				12				4
	Asia Pacific	29				29				8
	Mining	138				137				9
	Latin America	42				42				12
	Caterpillar Power Finance	135				134				41
	Total	$	362			$	360			$	75
	Total Impaired Loans and Finance Leases
	Customer
	North America	$	20			$	20			$	1
	Europe	56				55				4
	Asia Pacific	30				30				8
	Mining	167				166				9
	Latin America	76				76				12
	Caterpillar Power Finance	264				262				41
	Total	$	613			$	609			$	75
		December 31, 2013
	(Millions of dollars)	Recorded				Unpaid Principal				Related
		Investment				Balance				Allowance
	Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With No Allowance Recorded
	Customer
	North America	$	23			$	22			$	—
	Europe	48				47				—
	Asia Pacific	7				7				—
	Mining	134				134				—
	Latin America	11				11				—
	Caterpillar Power Finance	223				222				—
	Total	$	446			$	443			$	—
	Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With An Allowance Recorded
	Customer
	North America	$	13			$	13			$	4
	Europe	20				19				7
	Asia Pacific	16				16				2
	Mining	—				—				—
	Latin America	23				23				6
	Caterpillar Power Finance	110				106				51
	Total	$	182			$	177			$	70
	Total Impaired Loans and Finance Leases
	Customer
	North America	$	36			$	35			$	4
	Europe	68				66				7
	Asia Pacific	23				23				2
	Mining	134				134				—
	Latin America	34				34				6
	Caterpillar Power Finance	333				328				51
	Total	$	628			$	620			$	70
		December 31, 2012
	(Millions of dollars)	Recorded				Unpaid Principal				Related
		Investment				Balance				Allowance
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With No Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America	$	28			$	27			$	—
Europe	45				45				—
Asia Pacific	2				2				—
Mining	1				1				—
Latin America	7				7				—
Caterpillar Power Finance	295				295				—
Total	$	378			$	377			$	—
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With An Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America	$	25			$	23			$	7
Europe	28				26				11
Asia Pacific	19				19				4
Mining	—				—				—
Latin America	30				30				8
Caterpillar Power Finance	113				109				24
Total	$	215			$	207			$	54
Total Impaired Loans and Finance Leases
Customer
North America	$	53			$	50			$	7
Europe	73				71				11
Asia Pacific	21				21				4
Mining	1				1				—
Latin America	37				37				8
Caterpillar Power Finance	408				404				24
Total	$	593			$	584			$	54
		Years ended December 31,
		2014								2013							2012
(Millions of dollars)		Average				Interest				Average				Interest			Average			Interest
		Recorded				Income				Recorded				Income			Recorded			Income
		Investment				Recognized				Investment				Recognized			Investment			Recognized
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With No Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America		$	20			$	1			$	25			$	3		$	50		$	3
Europe		47				1				49				1			45			1
Asia Pacific		3				—				4				—			3			—
Mining		69				3				61				3			8			—
Latin America		30				—				11				—			6			—
Caterpillar Power Finance		164				6				271				5			220			2
Total		$	333			$	11			$	421			$	12		$	332		$	6
Impaired Loans and Finance Leases With An Allowance Recorded
Customer
North America		$	9			$	—			$	18			$	1		$	25		$	1
Europe		21				1				22				1			27			1
Asia Pacific		22				1				18				1			15			1
Mining		90				7				1				—			—			—
Latin America		36				1				44				2			27			2
Caterpillar Power Finance		96				2				135				1			94			—
Total		$	274			$	12			$	238			$	6		$	188		$	5
Total Impaired Loans and Finance Leases
Customer
North America		$	29			$	1			$	43			$	4		$	75		$	4
Europe		68				2				71				2			72			2
Asia Pacific		25				1				22				1			18			1
Mining		159				10				62				3			8			—
Latin America		66				1				55				2			33			2
Caterpillar Power Finance		260				8				406				6			314			2
Total		$	607			$	23			$	659			$	18		$	520		$	11
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	The investment in customer loans and finance leases on non-accrual status was as follows:
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Customer
	North America		$	27			$	26			$	59
	Europe		28				28				38
	Asia Pacific		54				50				36
	Mining		62				23				12
	Latin America		201				179				148
	Caterpillar Power Finance		96				119				220
	Total		$	468			$	425			$	513
Aging related to loans and finance leases	Aging related to loans and finance leases was as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
			31-60 Days Past Due				61-90 Days Past Due				91+				Total Past			Current			Total		91+ Still
											Days Past Due				Due						Finance		Accruing
																					Receivables
	Customer
	North America		$	46			$	8			$	27			$	81		$	7,192		$	7,273	$	4
	Europe		16				23				29				68			2,607			2,675		6
	Asia Pacific		29				22				69				120			2,316			2,436		16
	Mining		28				—				11				39			2,084			2,123		—
	Latin America		55				23				196				274			2,583			2,857		8
	Caterpillar Power Finance		1				4				64				69			3,079			3,148		1
	Dealer
	North America		—				—				—				—			2,189			2,189		—
	Europe		—				—				—				—			153			153		—
	Asia Pacific		—				—				—				—			566			566		—
	Mining		—				—				—				—			—			—		—
	Latin America		—				—				—				—			646			646		—
	Caterpillar Power Finance		—				—				—				—			—			—		—
	Total		$	175			$	80			$	396			$	651		$	23,415		$	24,066	$	35
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2013
			31-60 Days Past Due				61-90 Days Past Due				91+				Total Past			Current			Total		91+ Still
											Days Past Due				Due						Finance		Accruing
																					Receivables
	Customer
	North America		$	37			$	12			$	24			$	73		$	6,508		$	6,581	$	—
	Europe		26				15				29				70			2,805			2,875		6
	Asia Pacific		54				23				59				136			2,752			2,888		11
	Mining		3				—				12				15			2,128			2,143		—
	Latin America		54				25				165				244			2,474			2,718		5
	Caterpillar Power Finance		55				30				60				145			2,946			3,091		—
	Dealer
	North America		—				—				—				—			2,283			2,283		—
	Europe		—				—				—				—			150			150		—
	Asia Pacific		—				—				—				—			583			583		—
	Mining		—				—				—				—			1			1		—
	Latin America		—				—				—				—			748			748		—
	Caterpillar Power Finance		—				—				—				—			—			—		—
	Total		$	229			$	105			$	349			$	683		$	23,378		$	24,061	$	22
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2012
			31-60 Days Past Due				61-90 Days Past Due				91+				Total Past			Current			Total		91+ Still
											Days Past Due				Due						Finance		Accruing
																					Receivables
	Customer
	North America		$	35			$	8			$	52			$	95		$	5,872		$	5,967	$	—
	Europe		23				9				36				68			2,487			2,555		6
	Asia Pacific		53				19				54				126			2,912			3,038		18
	Mining		—				1				12				13			1,960			1,973		—
	Latin America		62				19				138				219			2,500			2,719		—
	Caterpillar Power Finance		15				14				126				155			3,017			3,172		4
	Dealer
	North America		—				—				—				—			2,063			2,063		—
	Europe		—				—				—				—			185			185		—
	Asia Pacific		—				—				—				—			751			751		—
	Mining		—				—				—				—			1			1		—
	Latin America		—				—				—				—			884			884		—
	Caterpillar Power Finance		—				—				—				—			—			—		—
	Total		$	188			$	70			$	418			$	676		$	22,632		$	23,308	$	28
Allowance for credit losses and recorded investment in finance receivables	An analysis of the allowance for credit losses during 2014, 2013 and 2012 was as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
			Customer				Dealer				Total
	Allowance for Credit Losses:
	Balance at beginning of year		$	365			$	10			$	375
	Receivables written off		(151		)		—				(151		)
	Recoveries on receivables previously written off		47				—				47
	Provision for credit losses		150				—				150
	Other		(23		)		—				(23		)
	Balance at end of year		$	388			$	10			$	398
	Individually evaluated for impairment		$	75			$	—			$	75
	Collectively evaluated for impairment		313				10				323
	Ending Balance		$	388			$	10			$	398
	Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables:
	Individually evaluated for impairment		$	613			$	—			$	613
	Collectively evaluated for impairment		19,899				3,554				23,453
	Ending Balance		$	20,512			$	3,554			$	24,066
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2013
			Customer				Dealer				Total
	Allowance for Credit Losses:
	Balance at beginning of year		$	414			$	9			$	423
	Receivables written off		(179		)		—				(179		)
	Recoveries on receivables previously written off		56				—				56
	Provision for credit losses		83				1				84
	Other		(9		)		—				(9		)
	Balance at end of year		$	365			$	10			$	375
	Individually evaluated for impairment		$	70			$	—			$	70
	Collectively evaluated for impairment		295				10				305
	Ending Balance		$	365			$	10			$	375
	Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables:
	Individually evaluated for impairment		$	628			$	—			$	628
	Collectively evaluated for impairment		19,668				3,765				23,433
	Ending Balance		$	20,296			$	3,765			$	24,061
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2012
			Customer				Dealer				Total
	Allowance for Credit Losses:
	Balance at beginning of year		$	360			$	6			$	366
	Receivables written off		(149		)		—				(149		)
	Recoveries on receivables previously written off		47				—				47
	Provision for credit losses		157				3				160
	Other		(1		)		—				(1		)
	Balance at end of year		$	414			$	9			$	423
	Individually evaluated for impairment		$	54			$	—			$	54
	Collectively evaluated for impairment		360				9				369
	Ending Balance		$	414			$	9			$	423
	Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables:
	Individually evaluated for impairment		$	593			$	—			$	593
	Collectively evaluated for impairment		18,831				3,884				22,715
	Ending Balance		$	19,424			$	3,884			$	23,308
Recorded investment of performing and non-performing finance receivables	The recorded investment in performing and non-performing finance receivables was as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2014
			Customer				Dealer				Total
	Performing
	North America		$	7,246			$	2,189			$	9,435
	Europe		2,647				153				2,800
	Asia Pacific		2,382				566				2,948
	Mining		2,061				—				2,061
	Latin America		2,656				646				3,302
	Caterpillar Power Finance		3,052				—				3,052
	Total Performing		$	20,044			$	3,554			$	23,598
	Non-Performing
	North America		$	27			$	—			$	27
	Europe		28				—				28
	Asia Pacific		54				—				54
	Mining		62				—				62
	Latin America		201				—				201
	Caterpillar Power Finance		96				—				96
	Total Non-Performing		$	468			$	—			$	468
	Performing & Non-Performing
	North America		$	7,273			$	2,189			$	9,462
	Europe		2,675				153				2,828
	Asia Pacific		2,436				566				3,002
	Mining		2,123				—				2,123
	Latin America		2,857				646				3,503
	Caterpillar Power Finance		3,148				—				3,148
	Total		$	20,512			$	3,554			$	24,066
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2013
			Customer				Dealer				Total
	Performing
	North America		$	6,555			$	2,283			$	8,838
	Europe		2,847				150				2,997
	Asia Pacific		2,838				583				3,421
	Mining		2,120				1				2,121
	Latin America		2,539				748				3,287
	Caterpillar Power Finance		2,972				—				2,972
	Total Performing		$	19,871			$	3,765			$	23,636
	Non-Performing
	North America		$	26			$	—			$	26
	Europe		28				—				28
	Asia Pacific		50				—				50
	Mining		23				—				23
	Latin America		179				—				179
	Caterpillar Power Finance		119				—				119
	Total Non-Performing		$	425			$	—			$	425
	Performing & Non-Performing
	North America		$	6,581			$	2,283			$	8,864
	Europe		2,875				150				3,025
	Asia Pacific		2,888				583				3,471
	Mining		2,143				1				2,144
	Latin America		2,718				748				3,466
	Caterpillar Power Finance		3,091				—				3,091
	Total		$	20,296			$	3,765			$	24,061
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2012
			Customer				Dealer				Total
	Performing
	North America		$	5,908			$	2,063			$	7,971
	Europe		2,517				185				2,702
	Asia Pacific		3,002				751				3,753
	Mining		1,961				1				1,962
	Latin America		2,571				884				3,455
	Caterpillar Power Finance		2,952				—				2,952
	Total Performing		$	18,911			$	3,884			$	22,795
	Non-Performing
North America		$	59			$	—			$	59
Europe		38				—				38
Asia Pacific		36				—				36
Mining		12				—				12
Latin America		148				—				148
Caterpillar Power Finance		220				—				220
Total Non-Performing		$	513			$	—			$	513
Performing & Non-Performing
North America		$	5,967			$	2,063			$	8,030
Europe		2,555				185				2,740
Asia Pacific		3,038				751				3,789
Mining		1,973				1				1,974
Latin America		2,719				884				3,603
Caterpillar Power Finance		3,172				—				3,172
Total		$	19,424			$	3,884			$	23,308
Loans and finance receivables modified as TDRs	Loan and finance lease receivables in the Customer portfolio segment modified as TDRs during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 were as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		Year ended December 31, 2014
			Number			Pre-TDR				Post-TDR
			of Contracts			Outstanding				Outstanding
						Recorded				Recorded
						Investment				Investment
	Customer
	North America		34			$	12			$	7
	Europe		8			7				7
	Asia Pacific		2			—				—
	Mining		51			185				176
	Latin America		51			32				31
	Caterpillar Power Finance 1		18			137				139
	Total 2		164			$	373			$	360
			Year ended December 31, 2013
			Number			Pre-TDR				Post-TDR
			of Contracts			Outstanding				Outstanding
						Recorded				Recorded
						Investment				Investment
	Customer
	North America		62			$	9			$	9
	Europe		51			7				7
	Asia Pacific		3			1				1
	Mining		45			123				123
	Latin America		16			2				2
	Caterpillar Power Finance 1		17			153				157
	Total 2		194			$	295			$	299
			Year ended December 31, 2012
			Number			Pre-TDR				Post-TDR
			of Contracts			Outstanding				Outstanding
						Recorded				Recorded
						Investment				Investment
	Customer
	North America		98			$	15			$	15
	Europe		21			8				8
	Asia Pacific		12			3				3
	Mining		—			—				—
	Latin America		41			5				5
	Caterpillar Power Finance 1		27			253				253
	Total 2		199			$	284			$	284
	1	During the year ended December 31, 2014, no additional funds were subsequently loaned to a borrower whose terms had been modified in a TDR. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, $25 million and $24 million, respectively, of additional funds were subsequently loaned to a borrower whose terms had been modified in a TDR. The $25 million and $24 million of additional funds are not reflected in the table above as no incremental modifications have been made with the borrower during the periods presented. At December 31, 2014, there were no remaining commitments to lend additional funds to a borrower whose terms have been modified in a TDR.
	2	Modifications include extended contract maturities, inclusion of interest only periods, below market interest rates, extended skip payment periods and reduction of principal and/or accrued interest.
	TDRs in the Customer portfolio segment with a payment default during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date, were as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		Year ended December 31, 2014							Year ended December 31, 2013							Year ended December 31, 2012
			Number			Post-TDR				Number			Post-TDR				Number		Post-TDR
			of Contracts			Recorded				of Contracts			Recorded				of Contracts		Recorded
						Investment							Investment						Investment
	Customer
	North America		11			$	1			19			$	4			49		$	4
	Europe		46			2				5			—				—		—
	Asia Pacific		—			—				—			—				2		1
	Mining		—			—				—			—				—		—
	Latin America		11			1				—			—				—		—
	Caterpillar Power Finance		—			—				2			3				16		21
	Total		68			$	4			26			$	7			67		$	26
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date	Loan and finance lease receivables in the Customer portfolio segment modified as TDRs during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 were as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		Year ended December 31, 2014
			Number			Pre-TDR				Post-TDR
			of Contracts			Outstanding				Outstanding
						Recorded				Recorded
						Investment				Investment
	Customer
	North America		34			$	12			$	7
	Europe		8			7				7
	Asia Pacific		2			—				—
	Mining		51			185				176
	Latin America		51			32				31
	Caterpillar Power Finance 1		18			137				139
	Total 2		164			$	373			$	360
			Year ended December 31, 2013
			Number			Pre-TDR				Post-TDR
			of Contracts			Outstanding				Outstanding
						Recorded				Recorded
						Investment				Investment
	Customer
	North America		62			$	9			$	9
	Europe		51			7				7
	Asia Pacific		3			1				1
	Mining		45			123				123
	Latin America		16			2				2
	Caterpillar Power Finance 1		17			153				157
	Total 2		194			$	295			$	299
			Year ended December 31, 2012
			Number			Pre-TDR				Post-TDR
			of Contracts			Outstanding				Outstanding
						Recorded				Recorded
						Investment				Investment
	Customer
	North America		98			$	15			$	15
	Europe		21			8				8
	Asia Pacific		12			3				3
	Mining		—			—				—
	Latin America		41			5				5
	Caterpillar Power Finance 1		27			253				253
	Total 2		199			$	284			$	284
	1	During the year ended December 31, 2014, no additional funds were subsequently loaned to a borrower whose terms had been modified in a TDR. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, $25 million and $24 million, respectively, of additional funds were subsequently loaned to a borrower whose terms had been modified in a TDR. The $25 million and $24 million of additional funds are not reflected in the table above as no incremental modifications have been made with the borrower during the periods presented. At December 31, 2014, there were no remaining commitments to lend additional funds to a borrower whose terms have been modified in a TDR.
	2	Modifications include extended contract maturities, inclusion of interest only periods, below market interest rates, extended skip payment periods and reduction of principal and/or accrued interest.
	TDRs in the Customer portfolio segment with a payment default during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date, were as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		Year ended December 31, 2014							Year ended December 31, 2013							Year ended December 31, 2012
			Number			Post-TDR				Number			Post-TDR				Number		Post-TDR
			of Contracts			Recorded				of Contracts			Recorded				of Contracts		Recorded
						Investment							Investment						Investment
	Customer
	North America		11			$	1			19			$	4			49		$	4
	Europe		46			2				5			—				—		—
	Asia Pacific		—			—				—			—				2		1
	Mining		—			—				—			—				—		—
	Latin America		11			1				—			—				—		—
	Caterpillar Power Finance		—			—				2			3				16		21
	Total		68			$	4			26			$	7			67		$	26

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventories	Inventories (principally using the LIFO method) are comprised of the following:
		December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014		2013		2012
	Raw materials	$	2,986	$	2,966	$	3,573
	Work-in-process	2,455		2,589		2,920
	Finished goods	6,504		6,785		8,767
	Supplies	260		285		287
	Total inventories	$	12,205	$	12,625	$	15,547

Property_plant_and_equipment_T

Property, plant and equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment
					December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		Useful		2014				2013				2012
			Lives (Years)
	Land		—		$	665			$	688			$	723
	Buildings and land improvements		20-45		7,119				6,928				6,214
	Machinery, equipment and other		10-Mar		16,971				16,793				16,073
	Equipment leased to others		10-Jan		5,596				5,365				4,658
	Construction-in-process		—		1,221				1,542				2,264
	Total property, plant and equipment, at cost				31,572				31,316				29,932
	Less: Accumulated depreciation				(14,995		)		(14,241		)		(13,471		)
	Property, plant and equipment–net				$	16,577			$	17,075			$	16,461
Assets recorded under capital leases
	Assets recorded under capital leases: 1
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Gross capital leases 2		$	111			$	125			$	134
	Less: Accumulated depreciation		(52		)		(50		)		(58		)
	Net capital leases		$	59			$	75			$	76
	1	Included in Property, plant and equipment table above.
	2	Consists primarily of machinery and equipment.
Scheduled minimum rental payments on assets recorded under capital leases	At December 31, 2014, scheduled minimum rental payments on assets recorded under capital leases were:
	(Millions of dollars)
	2015				2016				2017				2018			2019		Thereafter
	$	8			$	26			$	10			$	7		$	7	$	35
Equipment leased to others
	Equipment leased to others (primarily by Cat Financial):
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014				2013				2012
	Equipment leased to others–at original cost		$	5,596			$	5,365			$	4,658
	Less: Accumulated depreciation		(1,565		)		(1,521		)		(1,383		)
	Equipment leased to others–net		$	4,031			$	3,844			$	3,275
Scheduled minimum rental payments to be received for equipment leased to others	At December 31, 2014, scheduled minimum rental payments to be received for equipment leased to others were:
	(Millions of dollars)
	2015				2016				2017				2018			2019		Thereafter
	$	951			$	621			$	353			$	180		$	73	$	28

Investments_in_unconsolidated_1

Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Results of Operations of unconsolidated affiliated companies	Combined financial information of the unconsolidated affiliated companies accounted for by the equity method (generally on a lag of 3 months or less) was as follows:
	Results of Operations of unconsolidated affiliated companies:
		Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014			2013			2012
	Results of Operations:
	Sales	$	1,662		$	1,336		$	1,084
	Cost of sales	1,292			1,048			872
	Gross profit	$	370		$	288		$	212
	Profit (loss)	$	(30	)	$	(28	)	$	28
Financial Position of unconsolidated affiliated companies
	Financial Position of unconsolidated affiliated companies:
		December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014			2013			2012
	Financial Position:
	Assets:
	Current assets	$	716		$	683		$	715
	Property, plant and equipment–net	653			710			529
	Other assets	557			608			616
		1,926			2,001			1,860
	Liabilities:
	Current liabilities	518			437			443
	Long-term debt due after one year	867			900			708
	Other liabilities	215			262			170
		1,600			1,599			1,321
	Equity	$	326		$	402		$	539
Caterpillar's investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies
	Caterpillar’s investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies:
		December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014			2013			2012
	Investments in equity method companies	$	248		$	262		$	256
	Plus: Investments in cost method companies	9			10			16
	Total investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies	$	257		$	272		$	272

Intangible_assets_and_goodwill1

Intangible assets and goodwill (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Intangible assets	Intangible assets are comprised of the following:
					December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Weighted		Gross				Accumulated				Net
			Amortizable		Carrying				Amortization
			Life (Years)		Amount
	Customer relationships		15		$	2,489			$	(669	)		$	1,820
	Intellectual property		11		1,724				(578		)		1,146
	Other		11		239				(129		)		110
	Total finite-lived intangible assets		14		$	4,452			$	(1,376	)		$	3,076
					December 31, 2013
			Weighted		Gross				Accumulated				Net
			Amortizable		Carrying				Amortization
			Life (Years)		Amount
	Customer relationships		15		$	2,653			$	(539	)		$	2,114
	Intellectual property		11		1,821				(495		)		1,326
	Other		10		274				(136		)		138
	Total finite-lived intangible assets		13		4,748				(1,170		)		3,578
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets - In-process research & development				18				—				18
	Total intangible assets				$	4,766			$	(1,170	)		$	3,596
					December 31, 2012
			Weighted		Gross				Accumulated				Net
			Amortizable		Carrying				Amortization
			Life (Years)		Amount
	Customer relationships		15		$	2,756			$	(377	)		$	2,379
	Intellectual property		12		1,767				(342		)		1,425
	Other		10		299				(105		)		194
	Total finite-lived intangible assets		13		4,822				(824		)		3,998
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets - In-process research & development				18				—				18
	Total intangible assets				$	4,840			$	(824	)		$	4,016
Intangible assets	Intangible assets are comprised of the following:
					December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Weighted		Gross				Accumulated				Net
			Amortizable		Carrying				Amortization
			Life (Years)		Amount
	Customer relationships		15		$	2,489			$	(669	)		$	1,820
	Intellectual property		11		1,724				(578		)		1,146
	Other		11		239				(129		)		110
	Total finite-lived intangible assets		14		$	4,452			$	(1,376	)		$	3,076
					December 31, 2013
			Weighted		Gross				Accumulated				Net
			Amortizable		Carrying				Amortization
			Life (Years)		Amount
	Customer relationships		15		$	2,653			$	(539	)		$	2,114
	Intellectual property		11		1,821				(495		)		1,326
	Other		10		274				(136		)		138
	Total finite-lived intangible assets		13		4,748				(1,170		)		3,578
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets - In-process research & development				18				—				18
	Total intangible assets				$	4,766			$	(1,170	)		$	3,596
					December 31, 2012
			Weighted		Gross				Accumulated				Net
			Amortizable		Carrying				Amortization
			Life (Years)		Amount
	Customer relationships		15		$	2,756			$	(377	)		$	2,379
	Intellectual property		12		1,767				(342		)		1,425
	Other		10		299				(105		)		194
	Total finite-lived intangible assets		13		4,822				(824		)		3,998
	Indefinite-lived intangible assets - In-process research & development				18				—				18
	Total intangible assets				$	4,840			$	(824	)		$	4,016
Expected amortization expense related to intangible assets	As of December 31, 2014, amortization expense related to intangible assets is expected to be:
	(Millions of dollars)
	2015				2016				2017				2018				2019				Thereafter
	$	345			$	323			$	322			$	320			$	318			$	1,448
Goodwill	The changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		December 31, 2013				Acquisitions 1				Held for Sale and Business Divestitures 2				Impairment Loss				Other Adjustments 3				December 31, 2014
	Construction Industries
	Goodwill		$	291			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	(16	)		$	275
	Resource Industries
	Goodwill		4,468				—				(15		)		—				(166		)		4,287
	Impairments		(580		)		—				—				—				—				(580		)
	Net goodwill		3,888				—				(15		)		—				(166		)		3,707
	Energy & Transportation
	Goodwill		2,600				7				—				—				(65		)		2,542
	All Other 4
	Goodwill		199				—				—				—				(7		)		192
	Impairment		(22		)		—				—				—				—				(22		)
	Net goodwill		177				—				—				—				(7		)		170
	Consolidated total
	Goodwill		7,558				7				(15		)		—				(254		)		7,296
	Impairments		(602		)		—				—				—				—				(602		)
	Net goodwill		$	6,956			$	7			$	(15	)		$	—			$	(254	)		$	6,694
			December 31, 2012				Acquisitions 1				Held for Sale and Business Divestitures 2				Impairment Loss				Other Adjustments 3				December 31, 2013
	Construction Industries
	Goodwill		$	333			$	—			$	—			$	—			$	(42	)		$	291
	Resource Industries
	Goodwill		4,511				—				(55		)		—				12				4,468
	Impairments		(580		)		—				—				—				—				(580		)
	Net goodwill		3,931				—				(55		)		—				12				3,888
	Energy & Transportation
	Goodwill		2,486				106				(10		)		—				18				2,600
	All Other 4
	Goodwill		214				—				—				—				(15		)		199
	Impairment		(22		)		—				—				—				—				(22		)
	Net goodwill		192				—				—				—				(15		)		177
	Consolidated total
	Goodwill		7,544				106				(65		)		—				(27		)		7,558
	Impairments		(602		)		—				—				—				—				(602		)
	Net goodwill		$	6,942			$	106			$	(65	)		$	—			$	(27	)		$	6,956
			December 31, 2011				Acquisitions 1				Held for Sale and Business Divestitures 2				Impairment Loss				Other Adjustments 3				December 31, 2012
	Construction Industries
	Goodwill		$	331			$	15			$	—			$	—			$	(13	)		$	333
	Resource Industries
	Goodwill		4,073				597				(181		)		—				22				4,511
	Impairments		—				—				—				(580		)		—				(580		)
	Net goodwill		4,073				597				(181		)		(580		)		22				3,931
	Energy & Transportation
	Goodwill		2,486				9				—				—				(9		)		2,486
	All Other 4
	Goodwill		212				7				—				—				(5		)		214
	Impairment		(22		)		—				—				—				—				(22		)
	Net goodwill		190				7				—				—				(5		)		192
	Consolidated total
	Goodwill		7,102				628				(181		)		—				(5		)		7,544
	Impairments		(22		)		—				—				(580		)		—				(602		)
	Net goodwill		$	7,080			$	628			$	(181	)		$	(580	)		$	(5	)		$	6,942
	1	See Note 24 for additional information.
	2	See Note 26 for additional information.
	3	Other adjustments are comprised primarily of foreign currency translation.
	4	Includes All Other operating segments (See Note 23).

Availableforsale_securities_Ta

Available-for-sale securities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Schedule of available-for-sale securities
			December 31, 2014						December 31, 2013							December 31, 2012
	(Millions of dollars)		Cost		Unrealized		Fair		Cost		Unrealized			Fair		Cost		Unrealized			Fair
			Basis		Pretax Net		Value		Basis		Pretax Net			Value		Basis		Pretax Net			Value
					Gains						Gains							Gains
					(Losses)						(Losses)							(Losses)
	Government debt
	U.S. treasury bonds		$	10	$	—	$	10	$	10	$	—		$	10	$	10	$	—		$	10
	Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds		94		—		94		119		1			120		144		2			146
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		677		16		693		612		21			633		626		38			664
	Asset-backed securities		103		2		105		72		—			72		96		—			96
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		292		2		294		322		(1		)	321		291		8			299
	Residential		15		—		15		18		—			18		26		(1		)	25
	Commercial		63		4		67		87		6			93		117		10			127
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		150		83		233		173		81			254		147		38			185
	Smaller company growth		17		26		43		25		24			49		22		12			34
	Total		$	1,421	$	133	$	1,554	$	1,438	$	132		$	1,570	$	1,479	$	107		$	1,586
Investments in an unrealized loss position that are not other-than-temporarily impaired
	Investments in an unrealized loss position that are not other-than-temporarily impaired:
			December 31, 2014
			Less than 12 months 1				12 months or more 1				Total
	(Millions of dollars)		Fair		Unrealized		Fair		Unrealized		Fair			Unrealized
			Value		Losses		Value		Losses		Value			Losses
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		$	195	$	1	$	32	$	—	$	227		$	1
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		34		—		140		3		174			3
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		15		2		1		—		16			2
	Total		$	244	$	3	$	173	$	3	$	417		$	6
	1	Indicates length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position.
	Investments in an unrealized loss position that are not other-than-temporarily impaired:
			December 31, 2013
	(Millions of dollars)		Less than 12 months 1				12 months or more 1				Total
			Fair		Unrealized		Fair		Unrealized		Fair			Unrealized
			Value		Losses		Value		Losses		Value			Losses
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		$	159	$	2	$	1	$	—	$	160		$	2
	Asset-backed securities		6		—		20		1		26			1
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		140		4		65		2		205			6
	Total		$	305	$	6	$	86	$	3	$	391		$	9
	1	Indicates length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position.
	Investments in an unrealized loss position that are not other-than-temporarily impaired:
			December 31, 2012
	(Millions of dollars)		Less than 12 months 1				12 months or more 1				Total
			Fair		Unrealized		Fair		Unrealized		Fair			Unrealized
			Value		Losses		Value		Losses		Value			Losses
	Corporate bonds
	Asset-backed securities		$	—	$	—	$	20	$	3	$	20		$	3
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		84		1		15		—		99			1
	Residential		—		—		14		1		14			1
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		25		2		10		1		35			3
	Total		$	109	$	3	$	59	$	5	$	168		$	8
	1	Indicates length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position.
Cost basis and fair value of the available-for-sale debt securities by contractual maturity
			December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Cost Basis		Fair Value
	Due in one year or less		$	72	$	73
	Due after one year through five years		744		760
	Due after five years through ten years		41		42
	Due after ten years		27		27
	U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		292		294
	Residential mortgage-backed securities		15		15
	Commercial mortgage-backed securities		63		67
	Total debt securities – available-for-sale		$	1,254	$	1,278
Schedule of proceeds and gross gain and losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities
	Sales of Securities:
			Years Ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014		2013		2012
	Proceeds from the sale of available-for-sale securities		$	434	$	449	$	306
	Gross gains from the sale of available-for-sale securities		$	38	$	22	$	6
	Gross losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities		$	2	$	2	$	—

Postemployment_benefit_plans_T

Postemployment benefit plans (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of changes in projected benefit obligations
			U.S. Pension Benefits									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement
																					Benefits
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	Change in benefit obligation:
	Benefit obligation, beginning of year		$	14,419		$	15,913		$	14,782		$	4,609		$	4,737		$	4,299		$	4,784		$	5,453		$	5,381
	Service cost		157			196			185			109			120			108			82			108			92
	Interest cost		648			581			609			185			166			182			213			195			221
	Plan amendments		—			—			—			—			—			12			(1		)	1			(38		)
	Actuarial losses (gains)		1,994			(1,450		)	1,168			604			(41		)	385			196			(658		)	186
	Foreign currency exchange rates		—			—			—			(436		)	(81		)	49			(30		)	(19		)	(11		)
	Participant contributions		—			—			—			9			10			9			61			57			48
	Benefits paid - gross		(963		)	(845		)	(831		)	(206		)	(254		)	(190		)	(377		)	(339		)	(394		)
	Less: federal subsidy on benefits paid		—			—			—			—			—			—			14			8			16
	Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits		(6		)	(7		)	—			(53		)	(56		)	(67		)	(4		)	—			(48		)
	Acquisitions, divestitures and other 1		—			31			—			(20		)	8			(50		)	—			(22		)	—
	Benefit obligation, end of year		$	16,249		$	14,419		$	15,913		$	4,801		$	4,609		$	4,737		$	4,938		$	4,784		$	5,453
	Accumulated benefit obligation, end of year		$	15,701		$	14,056		$	15,132		$	4,408		$	4,247		$	4,329
	Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligation:
	Discount rate 2		3.8		%	4.6		%	3.7		%	3.3		%	4.1		%	3.7		%	3.9		%	4.6		%	3.7		%
	Rate of compensation increase 2		4		%	4		%	4.5		%	4		%	4.2		%	3.9		%	4		%	4		%	4.4		%
	1	In 2013, charge to recognize a previously unrecorded liability related to a subsidiary's pension plans and an adjustment to other postretirement benefits related to certain other benefits. See Note 26 regarding the divestiture of the third party logistics business in 2012.
	2	End of year rates are used to determine net periodic cost for the subsequent year. See Note 12E.
Schedule of assumptions used to determine benefit obligation
			U.S. Pension Benefits									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement
																					Benefits
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	Change in benefit obligation:
	Benefit obligation, beginning of year		$	14,419		$	15,913		$	14,782		$	4,609		$	4,737		$	4,299		$	4,784		$	5,453		$	5,381
	Service cost		157			196			185			109			120			108			82			108			92
	Interest cost		648			581			609			185			166			182			213			195			221
	Plan amendments		—			—			—			—			—			12			(1		)	1			(38		)
	Actuarial losses (gains)		1,994			(1,450		)	1,168			604			(41		)	385			196			(658		)	186
	Foreign currency exchange rates		—			—			—			(436		)	(81		)	49			(30		)	(19		)	(11		)
	Participant contributions		—			—			—			9			10			9			61			57			48
	Benefits paid - gross		(963		)	(845		)	(831		)	(206		)	(254		)	(190		)	(377		)	(339		)	(394		)
	Less: federal subsidy on benefits paid		—			—			—			—			—			—			14			8			16
	Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits		(6		)	(7		)	—			(53		)	(56		)	(67		)	(4		)	—			(48		)
	Acquisitions, divestitures and other 1		—			31			—			(20		)	8			(50		)	—			(22		)	—
	Benefit obligation, end of year		$	16,249		$	14,419		$	15,913		$	4,801		$	4,609		$	4,737		$	4,938		$	4,784		$	5,453
	Accumulated benefit obligation, end of year		$	15,701		$	14,056		$	15,132		$	4,408		$	4,247		$	4,329
	Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligation:
	Discount rate 2		3.8		%	4.6		%	3.7		%	3.3		%	4.1		%	3.7		%	3.9		%	4.6		%	3.7		%
	Rate of compensation increase 2		4		%	4		%	4.5		%	4		%	4.2		%	3.9		%	4		%	4		%	4.4		%
	1	In 2013, charge to recognize a previously unrecorded liability related to a subsidiary's pension plans and an adjustment to other postretirement benefits related to certain other benefits. See Note 26 regarding the divestiture of the third party logistics business in 2012.
	2	End of year rates are used to determine net periodic cost for the subsequent year. See Note 12E.
Effects of one-percentage point change in the assumed health care cost trend rates	A one-percentage-point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have the following effects:
	(Millions of dollars)		One-percentage-			One-percentage-
			point increase			point decrease
	Effect on 2014 service and interest cost components of other postretirement benefit cost		$	24		$	(20	)
	Effect on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation		$	298		$	(245	)
Change in plan assets
			U.S. Pension Benefits									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement
																					Benefits
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	Change in plan assets:
	Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year		$	12,395		$	10,981		$	9,997		$	3,949		$	3,426		$	2,818		$	822		$	789		$	814
	Actual return on plan assets		849			1,722			1,235			507			535			368			75			158			117
	Foreign currency exchange rates		—			—			—			(352		)	(41		)	47			—			—			—
	Company contributions		255			541			580			265			303			446			195			157			204
	Participant contributions		—			—			—			9			10			9			61			57			48
	Benefits paid		(963		)	(845		)	(831		)	(206		)	(254		)	(190		)	(377		)	(339		)	(394		)
	Settlements and termination benefits		(6		)	(4		)	—			(50		)	(30		)	(72		)	—			—			—
	Acquisitions, divestitures and other		—			—			—			(22		)	—			—			—			—			—
	Fair value of plan assets, end of year		$	12,530		$	12,395		$	10,981		$	4,100		$	3,949		$	3,426		$	776		$	822		$	789
Fair value of pension and other postretirement benefit plan assets, by category	The fair value of the pension and other postretirement benefit plan assets by category is summarized below:
			December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
												at Fair Value
	U.S. Pension
	Equity securities:
	U.S. equities		$	3,713		$	1		$	161		$	3,875
	Non-U.S. equities		2,291			12			1			2,304
	Fixed income securities:
	U.S. corporate bonds		—			3,985			25			4,010
	Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			552			—			552
	U.S. government bonds		—			528			—			528
	U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			752			2			754
	Non-U.S. government bonds		—			62			2			64
	Real estate		—			—			9			9
	Cash, short-term instruments and other		37			397			—			434
	Total U.S. pension assets		$	6,041		$	6,289		$	200		$	12,530
			December 31, 2013
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
												at Fair Value
	U.S. Pension
	Equity securities:
	U.S. equities		$	4,337		$	—		$	129		$	4,466
	Non-U.S. equities		3,058			—			—			3,058
	Fixed income securities:
	U.S. corporate bonds		—			2,123			34			2,157
	Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			327			20			347
	U.S. government bonds		—			774			—			774
	U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			905			—			905
	Non-U.S. government bonds		—			52			—			52
	Real estate		—			—			8			8
	Cash, short-term instruments and other		22			606			—			628
	Total U.S. pension assets		$	7,417		$	4,787		$	191		$	12,395
			December 31, 2012
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
												at Fair Value
	U.S. Pension
	Equity securities:
	U.S. equities		$	4,460		$	3		$	98		$	4,561
	Non-U.S. equities		2,691			2			—			2,693
	Fixed income securities:
	U.S. corporate bonds		—			1,490			23			1,513
	Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			231			10			241
	U.S. government bonds		—			694			8			702
	U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			794			1			795
	Non-U.S. government bonds		—			33			3			36
	Real estate		—			—			8			8
	Cash, short-term instruments and other		13			419			—			432
	Total U.S. pension assets		$	7,164		$	3,666		$	151		$	10,981
			December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
												at Fair Value
	Non-U.S. Pension
	Equity securities:
	U.S. equities		$	552		$	—		$	—		$	552
	Non-U.S. equities		794			250			—			1,044
	Global equities 1		218			52			—			270
	Fixed income securities:
	U.S. corporate bonds		—			81			9			90
	Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			503			2			505
	U.S. government bonds		—			1			—			1
	Non-U.S. government bonds		—			836			—			836
	Global fixed income 1		—			363			—			363
	Real estate		—			182			48			230
Cash, short-term instruments and other 2		159			50			—			209
Total non-U.S. pension assets		$	1,723		$	2,318		$	59		$	4,100
		December 31, 2013
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Non-U.S. Pension
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	607		$	1		$	—		$	608
Non-U.S. equities		1,022			160			—			1,182
Global equities 1		235			54			—			289
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			84			9			93
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			534			12			546
U.S. government bonds		—			3			—			3
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			418			—			418
Global fixed income 1		—			397			—			397
Real estate		—			136			111			247
Cash, short-term instruments and other 2		141			25			—			166
Total non-U.S. pension assets		$	2,005		$	1,812		$	132		$	3,949
		December 31, 2012
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Non-U.S. Pension
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	436		$	2		$	—		$	438
Non-U.S. equities		1,038			118			—			1,156
Global equities 1		244			27			—			271
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			37			3			40
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			494			2			496
U.S. government bonds		—			3			—			3
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			169			—			169
Global fixed income 1		—			403			—			403
Real estate		—			114			104			218
Cash, short-term instruments and other 2		185			47			—			232
Total non-U.S. pension assets		$	1,903		$	1,414		$	109		$	3,426
1	Includes funds that invest in both U.S. and non-U.S. securities.
2	Includes funds that invest in multiple asset classes, hedge funds and other.
		December 31, 2014
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Other Postretirement Benefits
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	392		$	—		$	—		$	392
Non-U.S. equities		158			1			—			159
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			103			—			103
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			17			—			17
U.S. government bonds		—			30			—			30
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			50			—			50
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			3			—			3
Cash, short-term instruments and other		9			13			—			22
Total other postretirement benefit assets		$	559		$	217		$	—		$	776
		December 31, 2013
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Other Postretirement Benefits
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	388		$	—		$	—		$	388
Non-U.S. equities		189			—			—			189
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			101			—			101
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			17			—			17
U.S. government bonds		—			23			—			23
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			49			—			49
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			2			—			2
Cash, short-term instruments and other		8			45			—			53
Total other postretirement benefit assets		$	585		$	237		$	—		$	822
		December 31, 2012
(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2			Level 3			Total Assets,
											at Fair Value
Other Postretirement Benefits
Equity securities:
U.S. equities		$	387		$	—		$	—		$	387
Non-U.S. equities		194			—			—			194
Fixed income securities:
U.S. corporate bonds		—			70			—			70
Non-U.S. corporate bonds		—			11			—			11
U.S. government bonds		—			27			—			27
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities		—			33			—			33
Non-U.S. government bonds		—			2			—			2
Cash, short-term instruments and other		18			47			—			65
Total other postretirement benefit assets		$	599		$	190		$	—		$	789
Roll forward of assets measured at fair value using level 3 inputs	Below are roll-forwards of assets measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.  These instruments were valued using pricing models that, in management’s judgment, reflect the assumptions a market participant would use.
	(Millions of dollars)		Equities			Fixed Income			Real Estate			Other
	U.S. Pension
	Balance at December 31, 2011		$	77		$	51		$	8		$	—
	Unrealized gains (losses)		(4		)	—			—			(1		)
	Realized gains (losses)		4			2			—			—
	Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		21			(4		)	—			1
	Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(4		)	—			—
	Balance at December 31, 2012		$	98		$	45		$	8		$	—
	Unrealized gains (losses)		10			(1		)	—			—
	Realized gains (losses)		4			—			—			—
	Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		17			12			—			—
	Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(2		)	—			—
	Balance at December 31, 2013		$	129		$	54		$	8		$	—
	Unrealized gains (losses)		1			—			1			—
	Realized gains (losses)		19			3			—			—
	Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		13			(23		)	—			—
	Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(5		)	—			—
	Balance at December 31, 2014		$	162		$	29		$	9		$	—
	Non-U.S. Pension
	Balance at December 31, 2011		$	—		$	9		$	97		$	—
	Unrealized gains (losses)		—			—			8			—
	Realized gains (losses)		—			—			—			—
	Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		—			(1		)	(1		)	—
	Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(3		)	—			—
	Balance at December 31, 2012		$	—		$	5		$	104		$	—
	Unrealized gains (losses)		—			—			7			—
	Realized gains (losses)		—			—			—			—
	Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		—			16			—			—
	Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			—			—			—
	Balance at December 31, 2013		$	—		$	21		$	111		$	—
	Unrealized gains (losses)		—			(1		)	(23		)	—
	Realized gains (losses)		—			—			22			—
	Purchases, issuances and settlements, net		—			(1		)	(62		)	—
	Transfers in and/or out of Level 3		—			(8		)	—			—
	Balance at December 31, 2014		$	—		$	11		$	48		$	—
Common stock of Caterpillar Inc. included in Equity Securities within plan assets	Equity securities within plan assets include Caterpillar Inc. common stock in the amounts of:
			U.S. Pension Benefits 1									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement
																					Benefits
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	Caterpillar Inc. common stock		$	—		$	495		$	597		$	—		$	—		$	1		$	—		$	—		$	1
	1	Amounts represent 4 percent and 5 percent of total plan assets for 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Defined benefit plan funded status, components of net amount recognized in financial position and accumulated other comprehensive income	The funded status of the plans, reconciled to the amount reported on Statement 3, is as follows:
			U.S. Pension Benefits									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement Benefits
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	End of Year
	Fair value of plan assets		$	12,530		$	12,395		$	10,981		$	4,100		$	3,949		$	3,426		$	776		$	822		$	789
	Benefit obligations		16,249			14,419			15,913			4,801			4,609			4,737			4,938			4,784			5,453
	Over (under) funded status recognized in financial position		$	(3,719	)	$	(2,024	)	$	(4,932	)	$	(701	)	$	(660	)	$	(1,311	)	$	(4,162	)	$	(3,962	)	$	(4,664	)
	Components of net amount recognized in financial position:
	Other assets (non-current asset)		$	3		$	5		$	—		$	144		$	123		$	30		$	—		$	—		$	—
	Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits (current liability)		(28		)	(26		)	(23		)	(24		)	(29		)	(27		)	(160		)	(169		)	(169		)
	Liability for postemployment benefits (non-current liability)		(3,694		)	(2,003		)	(4,909		)	(821		)	(754		)	(1,314		)	(4,002		)	(3,793		)	(4,495		)
	Net liability recognized		$	(3,719	)	$	(2,024	)	$	(4,932	)	$	(701	)	$	(660	)	$	(1,311	)	$	(4,162	)	$	(3,962	)	$	(4,664	)
	Amounts recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income (pre-tax) consist of:
	Net actuarial loss (gain)		$	6,034		$	4,396		$	7,286		$	1,494		$	1,373		$	1,907		$	800		$	662		$	1,528
	Prior service cost (credit)		2			19			36			9			13			22			(31		)	(84		)	(159		)
	Transition obligation (asset)		—			—			—			—			—			—			—			—			3
	Total		$	6,036		$	4,415		$	7,322		$	1,503		$	1,386		$	1,929		$	769		$	578		$	1,372
Estimated amounts that will be amortized from Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into net periodic benefit cost (pre-tax) in the next fiscal year	The estimated amounts that will be amortized from Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at December 31, 2014 into net periodic benefit cost (pre-tax) in 2015 are as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		U.S.			Non-U.S.			Other
			Pension Benefits			Pension Benefits			Postretirement
									Benefits
	Net actuarial loss (gain)		$	507		$	101		$	53
	Prior service cost (credit)		1			—			(55		)
	Total		$	508		$	101		$	(2	)
Schedule of pension plans with projected benefit obligation in excess of plan assets for all U.S and Non U.S Pension benefits	The following amounts relate to our pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets:
			U.S. Pension Benefits at Year-end									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits at Year-end
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	Projected benefit obligation		$	16,182		$	14,352		$	15,913		$	4,539		$	4,177		$	4,310
	Accumulated benefit obligation		$	15,634		$	13,989		$	15,132		$	4,148		$	3,820		$	3,903
	Fair value of plan assets		$	12,460		$	12,323		$	10,981		$	3,695		$	3,394		$	2,969
Schedule of pension plans with accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets for all U.S and Non U.S Pension benefits	The following amounts relate to our pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets:
			U.S. Pension Benefits at Year-end									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits at Year-end
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	Projected benefit obligation		$	16,182		$	14,352		$	15,913		$	1,879		$	1,436		$	4,107
	Accumulated benefit obligation		$	15,634		$	13,989		$	15,132		$	1,734		$	1,374		$	3,752
	Fair value of plan assets		$	12,460		$	12,323		$	10,981		$	1,068		$	797		$	2,806
Information about the expected cash flow for the pension and other postretirement benefit plans	Information about the expected cash flow for the pension and other postretirement benefit plans is as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		U.S.			Non-U.S.			Other
			Pension Benefits			Pension Benefits			Postretirement
									Benefits
	Employer contributions:
	2015 (expected)		$	30		$	160		$	200
	Expected benefit payments:
	2015		$	890		$	220		$	320
	2016		910			200			320
	2017		920			190			320
	2018		930			190			330
	2019		940			200			330
	2020-2024		4,790			1,140			1,630
	Total		$	9,380		$	2,140		$	3,250
Expected Medicare Part D subsidy receipts	Medicare Part D subsidy amounts expected to be received by the company which will offset other postretirement benefit payments are as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		2015			2016			2017			2018			2019			2020-2024			Total
	Other postretirement benefits		$	15		$	15		$	15		$	15		$	20		$	95		$	175
Components of net periodic benefit cost, other changes in plan assets and benefits obligations recognized in other comprehensive income and weighted-average assumptions used to determine net cost
			U.S. Pension Benefits									Non-U.S. Pension Benefits									Other Postretirement Benefits
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
	Components of net periodic benefit cost:
	Service cost		$	157		$	196		$	185		$	109		$	120		$	108		$	82		$	108		$	92
	Interest cost		648			581			609			185			166			182			213			195			221
	Expected return on plan assets 1		(885		)	(832		)	(812		)	(258		)	(225		)	(215		)	(52		)	(56		)	(63		)
	Other adjustments 2		—			31			—			—			—			—			—			(22		)	—
	Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits 3		—			—			7			14			2			38			(2		)	—			(40		)
	Amortization of:
	Transition obligation (asset)		—			—			—			—			—			—			—			2			2
	Prior service cost (credit) 4		17			18			19			—			1			1			(55		)	(73		)	(68		)
	Net actuarial loss (gain) 5		392			546			504			86			128			97			41			107			100
	Total cost included in operating profit		$	329		$	540		$	512		$	136		$	192		$	211		$	227		$	261		$	244
	Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income (pre-tax):
	Current year actuarial loss (gain)		$	2,030		$	(2,344	)	$	745		$	207		$	(406	)	$	225		$	179		$	(759	)	$	133
	Amortization of actuarial (loss) gain		(392		)	(546		)	(504		)	(86		)	(128		)	(97		)	(41		)	(107		)	(100		)
	Current year prior service cost (credit)		—			—			(7		)	(4		)	(7		)	10			(2		)	2			(38		)
	Amortization of prior service (cost) credit		(17		)	(18		)	(19		)	—			(1		)	(1		)	55			73			68
	Amortization of transition (obligation) asset		—			—			—			—			—			—			—			(2		)	(2		)
	Total recognized in other comprehensive income		1,621			(2,908		)	215			117			(542		)	137			191			(793		)	61
	Total recognized in net periodic cost and other comprehensive income		$	1,950		$	(2,368	)	$	727		$	253		$	(350	)	$	348		$	418		$	(532	)	$	305
	Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net cost:
	Discount rate		4.6		%	3.7		%	4.3		%	4.1		%	3.7		%	4.3		%	4.6		%	3.7		%	4.3		%
	Expected rate of return on plan assets 6		7.8		%	7.8		%	8		%	6.9		%	6.8		%	7.1		%	7.8		%	7.8		%	8		%
	Rate of compensation increase		4		%	4.5		%	4.5		%	4.2		%	3.9		%	3.9		%	4		%	4.4		%	4.4		%
	1	Expected return on plan assets developed using calculated market-related value of plan assets which recognizes differences in expected and actual returns over a three-year period.
	2	Charge to recognize a previously unrecorded liability related to a subsidiary's pension plans and an adjustment to other postretirement benefits related to certain other benefits.
	3	Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits were recognized in Other operating (income) expenses in Statement 1.
	4	Prior service cost (credit) for both pension and other postretirement benefits are generally amortized using the straight-line method over the average remaining service period of active employees expected to receive benefits from the plan. For pension plans in which all or almost all of the plan's participants are inactive and other postretirement benefit plans in which all or almost all of the plan's participants are fully eligible for benefits under the plan, prior service cost (credit) are amortized using the straight-line method over the remaining life expectancy of those participants.
	5	Net actuarial loss (gain) for pension and other postretirement benefit plans are generally amortized using the straight-line method over the average remaining service period of active employees expected to receive benefits from the plan. For plans in which all or almost all of the plan’s participants are inactive, net actuarial loss (gain) are amortized using the straight-line method over the remaining life expectancy of the inactive participants.
	6	The weighted-average rates for 2015 are 7.4 percent and 6.8 percent for U.S. and non-U.S. pension plans, respectively.
Company costs related to U.S. and non-U.S. defined contribution plans	Total company costs related to U.S. and non-U.S. defined contribution plans were as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012
	U.S. plans		$	301		$	308		$	260
	Non-U.S. plans		85			64			60
			$	386		$	372		$	320
Summary of long-term liability for postemployment benefit plans
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012
	Pensions:
	U.S. pensions		$	3,694		$	2,003		$	4,909
	Non-U.S. pensions		821			754			1,314
	Total pensions		4,515			2,757			6,223
	Postretirement benefits other than pensions		4,002			3,793			4,495
	Other postemployment benefits		112			99			81
	Defined contribution		334			324			286
			$	8,963		$	6,973		$	11,085

