2.2.0.25truefalse4251 - Disclosure - Employee separation charges (Details 2)truefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
USD ($)
USD ($) / shares
$D2009http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000018230duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDPerShareDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0PureStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0SharesStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDUSD$2falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2008 - 12/31/2008
USD ($)
USD ($) / shares
$D2008http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000018230duration2008-01-01T00:00:002008-12-31T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170PureStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0SharesStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDPerShareDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDUSD$3true0cat_EmployeeSeparationProgramRollForwardcatfalsenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalse4false0cat_NumberOfImpactedEmployeescatfalsenainstantRepresents the number of employees who are impacted under the separation programs but not yet separated as of the balance...falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsetruefalsefalseperiodstartlabel1truefalsefalse15051505falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:integerItemTypeintegerRepresents the number of employees who are impacted under the separation programs but not yet separated as of the balance sheet date.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse5false0cat_NumberOfImpactedEmployeesDuringThePeriodcatfalsenadurationRepresents the number of employees who are newly impacted under the separation programs during the period.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truefalsefalse1586815868falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse30853085falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:integerItemTypeintegerRepresents the number of employees who are newly impacted under the separation programs during the period.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse6false0cat_NumberOfEmployeesSeparationsDuringThePeriodcatfalsenadurationRepresents the number of employees who are separated under the separation programs during the period.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truefalsefalse-16970-16970falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse-1580-1580falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:integerItemTypeintegerRepresents the number of employees who are separated under the separation programs during the period.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse7false0cat_NumberOfImpactedEmployeescatfalsenainstantRepresents the number of employees who are impacted under the separation programs but not yet separated as of the balance...falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsetruefalseperiodendlabel1truefalsefalse403403falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse15051505falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:integerItemTypeintegerRepresents the number of employees who are impacted under the separation programs but not yet separated as of the balance sheet date.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse8false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.cat.com/role/disclosureemployeeseparationchargesdetails21falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostByTypeOfRestructuringAxis} : U.S. Voluntary Separation Program
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
D2009_USVoluntaryMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000018230duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseU.S. Voluntary Separation Programus-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostByTypeOfRestructuringAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldicat_USVoluntaryMemberus-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostByTypeOfRestructuringAxisexplicitMemberPureStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse9true0cat_EmployeeSeparationChargesLineItemscatfalsenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalse10false0cat_NumberOfEmployeesAcceptanceDuringThePeriodcatfalsenadurationRepresents the number of employees who have accepted the separation programs during the period.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truefalsefalse21822182falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:integerItemTypeintegerRepresents the number of employees who have accepted the separation programs during the period.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse12false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.cat.com/role/disclosureemployeeseparationchargesdetails21falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse4falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostByTypeOfRestructuringAxis} : Other U.S. Separation Programs
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
D2009_OtherUSMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000018230duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseOther U.S. Separation Programsus-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostByTypeOfRestructuringAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldicat_OtherUSMemberus-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostByTypeOfRestructuringAxisexplicitMemberPureStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse13true0cat_EmployeeSeparationChargesLineItemscatfalsenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalse14false0cat_NumberOfEmployeesAcceptanceDuringThePeriodcatfalsenadurationRepresents the number of employees who have accepted the separation programs during the period.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truefalsefalse66116611falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:integerItemTypeintegerRepresents the number of employees who have accepted the separation programs during the period.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse16false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.cat.com/role/disclosureemployeeseparationchargesdetails21falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse5falsefalsetruefalse{us-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostByTypeOfRestructuringAxis} : Non-U.S. Separation Programs
1/1/2009 - 12/31/2009
D2009_NonUSMemberhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000018230duration2009-01-01T00:00:002009-12-31T00:00:00falsefalseNon-U.S. Separation Programsus-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostByTypeOfRestructuringAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldicat_NonUSMemberus-gaap_RestructuringAndRelatedCostByTypeOfRestructuringAxisexplicitMemberPureStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse17true0cat_EmployeeSeparationChargesLineItemscatfalsenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalse18false0cat_NumberOfEmployeesAcceptanceDuringThePeriodcatfalsenadurationRepresents the number of employees who have accepted the separation programs during the period.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabel1truefalsefalse70757075falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:integerItemTypeintegerRepresents the number of employees who have accepted the separation programs during the period.No authoritative reference available.falsefalse214Employee separation charges (Details 2)UnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruetrue
