Use these links to rapidly review the document
CUMMINS INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2010

Commission File Number 1-4949

CUMMINS INC.

500 Jackson Street
Box 3005
Columbus, Indiana 47202-3005
(Address of principal executive offices)

Telephone (812) 377-5000
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None.

         Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ý    No o

         Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o    No ý

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý    No o

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 229.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ý    No o

         Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definition of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o    No ý

         The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $14.4 billion at June 27, 2010. This value includes all shares of the registrant's common stock, except for treasury shares.

         As of January 28, 2011, there were 197,847,368 shares outstanding of $2.50 par value common stock.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

         Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for its 2011 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Schedule 14A within 120 days after the end of 2010, will be incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K to the extent indicated therein upon such filing.

Website Access to Company's Reports

         We maintain an inherent website at www.cummins.com. Investors may obtain copies of our filings from this website free of charge as soon as reasonable practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Table of Contents

CUMMINS INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

Table of Contents

        Cummins Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries are hereinafter sometimes referred to as "Cummins," "the Company," "we," "our," or "us."

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

        Certain parts of this annual report contain forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include those that are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the industries in which we operate and management's beliefs and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "forecasts," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "could," "should," or words of similar meaning. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which we refer to as "future factors," which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Some future factors that could cause our results to differ materially from the results discussed in such forward-looking statements are discussed below and shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these future factors carefully in evaluating forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Future factors that could affect the outcome of forward-looking statements include the following:

•

price and product competition by foreign and domestic competitors, including new entrants;



•

rapid technological developments of diesel engines;



•

our ability to continue to introduce competitive new products in a timely, cost-effective manner;



•

our sales mix of products;



•

our continued achievement of lower costs and expenses;



•

domestic and foreign governmental and public policy changes, including environmental regulations;



•

protection and validity of our patent and other intellectual property rights;



•

our reliance on large customers;



•

technological, implementation and cost/financial risks in our increasing use of large, multi-year contracts;



•

the cyclical nature of some of our markets;



•

the outcome of pending and future litigation and governmental proceedings;



•

continued availability of financing, financial instruments and financial resources in the amounts, at the times and on the terms required to support our future business;



•

the overall stability of global economic markets and conditions; and



•

other risk factors described in Item 1A under the caption "Risk Factors."

        In addition, such statements could be affected by general industry and market conditions and growth rates, general domestic and international economic conditions, including the price of crude oil (diesel fuel), interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations, commodity prices and other future factors.

3

Table of Contents

PART I

ITEM 1.    Business

OVERVIEW

        Cummins Inc. was founded in 1919 as a corporation in Columbus, Indiana, as one of the first diesel engine manufacturers. We are a global power leader that designs, manufactures, distributes and services diesel and natural gas engines, electric power generation systems and engine-related component products, including filtration, exhaust aftertreatment, fuel systems, controls and air handling systems. We sell our products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), distributors and other customers worldwide. We serve our customers through a network of more than 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations and more than 6,000 dealer locations in more than 190 countries and territories.

OPERATING SEGMENTS

        We have four complementary operating segments: Engine, Power Generation, Components and Distribution. These segments share technology, customers, strategic partners, brand recognition and our distribution network to gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. In each of our operating segments, we compete worldwide with a number of other manufacturers and distributors that produce and sell similar products. Our products compete primarily on the basis of performance, fuel economy, speed of delivery, quality, customer support and price. Financial information about our operating segments, including geographic information, is incorporated by reference from Note 25, "OPERATING SEGMENTS," to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Engine Segment

        Engine segment sales and EBIT as a percentage of consolidated results were:

        Our Engine segment manufactures and markets a broad range of diesel and natural gas powered engines under the Cummins brand name, as well as certain customer brand names, for the heavy- and medium-duty truck, bus, recreational vehicle (RV), light-duty automotive, agricultural, construction, mining, marine, oil and gas, rail and governmental equipment markets. We offer a wide variety of engine products including:

•

Engines with a displacement range of 2.8 to 91 liters and horsepower ranging from 60 to 3,500, and



•

New parts and service, as well as remanufactured parts and engines, through our extensive distribution network.

        Our Engine segment is organized by engine displacement size and serves these end-user markets:

•

Heavy-Duty Truck—We manufacture diesel engines that range from 310 to 600 horsepower serving global heavy-duty truck customers worldwide.