Shortterm_borrowings_Tables

Short-term borrowings (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Short-term Borrowings Disclosure [Abstract]
Short-term borrowings
		December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	2014			2013				2012
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation:
	Notes payable to banks	$	9		$	16			$	484
	Notes payable to certain former shareholders of Siwei	—			—				152
	Commercial paper	—			—				—
		9			16				636
	Financial Products:
	Notes payable to banks	411			545				418
	Commercial paper	3,688			2,502				3,654
	Demand notes	600			616				579
		4,699			3,663				4,651
	Total short-term borrowings	$	4,708		$	3,679			$	5,287
	The weighted-average interest rates on short-term borrowings outstanding were:
		December 31,
		2014		2013			2012
	Notes payable to banks	6.8	%	6.3	%		5.8	%
	Commercial paper	0.3	%	0.5	%		0.6	%
	Demand notes	0.8	%	0.8	%		0.8	%

Longterm_debt_Tables

Long-term debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-term debt
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014		2013		2012
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation:
	Notes—1.375% due 2014		$	—	$	—	$	750
	Notes—5.700% due 2016		504		506		508
	Notes—3.900% due 2021		1,246		1,246		1,245
	Notes—5.200% due 2041		757		757		757
	Debentures—0.950% due 2015		—		500		500
	Debentures—1.500% due 2017		500		500		499
	Debentures—7.900% due 2018		899		899		899
	Debentures—9.375% due 2021		120		120		120
	Debentures—2.600% due 2022		498		498		498
	Debentures—8.000% due 2023		82		82		82
	Debentures—3.400% due 2024		1,000		—		—
	Debentures—6.625% due 2028		193		193		193
	Debentures—7.300% due 2031		241		241		241
	Debentures—5.300% due 20351		211		209		208
	Debentures—6.050% due 2036		459		459		459
	Debentures—8.250% due 2038		65		65		65
	Debentures—6.950% due 2042		160		160		160
	Debentures—3.803% due 20422		1,188		1,168		1,149
	Debentures—4.300% due 2044		497		—		—
	Debentures—4.750% due 2064		498		—		—
	Debentures—7.375% due 2097		244		244		244
	Capital lease obligations		85		97		73
	Other		46		55		16
	Total Machinery, Energy & Transportation		9,493		7,999		8,666
	Financial Products:
	Commercial paper		—		—		—
	Medium-term notes		17,295		17,856		18,036
	Other		996		864		1,050
	Total Financial Products		18,291		18,720		19,086
	Total long-term debt due after one year		$	27,784	$	26,719	$	27,752
	1	Debentures due in 2035 have a face value of $307 million and an effective yield to maturity of 8.55%.
	2	Debentures due in 2042 have a face value of $1,722 million and an effective yield to maturity of 6.33%.
Aggregate amounts of maturities of long-term debt	The aggregate amounts of maturities of long-term debt during each of the years 2015 through 2019, including amounts due within one year and classified as current, are:
			December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2015		2016		2017		2018		2019
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	510	$	543	$	509	$	906	$	7
	Financial Products		6,283		5,507		5,487		2,411		2,381
			$	6,793	$	6,050	$	5,996	$	3,317	$	2,388

Credit_commitments_Tables

Credit commitments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Credit Commitments [Abstract]
Credit commitments
		December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)	Consolidated			Machinery,			Financial
					Energy &			Products
					Transportation
	Credit lines available:
	Global credit facilities	$	10,500		$	2,750		$	7,750
	Other external	4,254			195			4,059
	Total credit lines available	14,754			2,945			11,809
	Less: Commercial paper outstanding	(3,688		)	—			(3,688		)
	Less: Utilized credit	(1,904		)	(9		)	(1,895		)
	Available credit	$	9,162		$	2,936		$	6,226

Profit_per_share_Tables

Profit per share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Computations of Profit Per Share
	Computations of profit per share:
	(Dollars in millions except per share data)		2014		2013		2012
	Profit for the period (A) 1		$	3,695	$	3,789	$	5,681
	Determination of shares (in millions):
	Weighted average number of common shares outstanding (B)		617.2		645.2		652.6
	Shares issuable on exercise of stock awards, net of shares assumed to be purchased out of proceeds at average market price		11.7		13.4		17
	Average common shares outstanding for fully diluted computation (C) 2		628.9		658.6		669.6
	Profit per share of common stock:
	Assuming no dilution (A/B)		$	5.99	$	5.87	$	8.71
	Assuming full dilution (A/C) 2		$	5.88	$	5.75	$	8.48
	Shares outstanding as of December 31 (in millions)		606.2		637.8		655
	1	Profit attributable to common stockholders.
	2	Diluted by assumed exercise of stock-based compensation awards using the treasury stock method.

Accumulated_other_comprehensiv1

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	Changes in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, included in Statement 4, consisted of the following:
	(Millions of dollars)	Foreign currency translation				Pension and other postretirement benefits				Derivative financial instruments			Available-for-sale securities			Total
	Balance at December 31, 2011	$	206			$	(6,568	)		$	(10	)	$	44		$	(6,328	)
	Balance at December 31, 2012 1	$	456			$	(6,914	)		$	(42	)	$	67		$	(6,433	)
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(280		)		2,280				(4		)	29			2,025
	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss	—				482				41			(13		)	510
	Other comprehensive income (loss)	(280		)		2,762				37			16			2,535
	Balance at December 31, 2013	$	176			$	(4,152	)		$	(5	)	$	83		$	(3,898	)
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(1,164		)		(1,574		)		(118		)	24			(2,832		)
	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss	—				319				4			(24		)	299
	Other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,164		)		(1,255		)		(114		)	—			(2,533		)
	Balance at December 31, 2014	$	(988	)		$	(5,407	)		$	(119	)	$	83		$	(6,431	)
	1 In conjunction with the Cat Japan share redemption, to reflect the increase in our ownership interest in Cat Japan from 67 percent to 100 percent, $107 million was reclassified to Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) from other components of stockholders' equity and was not included in Comprehensive income during the second quarter of 2012. The amount was comprised of foreign currency translation of $167 million, pension and other postretirement benefits of $(61) million and available-for-sale securities of $1 million.
Reclassification out of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	The effect of the reclassifications out of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) on Statement 1 is as follows:
				Year ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)	Classification of income (expense)		2014				2013
	Pension and other postretirement benefits:
	Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)	Note 12 1		$	(519	)		$	(781	)
	Amortization of prior service credit (cost)	Note 12 1		38				54
	Amortization of transition asset (obligation)	Note 12 1		—				(2		)
	Reclassifications before tax			(481		)		(729		)
	Tax (provision) benefit			162				247
	Reclassifications net of tax			$	(319	)		$	(482	)
	Derivative financial instruments:
	Foreign exchange contracts	Other income (expense)		$	5			$	(57	)
	Interest rate contracts	Interest expense excluding Financial Products		(5		)		—
	Interest rate contracts	Other income (expense)		—				(3		)
	Interest rate contracts	Interest expense of Financial Products		(6		)		(6		)
	Reclassifications before tax			(6		)		(66		)
	Tax (provision) benefit			2				25
	Reclassifications net of tax			$	(4	)		$	(41	)
	Available-for-sale securities:
	Realized gain (loss) on sale of securities	Other income (expense)		$	35			$	19
	Tax (provision) benefit			(11		)		(6		)
	Reclassifications net of tax			$	24			$	13
	Total reclassifications from Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)			$	(299	)		$	(510	)
	1    Amounts are included in the calculation of net periodic benefit cost. See Note 12 for additional information.

Fair_value_disclosures_Tables

Fair value disclosures (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis at fair value	Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis at fair value, primarily related to Financial Products, included in Statement 3 as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are summarized below:
			December 31, 2014
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2		Level 3		Total
										Assets / Liabilities,
										at Fair Value
	Assets
	Available-for-sale securities
	Government debt
	U.S. treasury bonds		$	10		$	—	$	—	$	10
	Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds		—			94		—		94
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		—			693		—		693
	Asset-backed securities		—			105		—		105
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		—			294		—		294
	Residential		—			15		—		15
	Commercial		—			67		—		67
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		233			—		—		233
	Smaller company growth		43			—		—		43
	Total available-for-sale securities		286			1,268		—		1,554
	Total Assets		$	286		$	1,268	$	—	$	1,554
	Liabilities
	Derivative financial instruments, net		$	—		$	86	$	—	$	86
	Guarantees		—			—		12		12
	Total Liabilities		$	—		$	86	$	12	$	98
			December 31, 2013
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2		Level 3		Total
										Assets / Liabilities,
										at Fair Value
	Assets
	Available-for-sale securities
	Government debt
	U.S. treasury bonds		$	10		$	—	$	—	$	10
	Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds		—			120		—		120
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		—			633		—		633
	Asset-backed securities		—			72		—		72
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
	U.S. governmental agency		—			321		—		321
	Residential		—			18		—		18
	Commercial		—			93		—		93
	Equity securities
	Large capitalization value		254			—		—		254
	Smaller company growth		49			—		—		49
	Total available-for-sale securities		313			1,257		—		1,570
	Derivative financial instruments, net		—			161		—		161
	Total Assets		$	313		$	1,418	$	—	$	1,731
	Liabilities
	Guarantees		$	—		$	—	$	13	$	13
	Total Liabilities		$	—		$	—	$	13	$	13
			December 31, 2012
	(Millions of dollars)		Level 1			Level 2		Level 3		Total
										Assets / Liabilities,
										at Fair Value
	Assets
	Available-for-sale securities
	Government debt
	U.S. treasury bonds		$	10		$	—	$	—	$	10
	Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds		—			146		—		146
	Corporate bonds
	Corporate bonds		—			664		—		664
	Asset-backed securities		—			96		—		96
	Mortgage-backed debt securities
U.S. governmental agency		—			299		—		299
Residential		—			25		—		25
Commercial		—			127		—		127
Equity securities
Large capitalization value		185			—		—		185
Smaller company growth		34			—		—		34
Total available-for-sale securities		229			1,357		—		1,586
Derivative financial instruments, net		—			154		—		154
Total Assets		$	229		$	1,511	$	—	$	1,740
Liabilities
Guarantees		$	—		$	—	$	14	$	14
Total Liabilities		$	—		$	—	$	14	$	14
Roll-forwards of liabilities measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs	Below are roll-forwards of liabilities measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.  These instruments were valued using pricing models that, in management’s judgment, reflect the assumptions of a market participant.
	(Millions of dollars)		Guarantees
	Balance at December 31, 2011		$	7
	Acquisitions		6
	Issuance of guarantees		7
	Expiration of guarantees		(6		)
	Balance at December 31, 2012		$	14
	Issuance of guarantees		6
	Expiration of guarantees		(7		)
	Balance at December 31, 2013		$	13
	Issuance of guarantees		1
	Expiration of guarantees		(2		)
	Balance at December 31, 2014		$	12
Fair values of financial instruments	Please refer to the table below for the fair values of our financial instruments.
	TABLE III—Fair Values of Financial Instruments
			2014					2013				2012
	(Millions of dollars)		Carrying			Fair		Carrying		Fair		Carrying		Fair		Fair Value Levels	Reference
			Amount			Value		Amount		Value		Amount		Value
	Assets at December 31,
	Cash and short-term investments		$	7,341		$	7,341	$	6,081	$	6,081	$	5,490	$	5,490	1	Statement 3
	Restricted cash and short-term investments		62			62		53		53		53		53		1	Statement 3
	Available-for-sale securities		1,554			1,554		1,570		1,570		1,586		1,586		1 & 2	Notes 11 & 19
	Finance receivables–net (excluding finance leases 1)		16,426			16,159		16,049		15,913		15,404		15,359		3	Notes 6 & 19
	Wholesale inventory receivables–net (excluding finance leases 1)		1,774			1,700		1,529		1,467		1,674		1,609		3	Notes 6 & 19
	Foreign currency contracts–net		—			—		45		45		—		—		2	Notes 3 & 19
	Interest rate swaps–net		71			71		116		116		219		219		2	Notes 3 & 19
	Commodity contracts–net		—			—		—		—		1		1		2	Notes 3 & 19
	Liabilities at December 31,
	Short-term borrowings		4,708			4,708		3,679		3,679		5,287		5,287		1	Note 13
	Long-term debt (including amounts due within one year):
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		10,003			11,973		8,759		9,905		9,779		11,969		2	Note 14
	Financial Products		24,574			25,103		25,312		25,849		25,077		26,063		2	Note 14
	Foreign currency contracts–net		143			143		—		—		66		66		2	Notes 3 & 19
	Commodity contracts–net		14			14		—		—		—		—		2	Notes 3 & 19
	Guarantees		12			12		13		13		14		14		3	Note 21
	1	Total excluded items have a net carrying value at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 of $7,638 million, $8,053 million and $7,959 million, respectively.

Operating_leases_Tables

Operating leases (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
Minimum payments for operating leases having initial or remaining non-cancelable terms in excess of one year	Minimum payments for operating leases having initial or remaining non-cancelable terms in excess of one year are:
	Years ended December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)
	2015		2016		2017		2018		2019		Thereafter		Total
	$	229	$	174	$	125	$	92	$	65	$	189	$	874

Guarantees_and_product_warrant1

Guarantees and product warranty (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Guarantees	The maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted and without reduction for any amounts that may possibly be recovered under recourse or collateralized provisions) we could be required to make under the guarantees at December 31 are as follows:
	(Millions of dollars)	2014				2013			2012
	Caterpillar dealer guarantees	$	209			$	193		$	180
	Customer guarantees	49				62			77
	Customer guarantees - supplier consortium	321				364			—
	Third party logistics business guarantees	129				151			176
	Other guarantees	32				35			53
	Total guarantees	$	740			$	805		$	486
Product warranty
	(Millions of dollars)	2014				2013			2012
	Warranty liability, January 1	$	1,367			$	1,477		$	1,308
	Reduction in liability (payments)	(1,071		)		(938		)	(920		)
	Increase in liability (new warranties)	1,130			1	828			1,089
	Warranty liability, December 31	$	1,426			$	1,367		$	1,477
	1 The increase in liability includes approximately $170 million for changes in estimates for pre-existing warranties due to higher than expected actual warranty claim experience.

Segment_information_Tables

Segment information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Reportable Segments
	Segment Information
	(Millions of dollars)
	Reportable Segments:
			External			Inter-			Total sales				Depreciation			Segment		Segment		Capital
			sales and			segment			and				and			profit		assets at		expenditures
			revenues			sales and			revenues				amortization					December 31
						revenues
	2014
	Construction Industries		$	19,362		$	250		$	19,612			$	522		$	2,207	$	6,596	$	369
	Resource Industries		8,921			585			9,506				691			501		9,568		277
	Energy & Transportation		21,727			2,248			23,975				646			4,038		8,399		608
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	50,010		$	3,083		$	53,093			$	1,859		$	6,746	$	24,563	$	1,254
	Financial Products Segment		3,313			—			3,313				885			901		37,011		1,634
	Total		$	53,323		$	3,083		$	56,406			$	2,744		$	7,647	$	61,574	$	2,888
	2013
	Construction Industries		$	18,532		$	330		$	18,862			$	493		$	1,374	$	7,607	$	551
	Resource Industries		11,805			465			12,270				698			1,586		10,389		499
	Energy & Transportation		20,155			1,895			22,050				642			3,401		8,492		677
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	50,492		$	2,690		$	53,182			$	1,833		$	6,361	$	26,488	$	1,727
	Financial Products Segment		3,224			—			3,224				789			990		36,980		1,806
	Total		$	53,716		$	2,690		$	56,406			$	2,622		$	7,351	$	63,468	$	3,533
	2012
	Construction Industries		$	19,451		$	470		$	19,921			$	459		$	1,846	$	9,624	$	984
	Resource Industries		19,715			726			20,441				649			4,285		12,466		1,078
	Energy & Transportation		21,122			2,407			23,529				604			3,422		9,323		960
	Machinery, Energy & Transportation		$	60,288		$	3,603		$	63,891			$	1,712		$	9,553	$	31,413	$	3,022
	Financial Products Segment		3,090			—			3,090				708			763		36,563		1,660
	Total		$	63,378		$	3,603		$	66,981			$	2,420		$	10,316	$	67,976	$	4,682
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues:
	Reconciliation of Sales and Revenues:
	(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidating				Consolidated
			Energy &			Products			Adjustments				Total
			Transportation
	2014
	Total external sales and revenues from reportable segments		$	50,010		$	3,313		$	—			$	53,323
	All Other operating segments		2,251			—			—				2,251
	Other		(119		)	73			(344		)	1	(390		)
	Total sales and revenues		$	52,142		$	3,386		$	(344	)		$	55,184
	2013
	Total external sales and revenues from reportable segments		$	50,492		$	3,224		$	—			$	53,716
	All Other operating segments		2,263			—			—				2,263
	Other		(61		)	78			(340		)	1	(323		)
	Total sales and revenues		$	52,694		$	3,302		$	(340	)		$	55,656
	2012
	Total external sales and revenues from reportable segments		$	60,288		$	3,090		$	—			$	63,378
	All Other operating segments		2,827			—			—				2,827
	Other		(47		)	70			(353		)	1	(330		)
	Total sales and revenues		$	63,068		$	3,160		$	(353	)		$	65,875
	1	Elimination of Financial Products revenues from Machinery, Energy & Transportation.
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit before taxes:
	Reconciliation of consolidated profit before taxes:
	(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidated
			Energy &			Products			Total
			Transportation
	2014
	Total profit from reportable segments		$	6,746		$	901		$	7,647
	All Other operating segments		850			—			850
	Cost centers		38			—			38
	Corporate costs		(1,584		)	—			(1,584		)
	Timing		(244		)	—			(244		)
	Restructuring costs		(441		)	—			(441		)
	Methodology differences:
	Inventory/cost of sales		55			—			55
	Postretirement benefit expense		(411		)	—			(411		)
	Financing costs		(502		)	—			(502		)
	Equity in (profit) loss of unconsolidated affiliated companies		(8		)	—			(8		)
	Currency		(52		)	—			(52		)
	Other income/expense methodology differences		(249		)	—			(249		)
	Other methodology differences		(24		)	8			(16		)
	Total consolidated profit before taxes		$	4,174		$	909		$	5,083
	2013
	Total profit from reportable segments		$	6,361		$	990		$	7,351
	All Other operating segments		736			—			736
	Cost centers		119			—			119
	Corporate costs		(1,368		)	—			(1,368		)
	Timing		116			—			116
	Restructuring costs		(200		)	—			(200		)
	Methodology differences:
	Inventory/cost of sales		(112		)	—			(112		)
	Postretirement benefit expense		(685		)	—			(685		)
	Financing costs		(469		)	—			(469		)
	Equity in (profit) loss of unconsolidated affiliated companies		6			—			6
	Currency		(110		)	—			(110		)
	Other income/expense methodology differences		(238		)	—			(238		)
	Other methodology differences		(48		)	30			(18		)
	Total consolidated profit before taxes		$	4,108		$	1,020		$	5,128
	2012
	Total profit from reportable segments		$	9,553		$	763		$	10,316
	All Other operating segments		994			—			994
	Cost centers		11			—			11
	Corporate costs		(1,502		)	—			(1,502		)
	Timing		(298		)	—			(298		)
	Methodology differences:
	Inventory/cost of sales		43			—			43
	Postretirement benefit expense		(696		)	—			(696		)
	Financing costs		(474		)	—			(474		)
	Equity in (profit) loss of unconsolidated affiliated companies		(14		)	—			(14		)
	Currency		108			—			108
	Other income/expense methodology differences		(249		)	—			(249		)
	Other methodology differences		(20		)	17			(3		)
	Total consolidated profit before taxes		$	7,456		$	780		$	8,236
Reconciliation of Restructuring Costs:	As noted above, restructuring costs are a reconciling item between Segment profit and Consolidated profit before taxes. Had we included the amounts in the segments' results, the profit would have been as shown below:
	Reconciliation of Restructuring costs:
	(Millions of dollars)		Segment			Restructuring costs			Segment profit with
			profit						restructuring costs
	2014
	Construction Industries		$	2,207		$	(293	)	$	1,914
	Resource Industries		501			(72		)	429
	Energy & Transportation		4,038			(31		)	4,007
	Financial Products Segment		901			—			901
	All Other operating segments		850			(36		)	814
	Total		$	8,497		$	(432	)	$	8,065
	2013
	Construction Industries		$	1,374		$	(33	)	$	1,341
	Resource Industries		1,586			(105		)	1,481
	Energy & Transportation		3,401			(32		)	3,369
	Financial Products Segment		990			—			990
	All Other operating segments		736			(27		)	709
	Total		$	8,087		$	(197	)	$	7,890
Reconciliation of Assets:
	Reconciliation of Assets:
	(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidating				Consolidated
			Energy &			Products			Adjustments				Total
			Transportation
	2014
	Total assets from reportable segments		$	24,563		$	37,011		$	—			$	61,574
	All Other operating segments		2,810			—			—				2,810
	Items not included in segment assets:
	Cash and short-term investments		6,317			—			—				6,317
	Intercompany receivables		1,185			—			(1,185		)		—
	Investment in Financial Products		4,488			—			(4,488		)		—
	Deferred income taxes		3,627			—			(674		)		2,953
	Goodwill and intangible assets		3,492			—			—				3,492
	Property, plant and equipment – net and other assets		1,174			—			—				1,174
	Operating lease methodology difference		(213		)	—			—				(213		)
	Liabilities included in segment assets		9,837			—			—				9,837
	Inventory methodology differences		(2,697		)	—			—				(2,697		)
	Other		(395		)	(102		)	(69		)		(566		)
	Total assets		$	54,188		$	36,909		$	(6,416	)		$	84,681
	2013
	Total assets from reportable segments		$	26,488		$	36,980		$	—			$	63,468
	All Other operating segments		2,973			—			—				2,973
	Items not included in segment assets:
	Cash and short-term investments		4,597			—			—				4,597
	Intercompany receivables		1,219			—			(1,219		)		—
	Investment in Financial Products		4,798			—			(4,798		)		—
	Deferred income taxes		2,541			—			(525		)		2,016
	Goodwill and intangible assets		3,582			—			—				3,582
	Property, plant and equipment – net and other assets		1,175			—			—				1,175
	Operating lease methodology difference		(273		)	—			—				(273		)
	Liabilities included in segment assets		10,357			—			—				10,357
	Inventory methodology differences		(2,539		)	—			—				(2,539		)
	Other		(214		)	(135		)	(111		)		(460		)
	Total assets		$	54,704		$	36,845		$	(6,653	)		$	84,896
	2012
	Total assets from reportable segments		$	31,413		$	36,563		$	—			$	67,976
	All Other operating segments		3,179			—			—				3,179
	Items not included in segment assets:
	Cash and short-term investments		3,306			—			—				3,306
	Intercompany receivables		303			—			(303		)		—
	Investment in Financial Products		4,433			—			(4,433		)		—
	Deferred income taxes		3,926			—			(516		)		3,410
	Goodwill and intangible assets		3,145			—			—				3,145
	Property, plant and equipment – net and other assets		723			—			—				723
	Operating lease methodology difference		(305		)	—			—				(305		)
	Liabilities included in segment assets		10,900			—			—				10,900
	Inventory methodology differences		(2,949		)	—			—				(2,949		)
	Other		(176		)	(107		)	(132		)		(415		)
	Total assets		$	57,898		$	36,456		$	(5,384	)		$	88,970
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
	Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
	(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidated
			Energy &			Products			Total
			Transportation
	2014
	Total depreciation and amortization from reportable segments		$	1,859		$	885		$	2,744
	Items not included in segment depreciation and amortization:
	All Other operating segments		279			—			279
	Cost centers		150			—			150
	Other		(35		)	25			(10		)
	Total depreciation and amortization		$	2,253		$	910		$	3,163
	2013
	Total depreciation and amortization from reportable segments		$	1,833		$	789		$	2,622
	Items not included in segment depreciation and amortization:
	All Other operating segments		305			—			305
	Cost centers		151			—			151
	Other		(16		)	25			9
	Total depreciation and amortization		$	2,273		$	814		$	3,087
	2012
	Total depreciation and amortization from reportable segments		$	1,712		$	708		$	2,420
	Items not included in segment depreciation and amortization:
	All Other operating segments		313			—			313
	Cost centers		96			—			96
	Other		(39		)	23			(16		)
	Total depreciation and amortization		$	2,082		$	731		$	2,813
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures:
	Reconciliation of Capital expenditures:
	(Millions of dollars)		Machinery,			Financial			Consolidating				Consolidated
			Energy &			Products			Adjustments				Total
			Transportation
	2014
	Total capital expenditures from reportable segments		$	1,254		$	1,634		$	—			$	2,888
	Items not included in segment capital expenditures:
	All Other operating segments		331			—			—				331
	Cost centers		181			—			—				181
	Timing		21			—			—				21
	Other		(146		)	183			(79		)		(42		)
	Total capital expenditures		$	1,641		$	1,817		$	(79	)		$	3,379
	2013
	Total capital expenditures from reportable segments		$	1,727		$	1,806		$	—			$	3,533
	Items not included in segment capital expenditures:
	All Other operating segments		452			—			—				452
	Cost centers		191			—			—				191
	Timing		363			—			—				363
	Other		(128		)	105			(70		)		(93		)
	Total capital expenditures		$	2,605		$	1,911		$	(70	)		$	4,446
	2012
	Total capital expenditures from reportable segments		$	3,022		$	1,660		$	—			$	4,682
	Items not included in segment capital expenditures:
	All Other operating segments		459			—			—				459
	Cost centers		201			—			—				201
	Timing		(71		)	—			—				(71		)
	Other		(176		)	136			(155		)		(195		)
	Total capital expenditures		$	3,435		$	1,796		$	(155	)		$	5,076
Information about Geographic Areas	Information about Geographic Areas:
													Property, plant and equipment - net
			External sales and revenues 1										December 31,
	(Millions of dollars)		2014			2013			2012				2014			2013		2012
	Inside United States		$	21,122		$	18,579		$	20,239			$	8,714		$	8,723	$	8,559
	Outside United States		34,062			37,077			45,636			2	7,863			8,352		7,902
	Total		$	55,184		$	55,656		$	65,875			$	16,577		$	17,075	$	16,461
	1	Sales of Machinery, Energy & Transportation are based on dealer or customer location. Revenues from services provided are based on where service is rendered.
	2	The only country with greater than 10 percent of external sales and revenues for any of the periods presented, other than the United States, is Australia with $6,822 million as of December 31, 2012.

