XBRL Cloud: Business Report

Rendering

Component: (Network and Table)
Network	2412404 - Disclosure - Postemployment benefit plans (Details 3) (http://www.cat.com/role/PostemploymentBenefitPlansDetails3)
Table	Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table]

Slicers (applies to each fact value in each table cell)

Reporting Entity [Axis]

0000018230 (http://www.sec.gov/CIK)

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure	Period [Axis]
	2013-01-01 - 2013-12-31												2012-01-01 - 2012-12-31					2011-01-01 - 2011-12-31
	Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis]												Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis]					Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis]
	United States Pension Plan of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member]				Foreign Pension Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]					Other Postretirement Benefit Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]			United States Pension Plan of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member]		Foreign Pension Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]		Other Postretirement Benefit Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]	United States Pension Plan of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member]		Foreign Pension Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]		Other Postretirement Benefit Plan, Defined Benefit [Member]
	Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis]				Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis]					Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis]			Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis]		Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis]		Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis]	Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis]		Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis]		Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis]
	Equity Securities [Member]	Debt Securities [Member]	Real Estate [Member]	Plan Asset Categories [Domain]	Equity Securities [Member]	Debt Securities [Member]	Real Estate [Member]	Plan Asset, Other [Member]	Plan Asset Categories [Domain]	Equity Securities [Member]	Debt Securities [Member]	Plan Asset Categories [Domain]	Real Estate [Member]	Plan Asset Categories [Domain]	Real Estate [Member]	Plan Asset Categories [Domain]	Plan Asset Categories [Domain]	Real Estate [Member]	Plan Asset Categories [Domain]	Real Estate [Member]	Plan Asset Categories [Domain]	Plan Asset Categories [Domain]
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year			8,000,000	10,981,000,000			218,000,000		3,426,000,000			789,000,000	8,000,000	9,997,000,000	197,000,000	2,818,000,000	814,000,000		10,760,000,000		2,880,000,000	996,000,000
Actual return on plan assets				1,722,000,000					535,000,000			158,000,000		1,235,000,000		368,000,000	117,000,000		(270,000,000)		(83,000,000)	(45,000,000)
Foreign currency exchange rates				0					(41,000,000)			0		0		47,000,000	0		0		(1,000,000)	0
Company contributions				541,000,000					303,000,000			157,000,000		580,000,000		446,000,000	204,000,000		212,000,000		234,000,000	207,000,000
Participant contributions				0					10,000,000			57,000,000		0		9,000,000	48,000,000		0		9,000,000	44,000,000
Benefits paid				(845,000,000)					(254,000,000)			(339,000,000)		(831,000,000)		(190,000,000)	(394,000,000)		(823,000,000)		(187,000,000)	(388,000,000)
Settlements and termination benefits				(4,000,000)					(30,000,000)			0		0		(72,000,000)	0		0		(41,000,000)	0
Acquisitions / other				0					0			0		0		0	0		118,000,000		7,000,000	0
Fair value of plan assets, end of year			8,000,000	12,395,000,000			247,000,000		3,949,000,000			822,000,000	8,000,000	10,981,000,000	218,000,000	3,426,000,000	789,000,000	8,000,000	9,997,000,000	197,000,000	2,818,000,000	814,000,000
Information about plan asset allocations
Target allocation of plan assets (as a percent)	.60	.40			.59	.32	.07	.02		.70	.30
Portion of equity securities invested in U.S. equities (as a percent)
Rebalancing of plan assets outside of target allocation (as a percent)				.05