4

Table of Contents

•

Medium-Duty Truck and Bus—We manufacture medium-duty diesel engines ranging from 200 to 400 horsepower serving medium-duty and inter-city delivery truck customers worldwide, with key markets including: Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia. We also provide diesel or natural gas engines for school buses, transit buses and shuttle buses worldwide, with key markets including North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America.



•

Light-Duty Automotive and RV—We manufacture 305 to 350 horsepower diesel engines for Chrysler's heavy-duty and chassis cab pickup trucks and 300 to 650 horsepower diesel engines for Class A motor homes, primarily in North America.



•

Industrial—We provide mid-range, heavy-duty and high-horsepower engines that range from 60 to 3,500 horsepower for a wide variety of equipment in the construction, agricultural, mining, rail, government, oil and gas, power generation and commercial and recreational marine applications throughout the world. Across these markets we have major customers in North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA), China, India, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Korea, Russia, Japan, Mexico and South Pacific.

        The principal customers of our heavy- and medium-duty truck engines include truck manufacturers such as PACCAR, Ford, MAN Latin America and Daimler Trucks North America. We sell our industrial engines to manufacturers of construction, agricultural and marine equipment, including Komatsu, Hyundai, Case New Holland, Belaz, Liugong, Hitachi and Brunswick. The principal customers of our light-duty on-highway engines are Chrysler and manufacturers of RVs.

        In the markets served by our Engine segment, we compete with independent engine manufacturers as well as OEMs who manufacture engines for their own products. Our primary competitors in North America are International Truck and Engine Corporation (Engine Division), Detroit Diesel Corporation, Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and Volvo Powertrain. Our primary competitors in international markets vary from country to country, with local manufacturers generally predominant in each geographic market. Other engine manufacturers in international markets include Weichai Power Co. Ltd., MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG (MAN), Fiat Power Systems, GE Jenbacher, Tognum AG, CAT, Volvo, Yanmar Co., Ltd., GuangxiYuchai Group and Deutz AG.

Power Generation Segment

        Power Generation segment sales and EBIT as a percentage of consolidated results were:

        Our Power Generation segment designs and manufactures most of the components that make up power generation systems, including engines, controls, alternators, transfer switches and switchgear. This segment is a global provider of power generation systems, components and services for a diversified customer base and includes the following:

•

Standby power solutions for customers who rely on uninterrupted sources of power to meet the needs of their customers.



•

Distributed generation power solutions for customers with less reliable electrical power infrastructures, typically in developing countries. In addition, our power solutions provide an

5

Table of Contents

alternative source of generating capacity located close to its point of use, which is purchased by utilities, independent power producers and large power customers for use as prime or peaking power.

•

Mobile power provides a secondary source of power (other than drivetrain power) for mobile applications.

        Our Power Generation segment is organized around the following businesses:

•

Commercial products—Commercial products manufactures generators for commercial applications ranging from 5 kilowatts to 2.75 megawatts.



•

Generator technologies—Generator technologies manufactures and sells its alternator products internally as well as to other generator set assemblers. Our products are sold under the Stamford, AVK and Markon brands and range in output from 0.6kVA to 30,000 kVA.



•

Commercial projects—Commercial projects includes mainly all of our natural gas-fired generators business, our power generation project business and our military business.



•

Power electronics—Power electronics builds controls for our generators in-house. We also sell switch gear and transfer switches to both internal and external customers. This business integrates well with commercial products to provide a complete solution to customers.



•

Consumer—Consumer manufactures and sells consumer products under the Cummins Onan brand name including diesel, natural gas, gasoline and alternative-fuel electrical generator sets for use in RVs, commercial vehicles, recreational marine applications and home stand-by or residential applications.

        This segment continuously explores emerging technologies, such as fuel cells, wind and hybrid solutions and provides integrated power generation products utilizing technologies other than reciprocating engines. We use our own research and development capabilities as well as leverage business partnerships to develop cost-effective and environmentally sound power solutions.

        Our customer base for power generation products is highly diversified, with customer groups varying based on their power needs. Western Europe, India, the Middle East, China and Latin America are our largest geographic markets outside of North America.

        This operating segment competes with a variety of engine manufacturers and generator set assemblers across the world. CAT, Tognum (MTU) and Mitsubishi (MHI) remain our primary competitors, but we also compete with FG Wilson (Caterpillar group), Kohler, SDMO (Kohler group), Generac and numerous regional generator set assemblers. Our Generator technologies business competes globally with Emerson Electric Co., Marathon Electric and Meccalte, among others.