Restructuring_Costs_Tables

Restructuring Costs (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Charges [Abstract]
Summary of separation activity	The following table summarizes the 2012, 2013 and 2014 employee separation activity:
	(Millions of dollars)	Total
	Liability balance at December 31, 2011	$	90
	Increase in liability (separation charges)	94
	Reduction in liability (payments and other adjustments)	(155		)
	Liability balance at December 31, 2012	$	29
	Increase in liability (separation charges)	151
	Reduction in liability (payments and other adjustments)	(91		)
	Liability balance at December 31, 2013	$	89
	Increase in liability (separation charges)	382
	Reduction in liability (payments and other adjustments)	(289		)
	Liability balance at December 31, 2014	$	182

Selected_quarterly_financial_r1

Selected quarterly financial results (unaudited) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Selected quarterly financial results
			2014 Quarter
	(Dollars in millions except per share data)		1st			2nd			3rd			4th
	Sales and revenues		$	13,241		$	14,150		$	13,549		$	14,244
	Less: Revenues		(748		)	(759		)	(791		)	(744		)
	Sales		12,493			13,391			12,758			13,500
	Cost of goods sold		9,437			10,197			9,634			10,499
	Gross margin		3,056			3,194			3,124			3,001
	Profit 1		$	922		$	999		$	1,017		$	757
	Profit per common share		$	1.47		$	1.6		$	1.66		$	1.25
	Profit per common share–diluted 2		$	1.44		$	1.57		$	1.63		$	1.23
			2013 Quarter
			1st			2nd			3rd			4th
	Sales and revenues		$	13,210		$	14,621		$	13,423		$	14,402
	Less: Revenues		(726		)	(735		)	(745		)	(756		)
	Sales		12,484			13,886			12,678			13,646
	Cost of goods sold		9,639			10,773			9,774			10,541
	Gross margin		2,845			3,113			2,904			3,105
	Profit 1		$	880		$	960		$	946		$	1,003
	Profit per common share		$	1.34		$	1.48		$	1.48		$	1.57
	Profit per common share–diluted 2		$	1.31		$	1.45		$	1.45		$	1.54
	1	Profit attributable to common stockholders.
	2	Diluted by assumed exercise of stock-based compensation awards using the treasury stock method.
	As previously disclosed, in connection with the preparation of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2014, we concluded that certain non-cash transactions should be excluded from both changes in Receivables-trade and other and Accounts payable when preparing our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow. Accordingly, we prepared our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow for the six and nine months ended June 30, 2014 and September 30, 2014 on that basis, and we revised our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow for the comparative periods in 2013. We subsequently concluded that our prior policy of including those transactions in the changes in Receivables-trade and other and Accounts payable is acceptable. Accordingly, we prepared our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow for the year ended December 31, 2014 using our prior policy. We will revise our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow to increase Receivables-trade and other and decrease Accounts payable for $113 million and $149 million for the six and nine months ended June 30, 2014 and September 30, 2014, respectively, the next time they are filed. The revisions will not impact net cash provided by operating activities.

Operations_and_summary_of_sign3

Operations and summary of significant accounting policies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
	countries
	dealer_rental_outlets
	places_of_business
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Ownership percentage of investments in companies below which the entity must exercise significant influence in order to be accounted for under the equity method	20.00%
Standard invoice terms, maximum extension period (in years)	1 year	1 year	1 year
Standard invoice terms, amount of extension allowed to receivables	$624	$706	$354
Percentage of consolidated sales representing extension to standard invoice terms not more than one year	1.00%	1.00%	1.00%
Period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable (in days)	120 days
Percentage of value of inventories on the LIFO basis to total inventories	60.00%	60.00%	60.00%
Incremental value of inventory if FIFO method had been in use	2,430	2,504	2,750
Depreciation on equipment leased to others	872	768	688
Consolidated depreciation expense	$2,795	$2,710	$2,421
Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Number of countries served by dealers	182
Number of dealer places of business	3,580
Number of dealer rental outlets	1,267
Maximum amortizable period of purchased intangibles (in years)	14 years	13 years	13 years
Maximum
Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Maximum amortizable period of purchased intangibles (in years)	20 years
Minimum
Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Ownership percentage of investments in companies accounted for under the equity method (as a percent)	20.00%
Inside United States
Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Number of dealers	48
Outside the United States
Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Number of dealers	129
Perkins
Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Number of distributors	103
Number of countries where distributors are located	182
Caterpillar Northern Ireland Ltd (F.G. Wilson)
Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Number of distributors	264
Number of countries where distributors are located	145
MaK
Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Number of distributors	19
Number of countries where distributors are located	130

Operations_and_summary_of_sign4

Operations and summary of significant accounting policies (Details 2) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Receivables - trade and other	$7,737	$8,413	$9,706
Receivables - finance	9,027	8,763	8,860
Long-term receivables - finance	14,644	14,926	14,029
Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies	257	272	272
Guarantees	740	805	486
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Receivables - trade and other	36	21	23
Receivables - finance	216	185	122
Long-term receivables - finance	285	334	353
Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies	83	89	93
Guarantees	129	151	176
Total	$749	$780	$767

Stockbased_compensation_Detail

Stock-based compensation (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Common shares issued from treasury stock for stock-based compensation (in shares)	10,106,542	6,258,692	7,515,149
Vesting period of 2014, 2013 and 2012 awards, after the date of grant (in years)	3 years
Required minimum age of a participant upon separation from service to meet the criteria for Long Service Separation (in years)	55 years
Minimum term of service to meet criteria for Long Service Separation (in years)	5 years
Term life of SARs and option awards (in years)	10 years
Term life of vested options/SARs from separation date (in years)	5 years
Requisite service period (in months)	6 months
Assumptions used in determining the fair value of the stock-based awards
Weighted-average dividend yield (as a percent)	2.20%	2.10%	2.20%
Weighted-average volatility (as a percent)	28.20%	30.60%	35.00%
Volatilities, low end of range (as a percent)	18.40%	23.40%	33.30%
Volatilities, high end of range (as a percent)	36.20%	40.60%	40.40%
Risk-free interest rates, low end of range (as a percent)	0.12%	0.16%	0.17%
Risk-free interest rates, high end of range (as a percent)	2.60%	1.88%	2.00%
Weighted-average expected lives (in years)	8 years	8 years	7 years
Unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock-based compensation awards (in dollars)	$193
Term of amortization of unrecognized compensation cost over weighted-average remaining requisite service periods (in years)	1 year 9 months
Stock options/SARs activity
Outstanding at beginning of year (in shares)	43,375,747	45,827,599	50,372,991
Granted to officers and key employees (in shares)	4,448,218	4,276,060	3,318,188
Exercised (in shares)	-13,026,311	-6,476,082	-7,708,343
Forfeited / expired (in shares)	-216,571	-251,830	-155,237
Outstanding at end of year (in shares)	34,581,083	43,375,747	45,827,599
Number of stock awards exercisable at end of the period (in shares)	23,991,377	34,200,054	33,962,000
Restricted stock units activity
Outstanding at beginning of year (in shares)	3,823,328	3,580,220	4,281,490
Granted to officers and key employees (in shares)	1,429,512	1,614,870	1,429,939
Vested (in shares)	-1,081,304	-1,286,934	-2,077,485
Forfeited (in shares)	-87,400	-84,828	-53,724
Outstanding at end of year (in shares)	4,084,136	3,823,328	3,580,220
Weighted- Average Exercise Price for stock options and stock appreciation rights
Outstanding at beginning of year (in dollars per share)	$65.03	$59.45	$53.01
Granted to officers and key employees (in dollars per share)	$96.31	$89.75	$110.09
Exercised (in dollars per share)	$50.27	$41.10	$38.73
Forfeited / expired (in dollars per share)	$85.93	$84.64	$67.50
Outstanding at end of year (in dollars per share)	$74.48	$65.03	$59.45
Exercisable at year-end (in dollars per share)	$64.46	$55.93	$51.75
SARs Granted to officers and key employees (in shares)	0	0	0

Stockbased_compensation_Detail1

Stock-based compensation (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights outstanding
Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$74.48	$65.03	$59.45	$53.01
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights exercisable
Number of stock awards exercisable at end of the period (in shares)	23,991,377	34,200,054	33,962,000
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Stock awards exercisable (in dollars per share)	$64.46	$55.93	$51.75
Additional Stock-based Award Information under Stock Option and Stock Appreciation Rights
Weighted-average fair value per share of stock awards granted (in dollars per share)	$29.52	$28.34	$39.20
Intrinsic value of stock awards exercised	$649	$312	$488
Fair value of stock awards vested	108	167	66
Cash received from stock awards exercised	259	152	112
Additional Stock-based Award Information under Restricted Stock Units Activity
Weighted average fair value per share of stock awards granted (in dollars per share)	$89.18	$84.05	$104.61
Fair value of stock awards vested	106	117	229
Weighted average remaining contractual life (in years)	1 year 2 months
Stock-based compensation expense, before tax (in dollars)	254	231	245
Income tax benefit corresponding to stock-based compensation expense	79	73	78
Cash tax benefits realized from stock awards exercised	253	127	217
Tax benefit recordable in APIC on reduction of future income taxes payable	26
Stock options and stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock option and stock appreciation rights outstanding at the end of the year (in shares)	34,581,083
Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$74.48
Aggregate Intrinsic Value outstanding	721
Stock options and stock appreciation rights exercisable
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights exercisable
Number of stock awards exercisable at end of the period (in shares)	23,991,377
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Stock awards exercisable (in dollars per share)	$64.46
Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Stock awards exercisable	710
Exercise Price Range 22.17 To 45.64 | Minimum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$22.17
Exercise Price Range 22.17 To 45.64 | Maximum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$45.64
Exercise Price Range 22.17 To 45.64 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock option and stock appreciation rights outstanding at the end of the year (in shares)	4,740,246
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life outstanding (in Years)	3 years 0 months 5 days
Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$28.93
Aggregate Intrinsic Value outstanding	301
Exercise Price Range 22.17 To 45.64 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights exercisable
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights exercisable
Number of stock awards exercisable at end of the period (in shares)	4,740,246
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life of Stock awards exercisable (in years)	3 years 5 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Stock awards exercisable (in dollars per share)	$28.93
Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Stock awards exercisable	301
Exercise Price Range 57.85 To 63.04 | Minimum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$57.85
Exercise Price Range 57.85 To 63.04 | Maximum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$63.04
Exercise Price Range 57.85 To 63.04 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock option and stock appreciation rights outstanding at the end of the year (in shares)	7,634,038
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life outstanding (in Years)	4 years 3 months 22 days
Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$59.33
Aggregate Intrinsic Value outstanding	253
Exercise Price Range 57.85 To 63.04 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights exercisable
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights exercisable
Number of stock awards exercisable at end of the period (in shares)	7,634,038
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life of Stock awards exercisable (in years)	4 years 3 months 22 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Stock awards exercisable (in dollars per share)	$59.33
Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Stock awards exercisable	253
Exercise Price Range 66.77 To 73.20 | Minimum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$66.77
Exercise Price Range 66.77 To 73.20 | Maximum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$73.20
Exercise Price Range 66.77 To 73.20 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock option and stock appreciation rights outstanding at the end of the year (in shares)	7,744,932
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life outstanding (in Years)	2 years 0 months 7 days
Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$72.51
Aggregate Intrinsic Value outstanding	155
Exercise Price Range 66.77 To 73.20 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights exercisable
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights exercisable
Number of stock awards exercisable at end of the period (in shares)	7,744,932
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life of Stock awards exercisable (in years)	2 years 7 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Stock awards exercisable (in dollars per share)	$72.51
Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Stock awards exercisable	155
Exercise Price Range 86.77 To 89.75 | Minimum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$86.77
Exercise Price Range 86.77 To 89.75 | Maximum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$89.75
Exercise Price Range 86.77 To 89.75 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock option and stock appreciation rights outstanding at the end of the year (in shares)	4,195,185
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life outstanding (in Years)	8 years 0 months 22 days
Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$89.68
Aggregate Intrinsic Value outstanding	12
Exercise Price Range 86.77 To 89.75 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights exercisable
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights exercisable
Number of stock awards exercisable at end of the period (in shares)	420,340
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life of Stock awards exercisable (in years)	8 years 1 month 25 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Stock awards exercisable (in dollars per share)	$89.75
Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Stock awards exercisable	1
Exercise Price Range 96.31 To 110.09 | Minimum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$96.31
Exercise Price Range 96.31 To 110.09 | Maximum
Stock Options/SARs outstanding and exercisable
Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$110.09
Exercise Price Range 96.31 To 110.09 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights outstanding
Stock option and stock appreciation rights outstanding at the end of the year (in shares)	10,266,682
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life outstanding (in Years)	7 years 9 months 5 days
Weighted Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$102.04
Aggregate Intrinsic Value outstanding	0
Exercise Price Range 96.31 To 110.09 | Stock options and stock appreciation rights exercisable
Stock options and Stock appreciation rights exercisable
Number of stock awards exercisable at end of the period (in shares)	3,451,821
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life of Stock awards exercisable (in years)	6 years 4 months 25 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Stock awards exercisable (in dollars per share)	$103.43
Aggregate Intrinsic Value of Stock awards exercisable	$0

Derivative_financial_instrumen3

Derivative financial instruments and risk management (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative [Line Items]
Foreign currency cash flow hedges, maximum period (in years)	5 years
Deferred net losses, foreign currency exchange rate risk, to be reclassified from equity to current earnings over the next twelve months	$68
Commodity forward and option contracts, maximum period (in years)	5 years
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivative [Line Items]
Deferred net losses, interest rate risk, to be reclassified from equity to current earnings over the next twelve months	4
Financial Products
Derivative [Line Items]
Deferred net losses, interest rate risk, to be reclassified from equity to current earnings over the next twelve months	$1

Derivative_financial_instrumen4

Derivative financial instruments and risk management (Details 2) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	$128	$211	$298
Liability Fair Value	-214	-50	-144
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	27	73	60
Liability Fair Value	-191	-40	-129
Financial Products
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	101	138	238
Liability Fair Value	-23	-10	-15
Designated derivatives
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset (Liability) Fair Value	-38	131	180
Designated derivatives | Foreign exchange contracts | Receivables - trade and other | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	25	54	28
Designated derivatives | Foreign exchange contracts | Accrued expenses | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivatives Fair Value
Liability Fair Value	-134	-39	-66
Designated derivatives | Interest rate contracts | Receivables - trade and other | Financial Products
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	6	7	17
Designated derivatives | Interest rate contracts | Long-term receivables - trade and other | Financial Products
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	73	115	209
Designated derivatives | Interest rate contracts | Accrued expenses | Financial Products
Derivatives Fair Value
Liability Fair Value	-8	-6	-8
Undesignated derivatives
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset (Liability) Fair Value	-48	30	-26
Undesignated derivatives | Foreign exchange contracts | Receivables - trade and other | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	2	19	31
Undesignated derivatives | Foreign exchange contracts | Receivables - trade and other | Financial Products
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	5	7	10
Undesignated derivatives | Foreign exchange contracts | Long-term receivables - trade and other | Financial Products
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	17	9	0
Undesignated derivatives | Foreign exchange contracts | Accrued expenses | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivatives Fair Value
Liability Fair Value	-43	-1	-63
Undesignated derivatives | Foreign exchange contracts | Accrued expenses | Financial Products
Derivatives Fair Value
Liability Fair Value	-15	-4	-6
Undesignated derivatives | Interest rate contracts | Receivables - trade and other | Financial Products
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	0	0	2
Undesignated derivatives | Interest rate contracts | Accrued expenses | Financial Products
Derivatives Fair Value
Liability Fair Value	0	0	-1
Undesignated derivatives | Commodity contracts | Receivables - trade and other | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivatives Fair Value
Asset Fair Value	0	0	1
Undesignated derivatives | Commodity contracts | Accrued expenses | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivatives Fair Value
Liability Fair Value	($14)	$0	$0

Derivative_financial_instrumen5

Derivative financial instruments and risk management (Details 3) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount	$3,128	$3,565	$4,438
Financial Products
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount	$5,249	$6,743	$9,817

Derivative_financial_instrumen6

Derivative financial instruments and risk management (Details 4) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Designated derivatives | Fair Value Hedges
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Gains (Losses) on Derivatives	($41)	($107)	($20)
Gains (Losses) on Borrowings	23	114	36
Designated derivatives | Fair Value Hedges | Interest rate contracts | Financial Products | Other Income (Expense)
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Gains (Losses) on Derivatives	-41	-107	-20
Gains (Losses) on Borrowings	23	114	36
Designated derivatives | Cash Flow Hedges
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Amount of Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)	-187	-6	-77
Amount of Gains (Losses) Reclassified from AOCI to Earnings	-6	-66	-26
Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)	0	1	-1
Designated derivatives | Cash Flow Hedges | Foreign exchange contracts | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Amount of Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)	-118	-4	-78
Designated derivatives | Cash Flow Hedges | Foreign exchange contracts | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Other Income (Expense)
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Amount of Gains (Losses) Reclassified from AOCI to Earnings	5	-57	-30
Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)	0	0	0
Gains (Losses) reclassified from AOCI to earnings for derivatives dedesignated as related transactions are no longer probable to occur		-3	-7
Designated derivatives | Cash Flow Hedges | Interest rate contracts | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Amount of Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)	-63	0
Designated derivatives | Cash Flow Hedges | Interest rate contracts | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Other Income (Expense)
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Amount of Gains (Losses) Reclassified from AOCI to Earnings		-3
Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)		0
Designated derivatives | Cash Flow Hedges | Interest rate contracts | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Interest expense
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Amount of Gains (Losses) Reclassified from AOCI to Earnings	-5
Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)	0
Designated derivatives | Cash Flow Hedges | Interest rate contracts | Financial Products
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Amount of Gains (Losses) Recognized in AOCI (Effective Portion)	-6	-2	1
Designated derivatives | Cash Flow Hedges | Interest rate contracts | Financial Products | Interest expense
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Amount of Gains (Losses) Reclassified from AOCI to Earnings	-6	-6	4
Recognized in Earnings (Ineffective Portion)	0	1	-1
Undesignated derivatives
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Gains (Losses) on Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	-120	18	72
Undesignated derivatives | Foreign exchange contracts | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Other Income (Expense)
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Gains (Losses) on Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	-60	17	62
Undesignated derivatives | Foreign exchange contracts | Financial Products | Other Income (Expense)
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Gains (Losses) on Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	-47	8	6
Undesignated derivatives | Interest rate contracts | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Other Income (Expense)
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Gains (Losses) on Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	2	-1	2
Undesignated derivatives | Interest rate contracts | Financial Products | Other Income (Expense)
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Gains (Losses) on Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	0	-3	0
Undesignated derivatives | Commodity contracts | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Other Income (Expense)
Derivative Instruments Gain (Loss)
Gains (Losses) on Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	($15)	($3)	$2

Derivative_financial_instrumen7

Derivative financial instruments and risk management (Details 5) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Offsetting Assets
Gross Amount of Recognized Assets	$128	$211	$298
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position	0	0	0
Net Amount of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Position	128	211	298
Financial Instruments	-35	-41	-71
Cash Collateral Received	0	0	0
Net Amount of Assets	93	170	227
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Offsetting Assets
Gross Amount of Recognized Assets	27	73	60
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position	0	0	0
Net Amount of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Position	27	73	60
Financial Instruments	-27	-32	-59
Cash Collateral Received	0	0	0
Net Amount of Assets	0	41	1
Financial Products
Offsetting Assets
Gross Amount of Recognized Assets	101	138	238
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position	0	0	0
Net Amount of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Position	101	138	238
Financial Instruments	-8	-9	-12
Cash Collateral Received	0	0	0
Net Amount of Assets	$93	$129	$226

Derivative_financial_instrumen8

Derivative financial instruments and risk management (Details 6) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Offsetting Liabilities
Gross Amount of Recognized Liabilities	($214)	($50)	($144)
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position	0	0	0
Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Position	-214	-50	-144
Financial Instruments	35	41	71
Cash Collateral Pledged	0	0	0
Net Amount of Liabilities	-179	-9	-73
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Offsetting Liabilities
Gross Amount of Recognized Liabilities	-191	-40	-129
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position	0	0	0
Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Position	-191	-40	-129
Financial Instruments	27	32	59
Cash Collateral Pledged	0	0	0
Net Amount of Liabilities	-164	-8	-70
Financial Products
Offsetting Liabilities
Gross Amount of Recognized Liabilities	-23	-10	-15
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position	0	0	0
Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Position	-23	-10	-15
Financial Instruments	8	9	12
Cash Collateral Pledged	0	0	0
Net Amount of Liabilities	($15)	($1)	($3)

Other_income_expense_Details

Other income (expense) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Other Income and Expenses [Abstract]
Investment and interest income	$66	$84	$82
Foreign exchange gains (losses)	54	-254	-116
License fee income	128	114	99
Gains (losses) on sale of securities and affiliated companies	36	21	4
Miscellaneous income (loss)	-45	0	61
Other income (expense)	$239	($35)	$130

Income_taxes_Details

Income taxes (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income taxes paid	$1,595	$1,544	$2,396
Components of profit (loss) before taxes
U.S	2,022	1,938	4,090
Non-U.S	3,061	3,190	4,146
Consolidated profit before taxes	5,083	5,128	8,236
Current tax provision (benefit):
U.S.	715	407	971
Non-U.S.	883	805	1,250
State (U.S.)	48	33	56
Current tax provision (benefit)	1,646	1,245	2,277
Deferred tax provision (benefit):
U.S.	-167	79	332
Non-U.S.	-77	-7	-89
State (U.S.)	-22	2	8
Deferred tax provision (benefit)	-266	74	251
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	$1,380	$1,319	$2,528

Income_taxes_Details_2

Income taxes (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to effective rate:
Taxes at U.S. statutory rate	$1,779,000,000	$1,795,000,000	$2,882,000,000
U. S. statutory tax rate (as a percent)	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
(Decreases) increases in taxes resulting from:
Non-U.S. subsidiaries taxed at other than 35%	-249,000,000	-268,000,000	-342,000,000
Non-U.S. subsidiaries taxed at other than 35% (as a percent)	-4.90%	-5.20%	-4.20%
State and local taxes, net of federal	17,000,000	23,000,000	55,000,000
State and local taxes, net of federal (as a percent)	0.30%	0.40%	0.70%
Interest and penalties, net of tax	12,000,000	4,000,000	22,000,000
Interest and penalties, net of tax (as a percent)	0.20%	0.10%	0.30%
U.S. research and production incentives	-125,000,000	-91,000,000	-80,000,000
U.S. research and production incentives (as a percent)	-2.40%	-1.80%	-1.00%
Other-net	-10,000,000	-2,000,000	-27,000,000
Other-net (as a percent)	-0.20%	0.00%	-0.30%
Total of taxes at statutory rate plus increases and decreases	1,424,000,000	1,461,000,000	2,510,000,000
Total of tax rates at statutory rate plus increases and decreases in the rate (as a percent)	28.00%	28.50%	30.50%
Prior year tax and interest adjustments	-21,000,000	-55,000,000	-300,000,000
Prior year tax and interest adjustments (as a percent)	-0.40%	-1.10%	-3.70%
Nondeductible goodwill	0	0	318,000,000
Nondeductible goodwill (as a percent)	0.00%	0.00%	3.90%
Release of valuation allowances	-23,000,000	0	0
Release of valuation allowances (as a percent)	-0.50%	0.00%	0.00%
Tax law changes	0	-87,000,000	0
Tax law changes (as a percent)	0.00%	-1.70%	0.00%
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	1,380,000,000	1,319,000,000	2,528,000,000
Provision (benefit) for income taxes (as a percent)	27.10%	25.70%	30.70%
Benefit from research and development tax credit retroactively extended	0	-87,000,000	0
Income Tax Reconciliation Settlement Benefit Including Interest	-33,000,000
Tax Adjustments, Settlements, and Unusual Provisions	-16,000,000
Settlement benefit, interest and penalties	-17,000,000		-96,000,000
Other Tax Expense (Benefit)	12,000,000
Tax Correction Prior Years	55,000,000
Settlement benefit, previously unrecognized tax benefits			-188,000,000
Impairment of nondeductible goodwill			203,000,000
Divestiture of nondeductible goodwill			115,000,000
Undistributed profits of non-U.S. subsidiaries considered indefinitely reinvested	$18,000,000,000

Income_taxes_Details_3

Income taxes (Details 3) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Deferred tax assets
Deferred and refundable income taxes	$992	$877	$979
Noncurrent deferred and refundable income taxes	1,267	456	1,863
Total deferred tax assets	2,259	1,333	2,842
Deferred tax liabilities
Other current liabilities	62	86	66
Other liabilities	414	447	484
Deferred income taxes-net	$1,783	$800	$2,292

Income_taxes_Details_4

Income taxes (Details 4) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Deferred income tax assets:
Pension	$1,513	$903	$2,100
Postemployment benefits other than pensions	1,514	1,435	1,678
Tax carryforwards	826	760	663
Warranty reserves	346	313	358
Stock based compensation	327	320	281
Inventory	123	112	195
Allowance for credit losses	198	184	170
Post sale discounts	175	146	141
Deferred compensation	132	126	110
Other-net	549	524	491
Deferred income tax assets, Total	5,703	4,823	6,187
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Capital and intangible assets	-2,625	-2,815	-2,759
Bond discount	-233	-240	-249
Translation	-252	-133	-173
Undistributed profits of non-U.S. subsidiaries	-69	-90	-128
Deferred income tax liabilities, Total	-3,179	-3,278	-3,309
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets	-741	-745	-586
Deferred income taxes-net	$1,783	$800	$2,292

Income_taxes_Details_5

Income taxes (Details 5) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets	($741)	($745)	($586)
U.S foreign tax credit carryforwards	61
U.S. state taxing jurisdictions
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets	-162
U.S. state taxing jurisdictions | 2015-2034
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Net operating loss carryforwards	568
U.S. state taxing jurisdictions | Over the next five to fifteen years
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Tax credit carryforwards	158
State tax credit carryforward expiration date, minimum	5 years
State tax credit carryforwards expiration date, maximum	15 years
Non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Net operating loss carryforwards	2,211
Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets	-579
Non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions | 2015
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Net operating loss carryforwards	7
Non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions | 2016
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Net operating loss carryforwards	5
Non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions | 2017
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Net operating loss carryforwards	14
Non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions | 2018
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Net operating loss carryforwards	96
Non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions | 2019-2035
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Net operating loss carryforwards	700
Non-U.S. taxing jurisdictions | Unlimited
Operating loss and Tax credit carryforwards
Net operating loss carryforwards	$1,389

Income_taxes_Details_6

Income taxes (Details 6) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits
Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning	$759,000,000	$715,000,000	$958,000,000
Additions for tax positions related to current year	58,000,000	63,000,000	64,000,000
Additions for tax positions related to prior years	84,000,000	52,000,000	178,000,000
Reductions for tax positions related to prior years	-31,000,000	-31,000,000	-266,000,000
Reductions for settlements	-18,000,000	-15,000,000	-191,000,000
Reductions for expiration of statute of limitations	-6,000,000	-25,000,000	-28,000,000
Unrecognized tax benefits, ending	846,000,000	759,000,000	715,000,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate	804,000,000	726,000,000	669,000,000
Interest and penalties, recognized	3,000,000	7,000,000	-114,000,000
Interest and penalties, accrued	61,000,000	59,000,000	134,000,000
Income tax examination, proposed liability increase/(decrease)	1,000,000,000
Income tax adjustment	$125,000,000
Length of time tax years subject to examination, minimum	3 years
Length of time tax years subject to examination, maximum	8 years

Cat_Financial_Financing_Activi2

Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details) (Wholesale Receivables, USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Contractual maturities of wholesale inventory receivables
2015	$1,176
2016	456
2017	330
2018	83
2019	22
Thereafter	5
Total Amounts Due	2,072
Guaranteed residual value	98
Unguaranteed residual value	38
Less: Unearned Income	-38
Total	2,170	1,945	2,152
Wholesale Installment Contracts
Contractual maturities of wholesale inventory receivables
2015	200
2016	109
2017	70
2018	39
2019	15
Thereafter	3
Total Amounts Due	436
Guaranteed residual value	0
Unguaranteed residual value	0
Less: Unearned Income	-7
Total	429
Wholesale Finance Leases
Contractual maturities of wholesale inventory receivables
2015	109
2016	85
2017	58
2018	27
2019	7
Thereafter	2
Total Amounts Due	288
Guaranteed residual value	98
Unguaranteed residual value	38
Less: Unearned Income	-28
Total	396
Wholesale Notes
Contractual maturities of wholesale inventory receivables
2015	867
2016	262
2017	202
2018	17
2019	0
Thereafter	0
Total Amounts Due	1,348
Guaranteed residual value	0
Unguaranteed residual value	0
Less: Unearned Income	-3
Total	$1,345

Cat_Financial_Financing_Activi3

Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 2) (Finance Receivables, USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Contractual maturities of outstanding finance receivables
2015	$9,155
2016	6,038
2017	4,239
2018	2,169
2019	1,231
Thereafter	1,111
Total amounts due	23,943
Guaranteed Residual value	323
Unguaranteed Residual value	622
Less: Unearned Income	-822
Total Finance Receivables	24,066	24,061	23,308
Retail Installment Contracts
Contractual maturities of outstanding finance receivables
2015	2,308
2016	1,736
2017	1,184
2018	587
2019	174
Thereafter	10
Total amounts due	5,999
Guaranteed Residual value	0
Unguaranteed Residual value	0
Less: Unearned Income	-106
Total Finance Receivables	5,893
Retail finance leases
Contractual maturities of outstanding finance receivables
2015	2,956
2016	2,064
2017	1,159
2018	513
2019	209
Thereafter	131
Total amounts due	7,032
Guaranteed Residual value	323
Unguaranteed Residual value	622
Less: Unearned Income	-630
Total Finance Receivables	7,347
Retail Notes
Contractual maturities of outstanding finance receivables
2015	3,891
2016	2,238
2017	1,896
2018	1,069
2019	848
Thereafter	970
Total amounts due	10,912
Guaranteed Residual value	0
Unguaranteed Residual value	0
Less: Unearned Income	-86
Total Finance Receivables	$10,826

Cat_Financial_Financing_Activi4

Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Impaired loans and finance leases
Period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable (in days)	120 days
Finance Receivables
Impaired loans and finance leases
Period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable (in days)	120 days
Finance Receivables | Customer
Impaired loans and finance leases
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	$251	$446	$378
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	249	443	377
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	362	182	215
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	360	177	207
Related Allowance	75	70	54
Recorded Investment, Total	613	628	593
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	609	620	584
Related Allowance, Total	75	70	54
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	333	421	332
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	11	12	6
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	274	238	188
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	12	6	5
Average Recorded Investment, Total	607	659	520
Interest Income Recognized, Total	23	18	11
Finance Receivables | Customer | North America
Impaired loans and finance leases
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	14	23	28
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	14	22	27
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	6	13	25
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	6	13	23
Related Allowance	1	4	7
Recorded Investment, Total	20	36	53
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	20	35	50
Related Allowance, Total	1	4	7
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	20	25	50
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	3	3
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	9	18	25
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	0	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	29	43	75
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	4	4
Finance Receivables | Customer | Europe
Impaired loans and finance leases
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	44	48	45
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	43	47	45
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	12	20	28
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	12	19	26
Related Allowance	4	7	11
Recorded Investment, Total	56	68	73
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	55	66	71
Related Allowance, Total	4	7	11
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	47	49	45
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	1	1	1
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	21	22	27
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	68	71	72
Interest Income Recognized, Total	2	2	2
Finance Receivables | Customer | Asia Pacific
Impaired loans and finance leases
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	1	7	2
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	1	7	2
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	29	16	19
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	29	16	19
Related Allowance	8	2	4
Recorded Investment, Total	30	23	21
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	30	23	21
Related Allowance, Total	8	2	4
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	3	4	3
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	22	18	15
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	1	1
Average Recorded Investment, Total	25	22	18
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	1	1
Finance Receivables | Customer | Mining
Impaired loans and finance leases
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	29	134	1
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	29	134	1
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	138	0	0
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	137	0	0
Related Allowance	9	0	0
Recorded Investment, Total	167	134	1
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	166	134	1
Related Allowance, Total	9	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	69	61	8
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	3	3	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	90	1	0
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	7	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	159	62	8
Interest Income Recognized, Total	10	3	0
Finance Receivables | Customer | Latin America
Impaired loans and finance leases
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	34	11	7
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	34	11	7
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	42	23	30
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	42	23	30
Related Allowance	12	6	8
Recorded Investment, Total	76	34	37
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	76	34	37
Related Allowance, Total	12	6	8
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	30	11	6
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	36	44	27
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	1	2	2
Average Recorded Investment, Total	66	55	33
Interest Income Recognized, Total	1	2	2
Finance Receivables | Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Impaired loans and finance leases
Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	129	223	295
Unpaid Principal Balance With No Allowance Recorded	128	222	295
Related Allowance With No Allowance Recorded	0	0	0
Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	135	110	113
Unpaid Principal Balance With An Allowance Recorded	134	106	109
Related Allowance	41	51	24
Recorded Investment, Total	264	333	408
Unpaid Principal Balance, Total	262	328	404
Related Allowance, Total	41	51	24
Average Recorded Investment With No Allowance Recorded	164	271	220
Interest Income Recognized With No Allowance Recorded	6	5	2
Average Recorded Investment With An Allowance Recorded	96	135	94
Interest Income Recognized With An Allowance Recorded	2	1	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	260	406	314
Interest Income Recognized, Total	8	6	2
Finance Receivables | Dealer
Impaired loans and finance leases
Recorded Investment, Total	0	0	0
Average Recorded Investment, Total	$0	$0	$0

Cat_Financial_Financing_Activi5

Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 4) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable (in days)	120 days
Finance Receivables
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Period after which unpaid installments are considered as past due (in days)	30 days
Period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable (in days)	120 days
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	$175	$229	$188
61-90 days past due	80	105	70
91 or more days past due	396	349	418
Total Past Due	651	683	676
Current	23,415	23,378	22,632
Total Finance Receivables	24,066	24,061	23,308
91 days or more past due and still accruing	35	22	28
Finance Receivables | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	9,462	8,864	8,030
Finance Receivables | Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	2,828	3,025	2,740
Finance Receivables | Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	3,002	3,471	3,789
Finance Receivables | Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	2,123	2,144	1,974
Finance Receivables | Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	3,503	3,466	3,603
Finance Receivables | Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	3,148	3,091	3,172
Finance Receivables | Customer
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	468	425	513
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	20,512	20,296	19,424
Finance Receivables | Customer | North America
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	27	26	59
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	46	37	35
61-90 days past due	8	12	8
91 or more days past due	27	24	52
Total Past Due	81	73	95
Current	7,192	6,508	5,872
Total Finance Receivables	7,273	6,581	5,967
91 days or more past due and still accruing	4	0	0
Finance Receivables | Customer | Europe
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	28	28	38
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	16	26	23
61-90 days past due	23	15	9
91 or more days past due	29	29	36
Total Past Due	68	70	68
Current	2,607	2,805	2,487
Total Finance Receivables	2,675	2,875	2,555
91 days or more past due and still accruing	6	6	6
Finance Receivables | Customer | Asia Pacific
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	54	50	36
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	29	54	53
61-90 days past due	22	23	19
91 or more days past due	69	59	54
Total Past Due	120	136	126
Current	2,316	2,752	2,912
Total Finance Receivables	2,436	2,888	3,038
91 days or more past due and still accruing	16	11	18
Finance Receivables | Customer | Mining
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	62	23	12
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	28	3	0
61-90 days past due	0	0	1
91 or more days past due	11	12	12
Total Past Due	39	15	13
Current	2,084	2,128	1,960
Total Finance Receivables	2,123	2,143	1,973
91 days or more past due and still accruing	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Customer | Latin America
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	201	179	148
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	55	54	62
61-90 days past due	23	25	19
91 or more days past due	196	165	138
Total Past Due	274	244	219
Current	2,583	2,474	2,500
Total Finance Receivables	2,857	2,718	2,719
91 days or more past due and still accruing	8	5	0
Finance Receivables | Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	96	119	220
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	1	55	15
61-90 days past due	4	30	14
91 or more days past due	64	60	126
Total Past Due	69	145	155
Current	3,079	2,946	3,017
Total Finance Receivables	3,148	3,091	3,172
91 days or more past due and still accruing	1	0	4
Finance Receivables | Dealer
Non-accrual and past due loans and finance leases
Investment in loans and finance leases on non-accrual status	0	0	0
Aging related to loans and finance leases
Total Finance Receivables	3,554	3,765	3,884
Finance Receivables | Dealer | North America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	0	0	0
61-90 days past due	0	0	0
91 or more days past due	0	0	0
Total Past Due	0	0	0
Current	2,189	2,283	2,063
Total Finance Receivables	2,189	2,283	2,063
91 days or more past due and still accruing	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Europe
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	0	0	0
61-90 days past due	0	0	0
91 or more days past due	0	0	0
Total Past Due	0	0	0
Current	153	150	185
Total Finance Receivables	153	150	185
91 days or more past due and still accruing	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Asia Pacific
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	0	0	0
61-90 days past due	0	0	0
91 or more days past due	0	0	0
Total Past Due	0	0	0
Current	566	583	751
Total Finance Receivables	566	583	751
91 days or more past due and still accruing	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Mining
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	0	0	0
61-90 days past due	0	0	0
91 or more days past due	0	0	0
Total Past Due	0	0	0
Current	0	1	1
Total Finance Receivables	0	1	1
91 days or more past due and still accruing	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Latin America
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	0	0	0
61-90 days past due	0	0	0
91 or more days past due	0	0	0
Total Past Due	0	0	0
Current	646	748	884
Total Finance Receivables	646	748	884
91 days or more past due and still accruing	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Aging related to loans and finance leases
31-60 days past due	0	0	0
61-90 days past due	0	0	0
91 or more days past due	0	0	0
Total Past Due	0	0	0
Current	0	0	0
Total Finance Receivables	0	0	0
91 days or more past due and still accruing	$0	$0	$0

Cat_Financial_Financing_Activi6

Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 5) (Finance Receivables, USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Allowance for credit loss activity:
Balance at beginning of year	$375	$423	$366
Receivables written off	-151	-179	-149
Recoveries on receivables previously written off	47	56	47
Provision for credit losses	150	84	160
Other-net	-23	-9	-1
Balance at end of year	398	375	423
Allowance for Credit Losses:
Individually evaluated for impairment	75	70	54
Collectively evaluated for impairment	323	305	369
Ending Balance - allowance for credit losses	398	375	423
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables:
Individually evaluated for impairment	613	628	593
Collectively evaluated for impairment	23,453	23,433	22,715
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	24,066	24,061	23,308
Customer
Allowance for credit loss activity:
Balance at beginning of year	365	414	360
Receivables written off	-151	-179	-149
Recoveries on receivables previously written off	47	56	47
Provision for credit losses	150	83	157
Other-net	-23	-9	-1
Balance at end of year	388	365	414
Allowance for Credit Losses:
Individually evaluated for impairment	75	70	54
Collectively evaluated for impairment	313	295	360
Ending Balance - allowance for credit losses	388	365	414
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables:
Individually evaluated for impairment	613	628	593
Collectively evaluated for impairment	19,899	19,668	18,831
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	20,512	20,296	19,424
Dealer
Allowance for credit loss activity:
Balance at beginning of year	10	9	6
Receivables written off	0	0	0
Recoveries on receivables previously written off	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses	0	1	3
Other-net	0	0	0
Balance at end of year	10	10	9
Allowance for Credit Losses:
Individually evaluated for impairment	0	0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment	10	10	9
Ending Balance - allowance for credit losses	10	10	9
Recorded Investment in Finance Receivables:
Individually evaluated for impairment	0	0	0
Collectively evaluated for impairment	3,554	3,765	3,884
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	$3,554	$3,765	$3,884

Cat_Financial_Financing_Activi7

Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 6) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Finance Receivables
Period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable (in days)	120 days
Finance Receivables
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	$24,066	$24,061	$23,308
Period after which collection of future income is considered as not probable (in days)	120 days
Finance Receivables | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	23,598	23,636	22,795
Finance Receivables | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	468	425	513
Finance Receivables | North America
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	9,462	8,864	8,030
Finance Receivables | North America | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	9,435	8,838	7,971
Finance Receivables | North America | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	27	26	59
Finance Receivables | Europe
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,828	3,025	2,740
Finance Receivables | Europe | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,800	2,997	2,702
Finance Receivables | Europe | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	28	28	38
Finance Receivables | Asia Pacific
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	3,002	3,471	3,789
Finance Receivables | Asia Pacific | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,948	3,421	3,753
Finance Receivables | Asia Pacific | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	54	50	36
Finance Receivables | Mining
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,123	2,144	1,974
Finance Receivables | Mining | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,061	2,121	1,962
Finance Receivables | Mining | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	62	23	12
Finance Receivables | Latin America
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	3,503	3,466	3,603
Finance Receivables | Latin America | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	3,302	3,287	3,455
Finance Receivables | Latin America | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	201	179	148
Finance Receivables | Caterpillar Power Finance
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	3,148	3,091	3,172
Finance Receivables | Caterpillar Power Finance | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	3,052	2,972	2,952
Finance Receivables | Caterpillar Power Finance | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	96	119	220
Finance Receivables | Customer
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	20,512	20,296	19,424
Finance Receivables | Customer | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	20,044	19,871	18,911
Finance Receivables | Customer | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	468	425	513
Finance Receivables | Customer | North America
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	7,273	6,581	5,967
Finance Receivables | Customer | North America | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	7,246	6,555	5,908
Finance Receivables | Customer | North America | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	27	26	59
Finance Receivables | Customer | Europe
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,675	2,875	2,555
Finance Receivables | Customer | Europe | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,647	2,847	2,517
Finance Receivables | Customer | Europe | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	28	28	38
Finance Receivables | Customer | Asia Pacific
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,436	2,888	3,038
Finance Receivables | Customer | Asia Pacific | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,382	2,838	3,002
Finance Receivables | Customer | Asia Pacific | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	54	50	36
Finance Receivables | Customer | Mining
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,123	2,143	1,973
Finance Receivables | Customer | Mining | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,061	2,120	1,961
Finance Receivables | Customer | Mining | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	62	23	12
Finance Receivables | Customer | Latin America
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,857	2,718	2,719
Finance Receivables | Customer | Latin America | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,656	2,539	2,571
Finance Receivables | Customer | Latin America | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	201	179	148
Finance Receivables | Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	3,148	3,091	3,172
Finance Receivables | Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	3,052	2,972	2,952
Finance Receivables | Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	96	119	220
Finance Receivables | Dealer
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	3,554	3,765	3,884
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	3,554	3,765	3,884
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | North America
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,189	2,283	2,063
Finance Receivables | Dealer | North America | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	2,189	2,283	2,063
Finance Receivables | Dealer | North America | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Europe
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	153	150	185
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Europe | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	153	150	185
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Europe | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Asia Pacific
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	566	583	751
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Asia Pacific | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	566	583	751
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Asia Pacific | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Mining
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	1	1
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Mining | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	1	1
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Mining | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Latin America
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	646	748	884
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Latin America | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	646	748	884
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Latin America | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance | Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	0	0	0
Finance Receivables | Dealer | Caterpillar Power Finance | Non-Performing
Finance Receivables
Ending balance-recorded investment in finance receivables	$0	$0	$0

