| **Segment Information**                      | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         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| **Notes To Financial Statements [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  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| Segment Information                          | SEGMENT INFORMATION A.       Description of segmentsOur segment data is based on disclosure requirements of accounting guidance on segment reporting, which requires that financial information be reported on the basis that is used internally for measuring segment performance.  Internally, we report information for operating segments based on management responsibility.  Our operating segments offer primarily the same types of services within each of the respective segments.  The operating segments are as follows:•North America: We have offices in the United States and Canada that serve local dealers and customers.•Europe and Caterpillar Power Finance: This segment includes our offices that serve dealers and customers in Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States.  This segment also includes Caterpillar Power Finance (CPF), which finances marine vessels with Caterpillar engines worldwide and also provides debt financing for Caterpillar electrical power generation, gas compression and co-generation systems, as well as non-Caterpillar equipment that is powered by these systems worldwide. •Asia/Pacific: This segment includes offices in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia that serve local dealers and customers.  •Latin America: We have offices in Brazil, Mexico and Chile that serve local dealers and customers in Central and South America. •Mining:  This segment includes large mining customers worldwide.  This segment also provides project financing in various countries. To align with changes in our executive management responsibilities at Cat Financial, our management reporting structure was updated effective January 1, 2012.  Prior year data has been revised to conform to the 2012 presentation.B.       Measurement and reconciliationsDebt and other expenses are allocated to operating segments based on their respective portfolios.  The related Interest expense is calculated based on the amount of allocated debt and the rates associated with that debt.  The Provision for credit losses included in each segment's profit is based on each segment's share of the Company's Allowance for credit losses. Reconciling items are created based on accounting differences between segment reporting and our consolidated external reporting. For the reconciliation of profit before income taxes, we have grouped the reconciling items as follows:•Unallocated:  This item is related to corporate requirements and strategies that are considered to be for the benefit of the entire organization.  Also included are the consolidated results of the special purpose corporation (see Note 9 for additional information) and other miscellaneous items.•Timing:   Timing differences in the recognition of costs between segment reporting and consolidated external reporting.•Methodology:  Methodology differences between our segment reporting and our external reporting are as follows:◦Segment assets include other managed assets for which we typically maintain servicing responsibilities.◦Interest expense includes realized forward points on foreign currency forward contracts, with the mark-to-market elements of the forward exchange contracts included as a methodology difference.◦The profit attributable to noncontrolling interests is considered a component of segment profit.As noted above, the segment information is presented on a management-reporting basis.  Unlike financial reporting, there is no authoritative guidance for management reporting equivalent to U.S. GAAP.Supplemental segment data and reconciliations to consolidated external reporting for the years ended December 31,              (Millions of dollars) 2011Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atDecember 31,2011 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$966 $221 $314 $276 $34 $11,177 $530Europe and CPF502 53 148 89 105 6,601 118Asia/Pacific333 111 130 16 28 4,557 42Latin America350 110 128 47 17 3,947 175Mining446 76 87 260 3 2,645 321Total Segments2,597 571 807 688 187 28,927 1,186Unallocated70 (55) 22 2 2 1,350 3Timing(22) (6) 12 — (13) 67 1Methodology— (6) (14) — — 15 —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (247) —Total$2,645 $504 $827 $690 $176 $30,112 $1,190              (Millions of dollars) 2010Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atDecember 31,2010 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$985 $46 $380 $302 $120 $11,111 $512Europe and CPF498 79 182 92 50 6,884 120Asia/Pacific441 96 138 133 25 4,315 21Latin America297 101 121 29 9 3,391 109Mining252 48 62 131 (3) 1,523 156Total Segments2,473 370 883 687 201 27,224 918Unallocated104 (19) 28 3 — 1,617 40Timing(25) (31) 14 — 12 113 1Methodology— 9 (8) — — (21) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (181) —Total$2,552 $329 $917 $690 $213 $28,752 $959               2009Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atDecember 31,2009 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$1,080 $31 $429 $347 $139 $11,727 $475Europe and CPF591 73 229 106 73 8,176 97Asia/Pacific412 101 143 121 (10) 3,870 5Latin America276 85 136 22 5 3,101 78Mining233 29 68 114 10 1,842 256Total Segments2,592 319 1,005 710 217 28,716 911Unallocated144 (16) 72 3 12 2,801 63Timing(22) 16 — — 2 67 2Methodology— 1 (29) — — (577) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (359) —Total$2,714 $320 $1,048 $713 $231 $30,648 $976              Inside and outside the United States: (Millions of dollars) 2011 2010 2009Revenue      Inside U.S. $1,112 $1,138 $1,338Inside Canada 374 362 348Inside Australia 259 222 188All other 900 830 840Total $2,645 $2,552 $2,714       Equipment on Operating Leases and Non-Leased  Equipment (included in Other Assets), Net 2011 2010 2009Inside U.S. $986 $1,044 $1,246Inside Canada 771 818 901Inside Australia 314 343 325All other 592 567 604Total $2,663 $2,772 $3,076        |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.
+ References
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