Cat_Financial_Financing_Activi8

Cat Financial Financing Activities (Details 7) (Finance Receivables, USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
	Contracts	Contracts	Contracts
Customer
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	164	194	199
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	$373	$295	$284
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	360	299	284
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	68	26	67
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	4	7	26
Customer | North America
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	34	62	98
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	12	9	15
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	7	9	15
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	11	19	49
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	1	4	4
Customer | Europe
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	8	51	21
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	7	7	8
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	7	7	8
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	46	5	0
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	2	0	0
Customer | Asia Pacific
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	2	3	12
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	0	1	3
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	0	1	3
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	0	0	2
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	0	0	1
Customer | Mining
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	51	45	0
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	185	123	0
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	176	123	0
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	0	0	0
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	0	0	0
Customer | Latin America
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	51	16	41
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	32	2	5
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	31	2	5
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	11	0	0
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	1	0	0
Customer | Caterpillar Power Finance
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	18	17	27
Pre-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	137	153	253
Post-TDR Outstanding Recorded Investment	139	157	253
Additional funds loaned not recorded as TDRs	0	25	24
Remaining commitments	0
TDRs with a payment default which had been modified within twelve months prior to the default date
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	0	2	16
Post-TDR Recorded Investment	$0	$3	$21
Dealer
Loan and finance lease receivables modified as TDRs
Number of Contracts (in contracts)	0	0	0

Inventories_Details

Inventories (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Percentage of LIFO Inventory	60.00%	60.00%	60.00%
Raw materials	$2,986	$2,966	$3,573
Work-in-process	2,455	2,589	2,920
Finished goods	6,504	6,785	8,767
Supplies	260	285	287
Total inventories	12,205	12,625	15,547
Long-term material purchase obligations	2,142
Liquidation of LIFO layers effect on cost of goods sold		115
Liquidation of LIFO layers effect on profit		$81
Liquidation of LIFO layers effect on profit per share		$0.12

Property_plant_and_equipment_D

Property, plant and equipment (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Property, plant and equipment
Total property, plant and equipment, at cost	31,572	$31,316	$29,932
Less: Accumulated depreciation	-14,995	-14,241	-13,471
Property, plant and equipment - net	16,577	17,075	16,461
Commitments for the purchase or construction of capital assets	294
Assets recorded under capital leases
Gross capital leases	111	125	134
Less: Accumulated depreciation	-52	-50	-58
Net capital leases	59	75	76
Minimum rental payments on assets recorded under capital leases were:
2015	8
2016	26
2017	10
2018	7
2019	7
Thereafter	35
Minimum rental payments to be received for equipment leased to others were:
2015	951
2016	621
2017	353
2018	180
2019	73
Thereafter	28
Land
Property, plant and equipment
Total property, plant and equipment, at cost	665	688	723
Buildings and land improvements
Property, plant and equipment
Total property, plant and equipment, at cost	7,119	6,928	6,214
Machinery, equipment and other
Property, plant and equipment
Total property, plant and equipment, at cost	16,971	16,793	16,073
Equipment leased to others
Property, plant and equipment
Total property, plant and equipment, at cost	5,596	5,365	4,658
Less: Accumulated depreciation	-1,565	-1,521	-1,383
Property, plant and equipment - net	4,031	3,844	3,275
Construction-in-process
Property, plant and equipment
Total property, plant and equipment, at cost	1,221	$1,542	$2,264
Minimum | Buildings and land improvements
Property, plant and equipment
Useful Lives (Years)	20 years
Minimum | Machinery, equipment and other
Property, plant and equipment
Useful Lives (Years)	3 years
Minimum | Equipment leased to others
Property, plant and equipment
Useful Lives (Years)	1 year
Maximum | Buildings and land improvements
Property, plant and equipment
Useful Lives (Years)	45 years
Maximum | Machinery, equipment and other
Property, plant and equipment
Useful Lives (Years)	10 years
Maximum | Equipment leased to others
Property, plant and equipment
Useful Lives (Years)	10 years

Investments_in_unconsolidated_2

Investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Results of Operations of unconsolidated affiliated companies:
Sales	$1,662	$1,336	$1,084
Cost of sales	1,292	1,048	872
Gross profit	370	288	212
Profit (loss)	-30	-28	28
Assets:
Current assets	716	683	715
Property, plant and equipment - net	653	710	529
Other assets	557	608	616
Assets	1,926	2,001	1,860
Liabilities:
Current liabilities	518	437	443
Long-term debt due after one year	867	900	708
Other liabilities	215	262	170
Liabilities	1,600	1,599	1,321
Equity	326	402	539
Caterpillar's investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies:
Investments in equity method companies	248	262	256
Plus: Investments in cost method companies	9	10	16
Total investments in unconsolidated affiliated companies	$257	$272	$272

Intangible_assets_and_goodwill2

Intangible assets and goodwill (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	31-May-12	Mar. 31, 2012
Intangible assets
Weighted Amortizable Life (in years)	14 years	13 years	13 years
Gross Carrying Amount	$4,452	$4,748	$4,822
Accumulated Amortization	-1,376	-1,170	-824
Net	3,076	3,578	3,998
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - In-process research & development		18	18
Total intangible assets, net	3,076	3,596	4,016
Total intangible assets, gross carrying amount	4,452	4,766	4,840
Finite-lived intangible assets acquired			120
Impaired indefinite-lived intangible assets	18
Amortization expense	365	371	387
2015	345
2016	323
2017	322
2018	320
2019	318
Thereafter	1,448
Johan Walter Berg AB
Intangible assets
Finite-lived intangible assets acquired				70
ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei)
Intangible assets
Finite-lived intangible assets acquired					112
Caterpillar Tohoku Ltd.
Intangible assets
Finite-lived intangible assets acquired						8
Customer relationships
Intangible assets
Weighted Amortizable Life (in years)	15 years	15 years	15 years
Gross Carrying Amount	2,489	2,653	2,756
Accumulated Amortization	-669	-539	-377
Net	1,820	2,114	2,379
Gross intangible assets reclassified to held for sale and/or divested	48	168	207
Current period accumulated amortization on held for sale or disposed of intangible assets	9	25	93
Impaired finite-lived intangible assets, gross			51
Impaired finite-lived intangible assets, accumulated amortization			-29
Finite-lived intangible asset impairment			22
Intellectual property
Intangible assets
Weighted Amortizable Life (in years)	11 years	11 years	12 years
Gross Carrying Amount	1,724	1,821	1,767
Accumulated Amortization	-578	-495	-342
Net	1,146	1,326	1,425
Other
Intangible assets
Weighted Amortizable Life (in years)	11 years	10 years	10 years
Gross Carrying Amount	239	274	299
Accumulated Amortization	-129	-136	-105
Net	$110	$138	$194

Intangible_assets_and_goodwill3

Intangible assets and goodwill (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	31-May-12	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013
Carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment
Goodwill acquired	$7	$106	$628
Goodwill reclassified to held for sale and/or divested	15	65	181
Changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment:
Goodwill, beginning of year	7,558	7,544	7,102			7,102
Impairments, beginning of year	-602	-602	-22			-22
Net Goodwill, beginning of year	6,956	6,942	7,080			7,080
Goodwill acquired	7	106	628
Held for Sale and Business Divestitures	-15	-65	-181
Impairment Loss	0	0	-580
Other Adjustments	-254	-27	-5
Goodwill, end of year	7,296	7,558	7,544		7,544
Impairments, end of year	-602	-602	-602		-602
Net Goodwill, end of year	6,694	6,956	6,942		6,942
Johan Walter Berg AB
Carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment
Goodwill acquired		106
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments	7
Changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment:
Net Goodwill, beginning of year							113
Goodwill acquired		106
Net Goodwill, end of year							113
ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei)
Carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment
Goodwill acquired				625
Goodwill, Purchase Accounting Adjustments					149
Changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment:
Goodwill acquired				625
Impairment Loss					-580
Net Goodwill, end of year			45	625	45
Caterpillar Tohoku Ltd.
Carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment
Goodwill acquired						22
Changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment:
Goodwill acquired						22
Net Goodwill, end of year						22
Construction Industries
Carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment
Goodwill acquired	0	0	15
Changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment:
Goodwill, beginning of year	291	333	331			331
Net Goodwill, beginning of year	291	333	331			331
Goodwill acquired	0	0	15
Held for Sale and Business Divestitures	0	0	0
Impairment Loss	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	-16	-42	-13
Goodwill, end of year	275	291	333		333
Net Goodwill, end of year	275	291	333		333
Resource Industries
Carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment
Goodwill acquired	0	0	597
Changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment:
Goodwill, beginning of year	4,468	4,511	4,073			4,073
Impairments, beginning of year	-580	-580	0			0
Net Goodwill, beginning of year	3,888	3,931	4,073			4,073
Goodwill acquired	0	0	597
Held for Sale and Business Divestitures	-15	-55	-181
Impairment Loss	0	0	-580
Other Adjustments	-166	12	22
Goodwill, end of year	4,287	4,468	4,511		4,511
Impairments, end of year	-580	-580	-580		-580
Net Goodwill, end of year	3,707	3,888	3,931		3,931
Energy & Transportation
Carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment
Goodwill acquired	7	106	9
Changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment:
Goodwill, beginning of year	2,600	2,486	2,486			2,486
Net Goodwill, beginning of year	2,600	2,486	2,486			2,486
Goodwill acquired	7	106	9
Held for Sale and Business Divestitures	0	-10	0
Impairment Loss	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	-65	18	-9
Goodwill, end of year	2,542	2,600	2,486		2,486
Net Goodwill, end of year	2,542	2,600	2,486		2,486
All Other
Carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment
Goodwill acquired	0	0	7
Changes in carrying amount of goodwill by reportable segment:
Goodwill, beginning of year	199	214	212			212
Impairments, beginning of year	-22	-22	-22			-22
Net Goodwill, beginning of year	177	192	190			190
Goodwill acquired	0	0	7
Held for Sale and Business Divestitures	0	0	0
Impairment Loss	0	0	0
Other Adjustments	-7	-15	-5
Goodwill, end of year	192	199	214		214
Impairments, end of year	-22	-22	-22		-22
Net Goodwill, end of year	$170	$177	$192		$192

Availableforsale_securities_De

Available-for-sale securities (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	$1,421	$1,438	$1,479
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	133	132	107
Fair Value	1,554	1,570	1,586
U.S. treasury bonds
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	10	10	10
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	0	0	0
Fair Value	10	10	10
Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	94	119	144
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	0	1	2
Fair Value	94	120	146
Corporate bonds
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	677	612	626
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	16	21	38
Fair Value	693	633	664
Asset-backed securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	103	72	96
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	2	0	0
Fair Value	105	72	96
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	292	322	291
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	2	-1	8
Fair Value	294	321	299
Residential
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	15	18	26
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	0	0	-1
Fair Value	15	18	25
Commercial
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	63	87	117
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	4	6	10
Fair Value	67	93	127
Large capitalization value
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	150	173	147
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	83	81	38
Fair Value	233	254	185
Smaller company growth
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	17	25	22
Unrealized pretax net gains (losses)	26	24	12
Fair Value	$43	$49	$34

Availableforsale_securities_De1

Available-for-sale securities (Details 2) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Less than 12 months
Fair Value	$244	$305	$109
Unrealized Losses	3	6	3
12 months or more
Fair Value	173	86	59
Unrealized Losses	3	3	5
Total
Fair Value	417	391	168
Unrealized Losses	6	9	8
Corporate bonds
Less than 12 months
Fair Value	195	159
Unrealized Losses	1	2
12 months or more
Fair Value	32	1
Unrealized Losses	0	0
Total
Fair Value	227	160
Unrealized Losses	1	2
Asset-backed securities
Less than 12 months
Fair Value		6	0
Unrealized Losses		0	0
12 months or more
Fair Value		20	20
Unrealized Losses		1	3
Total
Fair Value		26	20
Unrealized Losses		1	3
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Less than 12 months
Fair Value	34	140	84
Unrealized Losses	0	4	1
12 months or more
Fair Value	140	65	15
Unrealized Losses	3	2	0
Total
Fair Value	174	205	99
Unrealized Losses	3	6	1
Residential
Less than 12 months
Fair Value			0
Unrealized Losses			0
12 months or more
Fair Value			14
Unrealized Losses			1
Total
Fair Value			14
Unrealized Losses			1
Large capitalization value
Less than 12 months
Fair Value	15		25
Unrealized Losses	2		2
12 months or more
Fair Value	1		10
Unrealized Losses	0		1
Total
Fair Value	16		35
Unrealized Losses	$2		$3

Availableforsale_securities_De2

Available-for-sale securities (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Due in one year or less, Cost Basis	$72
Due after one year through five years, Cost Basis	744
Due after five years through ten years, Cost Basis	41
Due after ten years, Cost Basis	27
Due in one year or less, Fair Value	73
Due after one year through five years, Fair Value	760
Due after five years through ten years, Fair Value	42
Due after ten years, Fair Value	27
Cost Basis	1,254
Fair Value	1,278
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	1,421	1,438	1,479
Fair Value	1,554	1,570	1,586
Available-for-sale Securities, Proceeds, Gains and Losses
Proceeds from the sale of available-for-sale securities	434	449	306
Gross gains from the sale of available-for-sale securities	38	22	6
Gross losses from the sale of available-for-sale securities	2	2	0
U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	292	322	291
Fair Value	294	321	299
Residential
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	15	18	26
Fair Value	15	18	25
Commercial
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities
Cost Basis	63	87	117
Fair Value	$67	$93	$127

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D

Postemployment benefit plans (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Feb. 29, 2012	Aug. 31, 2012
Amendments to Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Net gain due to facility closure	$6
U.S. Pension Benefits
Amendments to Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits		7
Net increase in liability due to curtailment and remeasurement		243
Decrease (increase) in accumulated other comprehensive income		153
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Amendments to Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits	10
Other Postretirement Benefits
Amendments to Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits	-37
Defined benefit plan loss of third party receivable	$21

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D1

Postemployment benefit plans (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
U.S. Pension Benefits
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	$14,419	$15,913	$14,782
Service cost	157	196	185
Interest cost	648	581	609
Plan amendments	0	0	0
Actuarial losses (gains)	1,994	-1,450	1,168
Foreign currency exchange rates	0	0	0
Participant contributions	0	0	0
Benefits paid - gross	-963	-845	-831
Less: federal subsidy on benefits paid	0	0	0
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits	-6	-7	0
Acquisitions, divestitures and other	0	31	0
Benefit obligation, end of year	16,249	14,419	15,913
Accumulated benefit obligation, end of year	15,701	14,056	15,132
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligation:
Discount rate (as a percent)	3.80%	4.60%	3.70%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)	4.00%	4.00%	4.50%
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	4,609	4,737	4,299
Service cost	109	120	108
Interest cost	185	166	182
Plan amendments	0	0	12
Actuarial losses (gains)	604	-41	385
Foreign currency exchange rates	-436	-81	49
Participant contributions	9	10	9
Benefits paid - gross	-206	-254	-190
Less: federal subsidy on benefits paid	0	0	0
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits	-53	-56	-67
Acquisitions, divestitures and other	-20	8	-50
Benefit obligation, end of year	4,801	4,609	4,737
Accumulated benefit obligation, end of year	4,408	4,247	4,329
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligation:
Discount rate (as a percent)	3.30%	4.10%	3.70%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)	4.00%	4.20%	3.90%
Other Postretirement Benefits
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	4,784	5,453	5,381
Service cost	82	108	92
Interest cost	213	195	221
Plan amendments	-1	1	-38
Actuarial losses (gains)	196	-658	186
Foreign currency exchange rates	-30	-19	-11
Participant contributions	61	57	48
Benefits paid - gross	-377	-339	-394
Less: federal subsidy on benefits paid	14	8	16
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits	-4	0	-48
Acquisitions, divestitures and other	0	-22	0
Benefit obligation, end of year	4,938	4,784	5,453
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligation:
Discount rate (as a percent)	3.90%	4.60%	3.70%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)	4.00%	4.00%	4.40%
Effect of a one-percentage-point change in assumed health care cost trend
Effect of a one-percentage-point increase in current year service and interest cost components of other postretirement benefit cost	24
Effect of a one-percentage-point decrease in current year service and interest cost components of other postretirement benefit cost	-20
Effect of a one-percentage-point increase on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation	298
Effect of a one-percentage-point decrease on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation	($245)

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D2

Postemployment benefit plans (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
U.S. Pension Benefits
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	$12,395	$10,981	$9,997
Actual return on plan assets	849	1,722	1,235
Foreign currency exchange rates	0	0	0
Company contributions	255	541	580
Participant contributions	0	0	0
Benefits paid	-963	-845	-831
Settlements and termination benefits	-6	-4	0
Acquisitions, divestitures and other	0	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	12,530	12,395	10,981
Information about plan asset allocations
Rebalancing of plan assets outside of target allocation (as a percent)	5.00%
U.S. Pension Benefits | Equities
Information about plan asset allocations
Target allocation of plan assets (as a percent)	50.00%
U.S. Pension Benefits | Debt securities
Information about plan asset allocations
Target allocation of plan assets (as a percent)	50.00%
U.S. Pension Benefits | Real estate
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	9	8	8
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	3,949	3,426	2,818
Actual return on plan assets	507	535	368
Foreign currency exchange rates	-352	-41	47
Company contributions	265	303	446
Participant contributions	9	10	9
Benefits paid	-206	-254	-190
Settlements and termination benefits	-50	-30	-72
Acquisitions, divestitures and other	-22	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	4,100	3,949	3,426
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Equities
Information about plan asset allocations
Target allocation of plan assets (as a percent)	46.00%
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Debt securities
Information about plan asset allocations
Target allocation of plan assets (as a percent)	46.00%
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Real estate
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	247
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	230		218
Information about plan asset allocations
Target allocation of plan assets (as a percent)	6.00%
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Other
Information about plan asset allocations
Target allocation of plan assets (as a percent)	2.00%
Other Postretirement Benefits
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	822	789	814
Actual return on plan assets	75	158	117
Foreign currency exchange rates	0	0	0
Company contributions	195	157	204
Participant contributions	61	57	48
Benefits paid	-377	-339	-394
Settlements and termination benefits	0	0	0
Acquisitions, divestitures and other	0	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	$776	$822	$789
Other Postretirement Benefits | Equities
Information about plan asset allocations
Target allocation of plan assets (as a percent)	70.00%
Other Postretirement Benefits | Debt securities
Information about plan asset allocations
Target allocation of plan assets (as a percent)	30.00%

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D3

Postemployment benefit plans (Details 4) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
U.S. Pension Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	$12,530	$12,395	$10,981	$9,997
Caterpillar Inc. common stock	0	495	597
Percentage of Caterpillar common stock to total plan assets		4.00%	5.00%
U.S. Pension Benefits | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	3,875	4,466	4,561
U.S. Pension Benefits | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	2,304	3,058	2,693
U.S. Pension Benefits | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	4,010	2,157	1,513
U.S. Pension Benefits | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	552	347	241
U.S. Pension Benefits | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	528	774	702
U.S. Pension Benefits | U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	754	905	795
U.S. Pension Benefits | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	64	52	36
U.S. Pension Benefits | Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	9	8	8
U.S. Pension Benefits | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	434	628	432
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	6,041	7,417	7,164
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	3,713	4,337	4,460
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	2,291	3,058	2,691
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	37	22	13
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	6,289	4,787	3,666
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	1	0	3
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	12	0	2
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	3,985	2,123	1,490
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	552	327	231
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	528	774	694
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	752	905	794
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	62	52	33
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	397	606	419
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	200	191	151
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	162	129	98	77
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	161	129	98
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	1	0	0
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Fixed income securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	29	54	45	51
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	25	34	23
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	20	10
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	8
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	2	0	1
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	2	0	3
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	9	8	8	8
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0	0
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	4,100	3,949	3,426	2,818
Caterpillar Inc. common stock	0	0	1
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	552	608	438
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	1,044	1,182	1,156
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Global equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	270	289	271
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	90	93	40
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	505	546	496
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	1	3	3
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	836	418	169
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Global fixed income
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	363	397	403
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	230	247	218
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	209	166	232
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	1,723	2,005	1,903
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	552	607	436
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	794	1,022	1,038
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Global equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	218	235	244
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Global fixed income
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 1 | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	159	141	185
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	2,318	1,812	1,414
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	1	2
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	250	160	118
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Global equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	52	54	27
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	81	84	37
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	503	534	494
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	1	3	3
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	836	418	169
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Global fixed income
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	363	397	403
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	182	136	114
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 2 | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	50	25	47
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	59	132	109
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Global equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Fixed income securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	11	21	5	9
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	9	9	3
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	2	12	2
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Global fixed income
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Real estate
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	48	111	104	97
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	776	822	789	814
Caterpillar Inc. common stock	0	0	1
Other Postretirement Benefits | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	392	388	387
Other Postretirement Benefits | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	159	189	194
Other Postretirement Benefits | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	103	101	70
Other Postretirement Benefits | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	17	17	11
Other Postretirement Benefits | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	30	23	27
Other Postretirement Benefits | U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	50	49	33
Other Postretirement Benefits | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	3	2	2
Other Postretirement Benefits | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	22	53	65
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	559	585	599
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	392	388	387
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 1 | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	158	189	194
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 1 | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 1 | U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 1 | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 1 | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	9	8	18
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	217	237	190
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 2 | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	1	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	103	101	70
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 2 | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	17	17	11
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	30	23	27
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 2 | U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	50	49	33
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 2 | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	3	2	2
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 2 | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	13	45	47
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3 | Non-U.S. equities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3 | Non-U.S. corporate bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3 | U.S. governmental agency mortgage-backed securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3 | Non-U.S. government bonds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3 | Cash, short-term instruments and other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Total Assets, at Fair Value	$0	$0	$0

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D4

Postemployment benefit plans (Details 5) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
U.S. Pension Benefits
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year				$9,997
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	12,530	12,395	10,981	9,997
U.S. Pension Benefits | Real estate
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	9	8	8
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	200	191	151
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Equities
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	129	98	77
Unrealized gains (losses)	1	10	-4
Realized gains (losses)	19	4	4
Purchases, issuances and settlements	13	17	21
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	0	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	162	129	98
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Fixed income securities
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	54	45	51
Unrealized gains (losses)	0	-1	0
Realized gains (losses)	3	0	2
Purchases, issuances and settlements	-23	12	-4
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	-5	-2	-4
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	29	54	45
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Real estate
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	8	8	8
Unrealized gains (losses)	1	0	0
Realized gains (losses)	0	0	0
Purchases, issuances and settlements	0	0	0
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	0	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	9	8	8
U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Other
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	0	0	0
Unrealized gains (losses)	0	0	-1
Realized gains (losses)	0	0	0
Purchases, issuances and settlements	0	0	1
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	0	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year				2,818
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	4,100	3,949	3,426	2,818
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Real estate
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	230	247	218
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	59	132	109
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Equities
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	0	0	0
Unrealized gains (losses)	0	0	0
Realized gains (losses)	0	0	0
Purchases, issuances and settlements	0	0	0
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	0	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	0	0	0
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Fixed income securities
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	21	5	9
Unrealized gains (losses)	-1	0	0
Realized gains (losses)	0	0	0
Purchases, issuances and settlements	-1	16	-1
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	-8	0	-3
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	11	21	5
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Real estate
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	111	104	97
Unrealized gains (losses)	-23	7	8
Realized gains (losses)	22	0	0
Purchases, issuances and settlements	-62	0	-1
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	0	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	48	111	104
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits | Level 3 | Other
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	0	0	0
Unrealized gains (losses)	0	0	0
Realized gains (losses)	0	0	0
Purchases, issuances and settlements	0	0	0
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	0	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	0	0	0
Other Postretirement Benefits
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year				814
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	776	822	789	814
Other Postretirement Benefits | Level 3
Change in Fair Value of Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	$0	$0	$0

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D5

Postemployment benefit plans (Details 6) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
U.S. Pension Benefits
Funded Status, end of year
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	$12,530	$12,395	$10,981	$9,997
Benefit obligations, end of year	16,249	14,419	15,913	14,782
Over (under) funded status recognized in financial position	-3,719	-2,024	-4,932
Components of net amount recognized in financial position:
Other assets (non-current asset)	3	5	0
Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits (current liability)	-28	-26	-23
Liability for postemployment benefits (non-current liability)	-3,694	-2,003	-4,909
Net liability recognized	-3,719	-2,024	-4,932
Amounts recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income (pre-tax) consist of:
Net actuarial loss (gain)	6,034	4,396	7,286
Prior service cost (credit)	2	19	36
Transition obligation (asset)	0	0	0
Total	6,036	4,415	7,322
Estimated amounts that will be amortized from Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) during the next fiscal year
Net actuarial loss (gain)	507
Prior service cost (credit)	1
Total	508
Pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets
Projected benefit obligation	16,182	14,352	15,913
Accumulated benefit obligation	15,634	13,989	15,132
Fair value of plan assets	12,460	12,323	10,981
Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets
Projected benefit obligation	16,182	14,352	15,913
Accumulated benefit obligation	15,634	13,989	15,132
Fair value of plan assets	12,460	12,323	10,981
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Funded Status, end of year
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	4,100	3,949	3,426	2,818
Benefit obligations, end of year	4,801	4,609	4,737	4,299
Over (under) funded status recognized in financial position	-701	-660	-1,311
Components of net amount recognized in financial position:
Other assets (non-current asset)	144	123	30
Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits (current liability)	-24	-29	-27
Liability for postemployment benefits (non-current liability)	-821	-754	-1,314
Net liability recognized	-701	-660	-1,311
Amounts recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income (pre-tax) consist of:
Net actuarial loss (gain)	1,494	1,373	1,907
Prior service cost (credit)	9	13	22
Transition obligation (asset)	0	0	0
Total	1,503	1,386	1,929
Estimated amounts that will be amortized from Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) during the next fiscal year
Net actuarial loss (gain)	101
Prior service cost (credit)	0
Total	101
Pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets
Projected benefit obligation	4,539	4,177	4,310
Accumulated benefit obligation	4,148	3,820	3,903
Fair value of plan assets	3,695	3,394	2,969
Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets
Projected benefit obligation	1,879	1,436	4,107
Accumulated benefit obligation	1,734	1,374	3,752
Fair value of plan assets	1,068	797	2,806
Other Postretirement Benefits
Funded Status, end of year
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	776	822	789	814
Benefit obligations, end of year	4,938	4,784	5,453	5,381
Over (under) funded status recognized in financial position	-4,162	-3,962	-4,664
Components of net amount recognized in financial position:
Other assets (non-current asset)	0	0	0
Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits (current liability)	-160	-169	-169
Liability for postemployment benefits (non-current liability)	-4,002	-3,793	-4,495
Net liability recognized	-4,162	-3,962	-4,664
Amounts recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income (pre-tax) consist of:
Net actuarial loss (gain)	800	662	1,528
Prior service cost (credit)	-31	-84	-159
Transition obligation (asset)	0	0	3
Total	769	578	1,372
Estimated amounts that will be amortized from Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) during the next fiscal year
Net actuarial loss (gain)	53
Prior service cost (credit)	-55
Total	($2)

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D6

Postemployment benefit plans (Details 7) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014
U.S. Pension Benefits
Expected cash flow for pension and other Postretirement benefit plans
Employer contribution expected for 2015	$30
Expected benefit payments for 2015	890
Expected benefit payments for 2016	910
Expected benefit payments for 2017	920
Expected benefit payments for 2018	930
Expected benefit payments for 2019	940
Expected benefit payments from 2020-2024	4,790
Total expected benefit payments	9,380
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Expected cash flow for pension and other Postretirement benefit plans
Employer contribution expected for 2015	160
Expected benefit payments for 2015	220
Expected benefit payments for 2016	200
Expected benefit payments for 2017	190
Expected benefit payments for 2018	190
Expected benefit payments for 2019	200
Expected benefit payments from 2020-2024	1,140
Total expected benefit payments	2,140
Other Postretirement Benefits
Expected cash flow for pension and other Postretirement benefit plans
Employer contribution expected for 2015	200
Expected benefit payments for 2015	320
Expected benefit payments for 2016	320
Expected benefit payments for 2017	320
Expected benefit payments for 2018	330
Expected benefit payments for 2019	330
Expected benefit payments from 2020-2024	1,630
Total expected benefit payments	3,250
Other postretirement benefits, Medicare Part D subsidy expected
Other postretirement benefits, Medicare Part D subsidy expected in 2015	15
Other postretirement benefits, Medicare Part D subsidy expected in 2016	15
Other postretirement benefits, Medicare Part D subsidy expected in 2017	15
Other postretirement benefits, Medicare Part D subsidy expected in 2018	15
Other postretirement benefits, Medicare Part D subsidy expected in 2019	20
Other postretirement benefits, Medicare Part D subsidy expected from 2020-2024	95
Total expected Medicare D subsidy receipts	$175

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D7

Postemployment benefit plans (Details 8) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
U.S. Pension Benefits
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$157	$196	$185
Interest cost	648	581	609
Expected return on plan assets	-885	-832	-812
Other adjustments	0	31	0
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits	0	0	7
Amortization of:
Transition obligation / (asset)	0	0	0
Prior service cost / (credit)	17	18	19
Net actuarial loss / (gain)	392	546	504
Total cost included in operating profit	329	540	512
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income (pre-tax):
Current year actuarial loss (gain)	2,030	-2,344	745
Amortization of actuarial (loss) gain	-392	-546	-504
Current year prior service cost (credit)	0	0	-7
Amortization of prior service (cost) credit	-17	-18	-19
Amortization of transition (obligation) asset	0	0	0
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	1,621	-2,908	215
Total recognized in net periodic cost and other comprehensive income	1,950	-2,368	727
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net cost:
Discount rate (as a percent)	4.60%	3.70%	4.30%
Expected return on plan assets (as a percent)	7.80%	7.80%	8.00%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)	4.00%	4.50%	4.50%
Expected return on plan assets, next fiscal year (as a percent)	7.40%
Percentage of the highest and lowest yielding bonds that were excluded from the discount rate calculation (as a percent)	10.00%
Additional percentage amount added to long-term passive rate of returns to arrive at the long-term expected rate of return (as a percent)	1.00%	1.00%	1.00%
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	109	120	108
Interest cost	185	166	182
Expected return on plan assets	-258	-225	-215
Other adjustments	0	0	0
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits	14	2	38
Amortization of:
Transition obligation / (asset)	0	0	0
Prior service cost / (credit)	0	1	1
Net actuarial loss / (gain)	86	128	97
Total cost included in operating profit	136	192	211
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income (pre-tax):
Current year actuarial loss (gain)	207	-406	225
Amortization of actuarial (loss) gain	-86	-128	-97
Current year prior service cost (credit)	-4	-7	10
Amortization of prior service (cost) credit	0	-1	-1
Amortization of transition (obligation) asset	0	0	0
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	117	-542	137
Total recognized in net periodic cost and other comprehensive income	253	-350	348
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net cost:
Discount rate (as a percent)	4.10%	3.70%	4.30%
Expected return on plan assets (as a percent)	6.90%	6.80%	7.10%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)	4.20%	3.90%	3.90%
Expected return on plan assets, next fiscal year (as a percent)	6.80%
Other Postretirement Benefits
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	82	108	92
Interest cost	213	195	221
Expected return on plan assets	-52	-56	-63
Other adjustments	0	-22	0
Curtailments, settlements and termination benefits	-2	0	-40
Amortization of:
Transition obligation / (asset)	0	2	2
Prior service cost / (credit)	-55	-73	-68
Net actuarial loss / (gain)	41	107	100
Total cost included in operating profit	227	261	244
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income (pre-tax):
Current year actuarial loss (gain)	179	-759	133
Amortization of actuarial (loss) gain	-41	-107	-100
Current year prior service cost (credit)	-2	2	-38
Amortization of prior service (cost) credit	55	73	68
Amortization of transition (obligation) asset	0	-2	-2
Total recognized in other comprehensive income	191	-793	61
Total recognized in net periodic cost and other comprehensive income	$418	($532)	$305
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net cost:
Discount rate (as a percent)	4.60%	3.70%	4.30%
Expected return on plan assets (as a percent)	7.80%	7.80%	8.00%
Rate of compensation increase (as a percent)	4.00%	4.40%	4.40%
Assumed increase in health care trend rate
Assumed increase in health care trend rate over the current period to calculate benefit expenses (as a percent)	6.60%
Assumed increase in health care trend rate for the next year to calculate benefit expenses (as a percent)	6.60%
Year that heath care trend rate is assumed to reach ultimate trend rate (year)	2021
Ultimate health care cost trend rate (as a percent)	5.00%
General inflation rate that forms a part of ultimate health care trend rate (as a percent)	3.00%
Additional healthcare inflation rate that forms a part of ultimate health care trend rate (as a percent)	2.00%

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D8

Postemployment benefit plans (Details 9) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Defined contribution plans
Costs related to defined contribution plans	$386	$372	$320
U.S. Plans
Defined contribution plans
Percentage that the employer generally matches of employee contributions to U.S. defined contribution plans	100.00%
Employee compensation percentage contributed to defined contribution plan eligible for employer matching contributions	6.00%
New annual employer contribution, percentage of compensation, low end of range	3.00%
New annual employer contribution, percentage of compensation, high end of range	5.00%
Percentage that the employer generally matches of employee contributions to U.S. defined contribution plans for employees accruing benefits under a defined benefit plan	50.00%
Compensation percentage contributed to defined contribution plan eligible for employer matching contributions, for employees accruing benefits under defined benefit pension plan	6.00%
Costs related to defined contribution plans	301	308	260
Non-U.S. Plans
Defined contribution plans
Costs related to defined contribution plans	$85	$64	$60

Postemployment_benefit_plans_D9

Postemployment benefit plans (Details 10) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Summary of long-term liability:
Postretirement benefits other than pensions	$4,002	$3,793	$4,495
Other postemployment benefits	112	99	81
Defined contribution	334	324	286
Liability for postemployment benefits, long term	8,963	6,973	11,085
Pension plans
Summary of long-term liability:
Pensions	4,515	2,757	6,223
U.S. Pension Benefits
Summary of long-term liability:
Pensions	3,694	2,003	4,909
Non-U.S. Pension Benefits
Summary of long-term liability:
Pensions	$821	$754	$1,314

Shortterm_borrowings_Details

Short-term borrowings (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Short-term borrowings:
Short-term borrowings	$4,708	$3,679	$5,287
Notes payable to banks
Short-term borrowings:
Weighted-average interest rates on short-term borrowings (as a percent)	6.80%	6.30%	5.80%
Commercial paper
Short-term borrowings:
Weighted-average interest rates on short-term borrowings (as a percent)	0.30%	0.50%	0.60%
Demand notes
Short-term borrowings:
Weighted-average interest rates on short-term borrowings (as a percent)	0.80%	0.80%	0.80%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Short-term borrowings:
Short-term borrowings	9	16	636
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Notes payable to banks
Short-term borrowings:
Short-term borrowings	9	16	484
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Notes payable to former shareholders of Siwei
Short-term borrowings:
Short-term borrowings	0	0	152
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Commercial paper
Short-term borrowings:
Short-term borrowings	0	0	0
Financial Products
Short-term borrowings:
Short-term borrowings	4,699	3,663	4,651
Financial Products | Notes payable to banks
Short-term borrowings:
Short-term borrowings	411	545	418
Financial Products | Commercial paper
Short-term borrowings:
Short-term borrowings	3,688	2,502	3,654
Financial Products | Demand notes
Short-term borrowings:
Short-term borrowings	$600	$616	$579

Longterm_debt_Details

Long-term debt (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Long-term Debt
Total Machinery, Energy & Transportation	$9,493	$7,999	$8,666
Total Financial Products	18,291	18,720	19,086
Total long-term debt due after one year	27,784	26,719	27,752
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Long-term Debt
Total Machinery, Energy & Transportation	9,493	7,999	8,666
Other	46	55	16
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Notes-1.375% due 2014
Long-term Debt
Notes	0	0	750
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	1.38%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Notes-5.700% due 2016
Long-term Debt
Notes	504	506	508
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	5.70%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Notes-3.900% due 2021
Long-term Debt
Notes	1,246	1,246	1,245
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	3.90%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Notes-5.200% due 2041
Long-term Debt
Notes	757	757	757
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	5.20%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-0.950% due 2015
Long-term Debt
Debentures	0	500	500
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	0.95%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-1.500% due 2017
Long-term Debt
Debentures	500	500	499
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	1.50%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-7.900% due 2018
Long-term Debt
Debentures	899	899	899
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	7.90%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-9.375% due 2021
Long-term Debt
Debentures	120	120	120
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	9.38%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-2.600% due 2022
Long-term Debt
Debentures	498	498	498
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	2.60%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-8.000% due 2023
Long-term Debt
Debentures	82	82	82
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	8.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-3.400% due 2024
Long-term Debt
Debentures	1,000	0	0
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	3.40%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-6.625% due 2028
Long-term Debt
Debentures	193	193	193
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	6.63%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-7.300% due 2031
Long-term Debt
Debentures	241	241	241
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	7.30%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-5.300% due 2035
Long-term Debt
Debentures	211	209	208
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	5.30%
Debentures, face value	307
Debentures' effective yield to maturity (as a percent)	8.55%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-6.050% due 2036
Long-term Debt
Debentures	459	459	459
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	6.05%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-8.250% due 2038
Long-term Debt
Debentures	65	65	65
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	8.25%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-6.950% due 2042
Long-term Debt
Debentures	160	160	160
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	6.95%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-3.803% due 2042
Long-term Debt
Debentures	1,188	1,168	1,149
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	3.80%
Debentures, face value	1,722
Debentures' effective yield to maturity (as a percent)	6.33%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-4.300% due 2044
Long-term Debt
Debentures	497	0	0
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	4.30%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-4.750% due 2064
Long-term Debt
Debentures	498	0	0
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	4.75%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Debentures-7.375% due 2097
Long-term Debt
Debentures	244	244	244
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)	7.38%
Percentage of the redemption price to the principal amount of debentures to be redeemed	100.00%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Capital lease obligations
Long-term Debt
Capital lease obligations	85	97	73
Financial Products
Long-term Debt
Commercial paper	0	0	0
Medium-term notes	17,295	17,856	18,036
Other	996	864	1,050
Total Financial Products	$18,291	$18,720	$19,086

Longterm_debt_Details_2

Long-term debt (Details 2) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Aug. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	31-May-14	Jun. 30, 2012
Long-term Debt
Debt exchange new debentures amount	$1,720			$1,722
Debt exchange new debentures interest rate (as a percent)	3.80%			3.80%
Debt exchange cash paid	179			179
Debt exchange original debentures amount	1,330			1,325
2015		6,793
2016		6,050
2017		5,996
2018		3,317
2019		2,388
Interest paid on short-term and long-term borrowings		1,109	1,141	1,404
3.400% Senior Notes due in 2024
Long-term Debt
Notes					1,000
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)					3.40%
4.300% Senior Notes due in 2044
Long-term Debt
Notes					500
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)					4.30%
4.750% Senior Notes due in 2064
Long-term Debt
Notes					500
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)					4.75%
0.950% Senior Notes due in 2015
Long-term Debt
Notes						500
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)						0.95%
1.500% Senior Notes due in 2017
Long-term Debt
Notes						500
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)						1.50%
2.600% Senior Notes due 2022
Long-term Debt
Notes						500
Debt instrument, interest rate (as a percent)						2.60%
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Long-term Debt
2015		510
2016		543
2017		509
2018		906
2019		7
Financial Products
Long-term Debt
Commercial paper outstanding, classified as long-term		0	0	0
Medium-term notes, weighted-average interest rate (as a percent)		2.40%
Medium-term notes, maximum remaining maturity (in years)		12 years
2015		6,283
2016		5,507
2017		5,487
2018		2,411
2019		$2,381

Credit_commitments_Details

Credit commitments (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	10,500,000,000
Other external	4,254,000,000
Total credit lines available	14,754,000,000
Less: Commercial paper outstanding	-3,688,000,000
Less: Utilized credit	-1,904,000,000
Available credit	9,162,000,000
Number of global credit facilities	3
Consolidated net worth	22,230,000,000
Minimum consolidated net worth required under credit facilities	9,000,000,000
Cat Financial
Credit lines available:
Interest coverage ratio, numerator	2.19
Interest coverage ratio, denominator	1
Minimum interest coverage ratio required under credit facilities, numerator	1.15
Minimum interest coverage ratio required under credit facilities, denominator	1
Six-month leverage ratio, numerator	7.79
Six month leverage ratio, denominator	1
Year-end leverage ratio, numerator	7.83
Year-end leverage ratio denominator	1
Maximum leverage ratio permissible under credit facility, numerator	10
Maximum leverage ratio permissible under credit facility, denominator	1
Credit Facility
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	10,500,000,000
364-day facility expires in September 2015
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	3,150,000,000
Duration of credit facility (in years or days)	364 days
Four-year facility expires in September 2017
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	2,730,000,000
Duration of credit facility (in years or days)	4 years
Five-year facility expires in September 2019
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	4,620,000,000
Duration of credit facility (in years or days)	5 years
Consolidated credit lines with banks
Credit lines available:
Other external	4,250,000,000
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	2,750,000,000
Other external	195,000,000
Total credit lines available	2,945,000,000
Less: Commercial paper outstanding	0
Less: Utilized credit	-9,000,000
Available credit	2,936,000,000
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Credit Facility
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	2,750,000,000
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | 364-day facility expires in September 2015
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	820,000,000
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Four-year facility expires in September 2017
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	720,000,000
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Five-year facility expires in September 2019
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	1,210,000,000
Financial Products
Credit lines available:
Global credit facilities	7,750,000,000
Other external	4,059,000,000
Total credit lines available	11,809,000,000
Less: Commercial paper outstanding	-3,688,000,000
Less: Utilized credit	-1,895,000,000
Available credit	6,226,000,000

Profit_per_share_Details

Profit per share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Jan. 31, 2014	Feb. 28, 2007
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Profit for the period (A) (in millions of dollars)	$757,000,000	$1,017,000,000	$999,000,000	$922,000,000	$1,003,000,000	$946,000,000	$960,000,000	$880,000,000	$3,695,000,000	[1]	$3,789,000,000	[1]	$5,681,000,000	[1]
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (millions)
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding (B) (in shares)									617,200,000		645,200,000		652,600,000
Shares issuable on exercise of stock awards, net of shares assumed to be purchased out of proceeds at average market price (in shares)									11,700,000		13,400,000		17,000,000
Average common shares outstanding for fully diluted computation (C) (in shares)									628,900,000	[2]	658,600,000	[2]	669,600,000	[2]
Profit (loss) per share of common stock:
Assuming no dilution (A/B) (in dollars per share)	$1.25	$1.66	$1.60	$1.47	$1.57	$1.48	$1.48	$1.34	$5.99		$5.87		$8.71
Assuming full dilution (A/C) (in dollars per share)	$1.23	$1.63	$1.57	$1.44	$1.54	$1.45	$1.45	$1.31	$5.88	[2]	$5.75	[2]	$8.48	[2]
Shares outstanding as of December 31	606,200,000				637,800,000				606,200,000		637,800,000		655,000,000
Common shares under SARs and stock options not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)									10,266,682		10,152,448		6,066,777
Common Stock Repurchase
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount															10,000,000,000	7,500,000,000
Common shares repurchased (in shares)		23,651,590		18,110,735		11,942,737	11,542,106		41,762,325		23,484,843		0
Payments for repurchase of common stock		2,500,000,000		1,700,000,000		1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000		4,238,000,000		2,000,000,000		0
Stock repurchase program, amount of authorized repurchase spent to date									$2,500,000,000
[1]	1 Profit attributable to common stockholders.
[2]	2 Diluted by assumed exercise of stock-based compensation awards, using the treasury stock method.

Accumulated_other_comprehensiv2

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Apr. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Apr. 02, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Aug. 01, 2008
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), start of period		($3,898)	($6,433)		($6,328)
Other comprehensive income (loss), before reclassifications		-2,832	2,025
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss		299	510
Other comprehensive income (loss)		-2,533	2,535
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), end of period		-6,431	-3,898		-6,328
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent				100.00%		67.00%
Noncontrolling interest share redemption reclassified to Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	107
Foreign currency translation reclassified to Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	167
Pension and other postretirement benefits reclassified to Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	-61
Available for sale securities reclassified to Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	1
Foreign currency translation
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), start of period		176	456		206
Other comprehensive income (loss), before reclassifications		-1,164	-280
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss		0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)		-1,164	-280
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), end of period		-988	176		206
Pension and other postretirement benefits
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), start of period		-4,152	-6,914		-6,568
Other comprehensive income (loss), before reclassifications		-1,574	2,280
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss		319	482
Other comprehensive income (loss)		-1,255	2,762
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), end of period		-5,407	-4,152		-6,568
Derivative financial instruments
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), start of period		-5	-42		-10
Other comprehensive income (loss), before reclassifications		-118	-4
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss		4	41
Other comprehensive income (loss)		-114	37
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), end of period		-119	-5		-10
Available-for-sale securities
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), start of period		83	67		44
Other comprehensive income (loss), before reclassifications		24	29
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss		-24	-13
Other comprehensive income (loss)		0	16
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), end of period		$83	$83		$44

Accumulated_other_comprehensiv3

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Other income (expense)									$239		($35)		$130
Interest expense excluding Financial Products									-484		-465		-467
Interest expense of Financial Products									-624		-727		-797
Tax (provision) benefit									-1,380		-1,319		-2,528
Reclassifications net of tax	757	1,017	999	922	1,003	946	960	880	3,695	[1]	3,789	[1]	5,681	[1]
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Reclassifications net of tax									-299		-510
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Pension and other postretirement benefits
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Amortization of actuarial gain (loss)									-519		-781
Amortization of prior service credit (cost)									38		54
Amortization of transition asset (obligation)									0		-2
Reclassifications before tax									-481		-729
Tax (provision) benefit									162		247
Reclassifications net of tax									-319		-482
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Derivative financial instruments
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Reclassifications before tax									-6		-66
Tax (provision) benefit									2		25
Reclassifications net of tax									-4		-41
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Derivative financial instruments | Foreign exchange contracts
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Other income (expense)									5		-57
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Derivative financial instruments | Interest rate contracts | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Other income (expense)									0		-3
Interest expense excluding Financial Products									-5		0
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Derivative financial instruments | Interest rate contracts | Financial Products
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Interest expense of Financial Products									-6		-6
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Available-for-sale securities
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Other income (expense)									35		19
Tax (provision) benefit									-11		-6
Reclassifications net of tax									$24		$13
[1]	1 Profit attributable to common stockholders.

Fair_value_disclosures_Details

Fair value disclosures (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	$1,554	$1,570	$1,586
Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	1,554	1,570	1,586
Derivative Asset, at Fair Value, Net		161	154
Total Assets	1,554	1,731	1,740
Liabilities
Guarantees	12	13	14
Derivative Liabilities, at Fair Value, Net	86
Total Liabilities	98	13	14
U.S. treasury bonds
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	10	10	10
U.S. treasury bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	10	10	10
Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	94	120	146
Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	94	120	146
Corporate bonds
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	693	633	664
Corporate bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	693	633	664
Asset-backed securities
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	105	72	96
Asset-backed securities | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	105	72	96
U.S. governmental agency | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	294	321	299
Residential
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	15	18	25
Residential | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	15	18	25
Commercial
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	67	93	127
Commercial | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	67	93	127
Large capitalization value
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	233	254	185
Large capitalization value | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	233	254	185
Smaller company growth
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	43	49	34
Smaller company growth | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	43	49	34
Level 1 | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	286	313	229
Derivative Asset, at Fair Value, Net		0	0
Total Assets	286	313	229
Liabilities
Guarantees	0	0	0
Derivative Liabilities, at Fair Value, Net	0
Total Liabilities	0	0	0
Level 1 | U.S. treasury bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	10	10	10
Level 1 | Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 1 | Corporate bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 1 | Asset-backed securities | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 1 | U.S. governmental agency | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 1 | Residential | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 1 | Commercial | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 1 | Large capitalization value | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	233	254	185
Level 1 | Smaller company growth | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	43	49	34
Level 2 | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	1,268	1,257	1,357
Derivative Asset, at Fair Value, Net		161	154
Total Assets	1,268	1,418	1,511
Liabilities
Guarantees	0	0	0
Derivative Liabilities, at Fair Value, Net	86
Total Liabilities	86	0	0
Level 2 | U.S. treasury bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 2 | Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	94	120	146
Level 2 | Corporate bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	693	633	664
Level 2 | Asset-backed securities | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	105	72	96
Level 2 | U.S. governmental agency | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	294	321	299
Level 2 | Residential | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	15	18	25
Level 2 | Commercial | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	67	93	127
Level 2 | Large capitalization value | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 2 | Smaller company growth | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 3 | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Derivative Asset, at Fair Value, Net		0	0
Total Assets	0	0	0
Liabilities
Guarantees	12	13	14
Derivative Liabilities, at Fair Value, Net	0
Total Liabilities	12	13	14
Level 3 | U.S. treasury bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 3 | Other U.S. and non-U.S. government bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 3 | Corporate bonds | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 3 | Asset-backed securities | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 3 | U.S. governmental agency | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 3 | Residential | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 3 | Commercial | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 3 | Large capitalization value | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	0	0	0
Level 3 | Smaller company growth | Recurring basis
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	$0	$0	$0

Fair_value_disclosures_Details1

Fair value disclosures (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Level 2 | Financial Products | Nonrecurring basis
Fair value of impaired loans
Impaired loans	$248	$81	$117
Level 3 | Guarantees | Recurring basis
Roll-forward of liabilities measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs
Balance at beginning of year	13	14	7
Acquisitions			6
Issuance of guarantees	1	6	7
Expiration of guarantees	-2	-7	-6
Balance at end of year	$12	$13	$14

Fair_value_disclosures_Details2

Fair value disclosures (Details 3) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Assets
Cash and short-term investments	$7,341	$6,081	$5,490	$3,057
Available-for-sale securities	1,554	1,570	1,586
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings	4,708	3,679	5,287
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings	9	16	636
Financial Products
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings	4,699	3,663	4,651
Carrying Amount
Assets
Cash and short-term investments	7,341	6,081	5,490
Restricted cash and short-term investments	62	53	53
Available-for-sale securities	1,554	1,570	1,586
Finance receivables-net (excluding finance leases)	16,426	16,049	15,404
Wholesale inventory receivables-net (excluding finance leases)	1,774	1,529	1,674
Foreign currency contracts-net	0	45	0
Interest rate swaps-net	71	116	219
Commodity contracts-net	0	0	1
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings	4,708	3,679	5,287
Foreign currency contracts-net	143	0	66
Commodity contracts-net	14	0	0
Guarantees	12	13	14
Carrying Amount | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Liabilities
Long-term debt (including amounts due within one year)	10,003	8,759	9,779
Carrying Amount | Financial Products
Liabilities
Long-term debt (including amounts due within one year)	24,574	25,312	25,077
Carrying amount of assets excluded from measurement at fair value
Assets
Finance leases	7,638	8,053	7,959
Level 1 | Fair Value
Assets
Cash and short-term investments	7,341	6,081	5,490
Restricted cash and short-term investments	62	53	53
Liabilities
Short-term borrowings	4,708	3,679	5,287
Level 1 & 2 | Fair Value
Assets
Available-for-sale securities	1,554	1,570	1,586
Level 2 | Fair Value
Assets
Foreign currency contracts-net	0	45	0
Interest rate swaps-net	71	116	219
Commodity contracts-net	0	0	1
Liabilities
Foreign currency contracts-net	143	0	66
Commodity contracts-net	14	0	0
Level 2 | Fair Value | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Liabilities
Long-term debt (including amounts due within one year)	11,973	9,905	11,969
Level 2 | Fair Value | Financial Products
Liabilities
Long-term debt (including amounts due within one year)	25,103	25,849	26,063
Level 3 | Fair Value
Assets
Finance receivables-net (excluding finance leases)	16,159	15,913	15,359
Wholesale inventory receivables-net (excluding finance leases)	1,700	1,467	1,609
Liabilities
Guarantees	$12	$13	$14

Concentration_of_credit_risk_D

Concentration of credit risk (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Derivative contracts, maximum exposure to credit loss	$151	$251	$366

Operating_leases_Details

Operating leases (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Leases [Abstract]
Rental expense for operating leases	$391	$436	$474
Minimum payments for operating leases having initial or remaining non-cancelable terms
2015	229
2016	174
2017	125
2018	92
2019	65
Thereafter	189
Total	$874

Guarantees_and_product_warrant2

Guarantees and product warranty (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Related liability	$12	$13	$14
Guarantor Obligations
Percentage of equity interest sold in subsidiary (as a percent)				65.00%
Guarantees, maximum potential amount of future payments	740	805	486
Special-Purpose Company's assets in Consolidated Statement of Financial Position	1,086	1,005	927
Special-Purpose Company's liabilities in Consolidated Statement of Financial Position	1,085	1,005	927
Unused commitments and lines of credit for dealers	12,412	10,503	10,863
Unused commitments and lines of credit for customers	4,005	4,635	4,690
Caterpillar dealer guarantees
Guarantor Obligations
Guarantees, maximum potential amount of future payments	209	193	180
Customer guarantees
Guarantor Obligations
Guarantees, maximum potential amount of future payments	49	62	77
Customer guarantees-supplier consortium
Guarantor Obligations
Guarantees, maximum potential amount of future payments	321	364	0
Third party logistics business guarantees
Guarantor Obligations
Guarantees, maximum potential amount of future payments	129	151	176
Other guarantees
Guarantor Obligations
Guarantees, maximum potential amount of future payments	$32	$35	$53

Guarantees_and_product_warrant3

Guarantees and product warranty (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Movement in Standard Product Warranty Accrual
Warranty liability, beginning balance	$1,367	$1,477	$1,308
Reduction in liability (payments)	-1,071	-938	-920
Increase in liability (new warranties)	1,130	828	1,089
Warranty liability, ending balance	1,426	1,367	1,477
Product Warranty Accrual, Preexisting, Increase (Decrease)	$170

Environmental_and_legal_matter1

Environmental and legal matters (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended
	Nov. 26, 2014	Mar. 20, 2014	Mar. 20, 2014	Mar. 20, 2014	Mar. 20, 2014	Mar. 20, 2014	Feb. 19, 2014
		subsidiaries	companies	individuals	current_employees	former_employee
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]
Loss Contingency, Number of Defendants		2	18	100	2	1
Loss Contingency, Range of Possible Loss, Minimum							$100,000
Loss Contingency, Settlement Amount Paid	$390,733

Segment_information_Details

Segment information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
									group_presidents
									segments
Segment Reporting Information
Number of group presidents									5
Number of operating segments									7
Useful life to amortize goodwill for segment assets									20 years
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues	$14,244	$13,549	$14,150	$13,241	$14,402	$13,423	$14,621	$13,210	$55,184	$55,656	$65,875
Depreciation and amortization									3,163	3,087	2,813
Consolidated profit before taxes									5,083	5,128	8,236
Segment assets	84,681				84,896				84,681	84,896	88,970
Capital expenditures									3,379	4,446	5,076
All Other operating segments
Segment Reporting Information
Number of group presidents									1
Number of smaller operating segments led by Group President									3
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									2,251	2,263	2,827
Depreciation and amortization									279	305	313
Consolidated profit before taxes									850	736	994
Segment assets	2,810				2,973				2,810	2,973	3,179
Capital expenditures									331	452	459
Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									56,406	56,406	66,981
Reportable segments
Segment Reporting Information
Number of operating segments led by Group Presidents									3
Number of operating segments led by Group president responsible for corporate services									1
Reportable Segments
Number of reportable segments									4
Sales and revenues									53,323	53,716	63,378
Depreciation and amortization									2,744	2,622	2,420
Consolidated profit before taxes									7,647	7,351	10,316
Segment assets	61,574				63,468				61,574	63,468	67,976
Capital expenditures									2,888	3,533	4,682
Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									3,083	2,690	3,603
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									53,093	53,182	63,891
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Reportable segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									50,010	50,492	60,288
Depreciation and amortization									1,859	1,833	1,712
Consolidated profit before taxes									6,746	6,361	9,553
Segment assets	24,563				26,488				24,563	26,488	31,413
Capital expenditures									1,254	1,727	3,022
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									3,083	2,690	3,603
Construction Industries | Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									19,612	18,862	19,921
Construction Industries | Reportable segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									19,362	18,532	19,451
Depreciation and amortization									522	493	459
Consolidated profit before taxes									2,207	1,374	1,846
Segment assets	6,596				7,607				6,596	7,607	9,624
Capital expenditures									369	551	984
Construction Industries | Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									250	330	470
Resource Industries | Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									9,506	12,270	20,441
Resource Industries | Reportable segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									8,921	11,805	19,715
Depreciation and amortization									691	698	649
Consolidated profit before taxes									501	1,586	4,285
Segment assets	9,568				10,389				9,568	10,389	12,466
Capital expenditures									277	499	1,078
Resource Industries | Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									585	465	726
Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									23,975	22,050	23,529
Energy & Transportation | Reportable segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									21,727	20,155	21,122
Depreciation and amortization									646	642	604
Consolidated profit before taxes									4,038	3,401	3,422
Segment assets	8,399				8,492				8,399	8,492	9,323
Capital expenditures									608	677	960
Energy & Transportation | Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									2,248	1,895	2,407
Financial Products Segment | Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									3,313	3,224	3,090
Financial Products Segment | Reportable segments
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									3,313	3,224	3,090
Depreciation and amortization									885	789	708
Consolidated profit before taxes									901	990	763
Segment assets	37,011				36,980				37,011	36,980	36,563
Capital expenditures									1,634	1,806	1,660
Financial Products Segment | Intersegment Eliminations
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues									$0	$0	$0

Segment_information_Details_2

Segment information (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues	$14,244	$13,549	$14,150	$13,241	$14,402	$13,423	$14,621	$13,210	$55,184	$55,656	$65,875
Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									53,323	53,716	63,378
All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									2,251	2,263	2,827
Other
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									-390	-323	-330
Consolidating Adjustments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									-344	-340	-353
Consolidating Adjustments | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Other
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									-344	-340	-353
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									50,010	50,492	60,288
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									52,142	52,694	63,068
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									50,010	50,492	60,288
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									2,251	2,263	2,827
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Other
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									-119	-61	-47
Financial Products | Business
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									3,386	3,302	3,160
Financial Products | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									3,313	3,224	3,090
Financial Products | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Other
Reconciliation of Sales and revenues
Sales and revenues									$73	$78	$70

Segment_information_Details_3

Segment information (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	$5,083	$5,128	$8,236
Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	7,647	7,351	10,316
All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	850	736	994
Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	38	119	11
Corporate Costs
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-1,584	-1,368	-1,502
Timing
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-244	116	-298
Restructuring Costs
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-441	-200
Inventory/cost of sales
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	55	-112	43
Postretirement Benefits Expense
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-411	-685	-696
Financing Costs
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-502	-469	-474
Equity in Profit/Loss of Unconsolidated Affiliated Companies
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-8	6	-14
Currency
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-52	-110	108
Other Income Expense Methodology Differences
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-249	-238	-249
Other
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-16	-18	-3
Business
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	8,497	8,087
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	6,746	6,361	9,553
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	4,174	4,108	7,456
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	6,746	6,361	9,553
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	850	736	994
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	38	119	11
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Corporate Costs
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-1,584	-1,368	-1,502
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Timing
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-244	116	-298
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Restructuring Costs
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-441	-200
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Inventory/cost of sales
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	55	-112	43
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Postretirement Benefits Expense
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-411	-685	-696
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Financing Costs
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-502	-469	-474
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Equity in Profit/Loss of Unconsolidated Affiliated Companies
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-8	6	-14
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Currency
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-52	-110	108
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Other Income Expense Methodology Differences
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-249	-238	-249
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Other
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	-24	-48	-20
Financial Products | Business
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	909	1,020	780
Financial Products | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	901	990	763
Financial Products | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Corporate Costs
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Timing
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Restructuring Costs
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Inventory/cost of sales
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Postretirement Benefits Expense
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Financing Costs
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Equity in Profit/Loss of Unconsolidated Affiliated Companies
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Currency
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Other Income Expense Methodology Differences
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Other
Reconciliation of Consolidated profit (loss) before taxes
Consolidated profit before taxes	$8	$30	$17

Segment_information_Details_4

Segment information (Details 4) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	$5,083	$5,128	$8,236
Restructuring costs	-441	-200	-94
Reportable segments
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	7,647	7,351	10,316
Reportable segments | Construction Industries
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	2,207	1,374	1,846
Reportable segments | Resource Industries
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	501	1,586	4,285
Reportable segments | Energy & Transportation
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	4,038	3,401	3,422
Reportable segments | Financial Products Segment
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	901	990	763
All Other operating segments
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	850	736	994
Business
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	8,497	8,087
Restructuring costs	-432	-197
Consolidated profit before taxes with restructuring costs	8,065	7,890
Business | Reportable segments | Construction Industries
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	2,207	1,374
Restructuring costs	-293	-33
Consolidated profit before taxes with restructuring costs	1,914	1,341
Business | Reportable segments | Resource Industries
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	501	1,586
Restructuring costs	-72	-105
Consolidated profit before taxes with restructuring costs	429	1,481
Business | Reportable segments | Energy & Transportation
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	4,038	3,401
Restructuring costs	-31	-32
Consolidated profit before taxes with restructuring costs	4,007	3,369
Business | Reportable segments | Financial Products Segment
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	901	990
Restructuring costs	0	0
Consolidated profit before taxes with restructuring costs	901	990
Business | All Other operating segments | All Other
Segment Reporting Information
Consolidated profit before taxes	850	736
Restructuring costs	-36	-27
Consolidated profit before taxes with restructuring costs	$814	$709

Segment_information_Details_5

Segment information (Details 5) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	$84,681	$84,896	$88,970
Reportable segments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	61,574	63,468	67,976
All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	2,810	2,973	3,179
Cash and Short Term Investments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	6,317	4,597	3,306
Intercompany Receivables
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Investment in Financial Products
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	2,953	2,016	3,410
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	3,492	3,582	3,145
Property Plant and Equipment-Net and Other Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	1,174	1,175	723
Operating Lease Methodology Difference
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-213	-273	-305
Liabilities Included in Segment Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	9,837	10,357	10,900
Inventory Methodology Differences
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-2,697	-2,539	-2,949
Other
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-566	-460	-415
Consolidating Adjustments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-6,416	-6,653	-5,384
Consolidating Adjustments | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Cash and Short Term Investments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Intercompany Receivables
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-1,185	-1,219	-303
Consolidating Adjustments | Investment in Financial Products
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-4,488	-4,798	-4,433
Consolidating Adjustments | Deferred Income Taxes
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-674	-525	-516
Consolidating Adjustments | Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Property Plant and Equipment-Net and Other Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Operating Lease Methodology Difference
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Liabilities Included in Segment Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Inventory Methodology Differences
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Other
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-69	-111	-132
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	24,563	26,488	31,413
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	54,188	54,704	57,898
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	24,563	26,488	31,413
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	2,810	2,973	3,179
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Cash and Short Term Investments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	6,317	4,597	3,306
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Intercompany Receivables
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	1,185	1,219	303
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Investment in Financial Products
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	4,488	4,798	4,433
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Deferred Income Taxes
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	3,627	2,541	3,926
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	3,492	3,582	3,145
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Property Plant and Equipment-Net and Other Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	1,174	1,175	723
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Operating Lease Methodology Difference
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-213	-273	-305
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Liabilities Included in Segment Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	9,837	10,357	10,900
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Inventory Methodology Differences
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-2,697	-2,539	-2,949
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Other
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	-395	-214	-176
Financial Products | Business
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	36,909	36,845	36,456
Financial Products | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	37,011	36,980	36,563
Financial Products | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Cash and Short Term Investments
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Intercompany Receivables
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Investment in Financial Products
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Deferred Income Taxes
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Property Plant and Equipment-Net and Other Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Operating Lease Methodology Difference
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Liabilities Included in Segment Assets
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Inventory Methodology Differences
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Other
Reconciliation of assets
Total assets	($102)	($135)	($107)

Segment_information_Details_6

Segment information (Details 6) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	$3,163	$3,087	$2,813
Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	2,744	2,622	2,420
All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	279	305	313
Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	150	151	96
Other
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	-10	9	-16
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	1,859	1,833	1,712
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	2,253	2,273	2,082
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	1,859	1,833	1,712
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	279	305	313
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	150	151	96
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Other
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	-35	-16	-39
Financial Products | Business
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	910	814	731
Financial Products | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	885	789	708
Financial Products | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Other
Reconciliation of Depreciation and amortization:
Total depreciation and amortization	$25	$25	$23

Segment_information_Details_7

Segment information (Details 7) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	$3,379	$4,446	$5,076
Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	2,888	3,533	4,682
All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	331	452	459
Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	181	191	201
Timing
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	21	363	-71
Other
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	-42	-93	-195
Consolidating Adjustments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	-79	-70	-155
Consolidating Adjustments | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Timing
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | Other
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	-79	-70	-155
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	1,254	1,727	3,022
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	1,641	2,605	3,435
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	1,254	1,727	3,022
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	331	452	459
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	181	191	201
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Timing
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	21	363	-71
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Business | Other
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	-146	-128	-176
Financial Products | Business
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	1,817	1,911	1,796
Financial Products | Business | Reportable segments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	1,634	1,806	1,660
Financial Products | Business | All Other operating segments
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Cost Centers
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Timing
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	0	0	0
Financial Products | Business | Other
Reconciliation of Capital expenditures
Total capital expenditures	$183	$105	$136

Segment_information_Details_8

Segment information (Details 8) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information
Percentage of sales and revenues	10.00%								10.00%
External sales and revenues	$14,244	$13,549	$14,150	$13,241	$14,402	$13,423	$14,621	$13,210	$55,184	$55,656	$65,875
Net property, plant and equipment	16,577				17,075				16,577	17,075	16,461
Inside United States
Segment Reporting Information
External sales and revenues									21,122	18,579	20,239
Net property, plant and equipment	8,714				8,723				8,714	8,723	8,559
Outside the United States
Segment Reporting Information
External sales and revenues									34,062	37,077	45,636
Net property, plant and equipment	7,863				8,352				7,863	8,352	7,902
Australia
Segment Reporting Information
External sales and revenues											$6,822

Acquisitions_Details

Acquisitions (Details)	12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data in Billions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	31-May-13	31-May-12	Dec. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2012	31-May-12	31-May-12	Jul. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	Johan Walter Berg AB	Johan Walter Berg AB	Johan Walter Berg AB	Black Horse LLC	ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei)	ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei)	ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei)	ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei)	ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei)	ERA Mining Machinery Limited (Siwei)	Caterpillar Tohoku Ltd.	Caterpillar Tohoku Ltd.	Caterpillar Tohoku Ltd.
					USD ($)	USD ($)	EUR (€)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)		Cash Consideration	Loan note consideration	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)
									director	types			HKD	HKD
									parties
Acquisitions
Percentage of equity acquired (as a percent)					100.00%					99.00%		1.00%					100.00%
Purchase price of acquired entity										$677
Contingent consideration payable					7
Contingent consideration arrangement, maximum value (in Euro)							30
Contribution for equity interest in joint venture								70
Ownership percentage of investments in companies accounted for under the equity method (as a percent)								50.00%
Cost of acquisition paid in cash										475	7				22	3	59
Net cash paid for acquisition	30	195	618		169					444							206
Fair value of loan notes debt component									152	152
Loan and interest payable to Caterpillar										51
Fair value of noncontrolling interest										7
Trade payables to Caterpillar																	64
Price per share of common stock acquired (in dollars per share)													0.88	1
Acquisition, Alternative considerations to acquiree
Number of consideration alternatives										2
Value of consideration to be paid (in HKD/share)													0.88	1
Contingent consideration arrangement, minimum value (in HKD/share)														0.75
Contingent consideration arrangement, maximum value (in HKD/share)														1.15
Number of shares tendered (in billions of shares)													4	1.6
Assets acquired
Tangible assets acquired					82					598							252
Cash					9					31							18
Restricted cash										138
Receivables					13					184							34
Inventory					32					77							26
Property, plant and equipment					28					94							157
Finite-lived intangible assets					70					112							8
Finite-lived intangible assets, weighed average useful life (in years)					11 years					14 years
Goodwill, amount tax deductible																	22
Liabilities assumed
Total liabilities assumed					87					626							135
Accounts payable					19					352							39
Debt assumed										168							77
Accrued expenses										37
Customer advances					31
Noncurrent deferred income tax liabilities					15					25
Adjustments to preliminary allocation of purchase price
Finite-lived intangibles decrease											82
Receivables decrease											29
Inventory decrease											17
Net liabilities increase											23
Goodwill increase (decrease)						7					149
Goodwill impairment charge	0	0	580								580
Goodwill	6,694	6,956	6,942	7,080	113					625	45						22
Number of former directors									2
Number of other parties to the settlement									2
Payments by Caterpillar to parties of the settlement agreement									30
Obligation related to the loans by former directors									13
Gain related to settlement and discharge of loan obligations									$135

Redeemable_Noncontrolling_Inte1

Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest - Caterpillar Japan Ltd. (Details)	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Apr. 30, 2012	Apr. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Apr. 02, 2012	Aug. 01, 2008
	USD ($)	JPY (¥)	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest Disclosure Abstract
Caterpillar majority percentage ownership (as a percent)						100.00%	67.00%
MHI minority percentage ownership (as a percent)							33.00%
Additional ownership percentage by Caterpillar (as a percent)						33.00%
Cash paid to acquire remaining equity interest	$444	¥ 36,500	$0	$0	$444

Divestitures_Details

Divestitures (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2012
Disposal groups
Other operating income related to sales transactions	($4)	$68	$630
Cat Financial financing of transactions	11,278	11,422	12,010
Percentage of equity interest sold in subsidiary (as a percent)				65.00%
Bucyrus Distribution Business | Disposal group, not discontinued operations
Disposal groups
Asset impairment charges	4	11	27
Number of sales transactions completed	32	19	12
Sales price of business	199	467	1,436
After-tax profit (loss) impact	-22	-39	-28
Other operating income related to sales transactions	21	95	310
Unfavorable prior sale transaction adjustment	-14
Increase (Decrease) in Parts Returns Reserve		34
Selling, general and administrative expenses	25	104	177
Income tax	4	-4	161
Customer relationship intangible assets sold	82	127	256
Other assets sold	24	65	254
Allocated goodwill	63	56	405
Number of dealers receiving financing	2	5	5
Third party logistics business | Disposal group, not discontinued operations
Disposal groups
Sales price of business				567
Other operating income related to sales transactions				278
Percentage of equity interest sold in subsidiary (as a percent)				65.00%
Equity contribution from buyer				107
Percentage of equity interest retained in subsidiary (as a percent)				35.00%
Incremental incentive compensation expense				8
Retained noncontrolling interest fair value				58
Cat Financial | Bucyrus Distribution Business | Disposal group, not discontinued operations
Disposal groups
Cat Financial financing of transactions	$20	$132	$739

Restructuring_Costs_Details

Restructuring Costs (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring costs total	$441	$200	$94
Employee separation costs	382	151	94
Restructuring fixed asset impairments	33	41
Other restructuring costs	26	8
Employee Separation Activity
Liability balance at beginning of period	89	29	90
Increase in liability (separation charges)	382	151	94
Reduction in liability (payments and other adjustments)	-289	-91	-155
Liability balance at end of period	182	89	29
Gosselies, Belgium facility
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Employee separation costs	273
Estimated cash separation costs	300
Employee Separation Activity
Increase in liability (separation charges)	$273

Selected_quarterly_financial_r2

Selected quarterly financial results (unaudited) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended						6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Jun. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Sales and revenues	$14,244	$13,549	$14,150	$13,241	$14,402	$13,423	$14,621	$13,210	$55,184		$55,656		$65,875
Less: Revenues	-744	-791	-759	-748	-756	-745	-735	-726	-3,042		-2,962		-2,807
Sales	13,500	12,758	13,391	12,493	13,646	12,678	13,886	12,484	52,142		52,694		63,068
Cost of goods sold	10,499	9,634	10,197	9,437	10,541	9,774	10,773	9,639	39,767		40,727		47,055
Gross margin	3,001	3,124	3,194	3,056	3,105	2,904	3,113	2,845
Profit	757	1,017	999	922	1,003	946	960	880	3,695	[1]	3,789	[1]	5,681	[1]
Profit (loss) per common share	$1.25	$1.66	$1.60	$1.47	$1.57	$1.48	$1.48	$1.34	$5.99		$5.87		$8.71
Profit (loss) per common share - diluted	$1.23	$1.63	$1.57	$1.44	$1.54	$1.45	$1.45	$1.31	$5.88	[2]	$5.75	[2]	$8.48	[2]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Receivables - trade and other									163		835		-15
Accounts payable									222		134		-1,868
Statement of Cash Flow revision
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Receivables - trade and other															113	149
Accounts payable															($113)	($149)
[1]	1 Profit attributable to common stockholders.
[2]	2 Diluted by assumed exercise of stock-based compensation awards, using the treasury stock method.