Components Segment

        Components segment sales and EBIT as a percentage of consolidated results were:

6

Table of Contents

        Our Components segment supplies products which complement our Engine segment, including filtration products, turbochargers, aftertreatment systems, intake and exhaust systems and fuel systems for commercial diesel applications. We manufacture filtration and exhaust systems for on- and off-highway heavy-duty and mid-range equipment, and we are a supplier of filtration products for industrial and passenger car applications. In addition, we develop aftertreatment and exhaust systems to help our customers meet increasingly stringent emission standards and fuel systems which to date have primarily supplied our Engine segment and our partner Scania.

        Our Components segment is organized around the following businesses:

•

Filtration—Our filtration business designs and manufactures filtration, coolant and chemical products. The filtration business offers over 7,000 products including air filters, fuel filters, fuel water separators, lube filters, hydraulic filters, coolant, diesel exhaust fluid/Adblue, fuel additives and other filtration systems to OEMs, dealers/distributors and end users. Cummins filtration supports a wide customer base in a diverse range of markets including on-highway, off-highway, oil and gas, agriculture, marine, industrial and light-duty automotive. Globally recognized Fleetguard® branded products are produced and sold in over 160 countries including North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Fleetguard products are available through thousands of distribution points worldwide.



•

Turbo technologies—Our turbo technologies business designs, manufactures and markets turbochargers for light-duty, mid-range, heavy-duty and high-horsepower diesel markets with manufacturing facilities in five countries and sales and distribution worldwide. Turbo technologies provides critical air handling technologies for engines, including variable geometry turbochargers, to meet challenging performance requirements and worldwide emission standards. The business primarily serves markets in North America, Asia and Europe.



•

Emission solutions—Our emission solutions business is a global leader in designing, manufacturing and integrating exhaust aftertreatment technology and solutions for the commercial on-and off-highway medium-duty, heavy-duty and high-horsepower engine markets. Dedicated to innovation and dependability in meeting global emission regulations, emission solutions develops and produces various emission solutions, which include custom engineering systems and integrated controls, oxidation catalysts, particulate filters, oxides of nitrogen (NOx) reduction systems such as selective catalytic reduction and NOx adsorbers and engineered components such as dosers, sensors and exhaust. With key operations in Indiana, Wisconsin, China, India, the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, Cummins emission solutions serves both OEM and engine first fit and retrofit customers.



•

Fuel systems—Our fuel systems business designs and manufactures new and replacement fuel systems primarily for heavy-duty on-highway diesel engine applications and also remanufactures fuel systems and engine control modules. Scania and Komatsu are the business' primary external customers. Scania is also our partner in two joint ventures within our fuel systems business. The Cummins-Scania High Pressure Injection, LLC joint venture currently manufactures fuel systems used by Cummins and Scania while the Cummins-Scania XPI joint venture currently produces advanced technology fuel systems for medium-and heavy-duty engines.

        Customers of our Components segment generally include our Engine and Distribution segments, truck manufacturers and other OEMs, many of which are also customers of our Engine segment, such as PACCAR, Volvo, International Truck and Engine, CNH Global N.V., Iveco and other manufacturers that use our components in their product platforms.

        Our Components segment competes with other manufacturers of filtration, exhaust and fuel systems and turbochargers. Our primary competitors in these markets include Donaldson

7

Table of Contents

Company, Inc., Clarcor Inc., Mann+Hummel Group, Honeywell International, Borg-Warner, Robert Bosch GmbH, Tenneco Inc., Eberspacher Holding GmbH & Co. KG and Denso Corporation.

Distribution Segment

        Distribution segment sales and EBIT as a percentage of consolidated results were:

        Our Distribution segment consists of 19 company-owned and 22 joint venture distributors that service and distribute the full range of our products and services to end-users at approximately 380 locations in approximately 70 distribution territories. Our company-owned distributors are located in key markets, including North America, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, India, China, Africa, Russia, Brazil, Singapore and Japan.

        The Distribution segment is organized into four primary geographic regions:

•

Asia Pacific,



•

EMEA,



•

North and Central America and



•

South America.

        Asia Pacific and EMEA are composed of seven smaller regional distributor organizations (South Pacific, India, China, Northeast/Southeast Asia, Greater Europe, the Middle East and Africa) which allow us to better manage these vast geographic territories.

        North and Central America, is mostly comprised of a network of partially-owned distributors. Internationally, our network consists of independent, partially-owned and wholly-owned distributors. Through this network, we provide parts and service to our customers. These full-service solutions include maintenance contracts, engineering services and integrated products, where we customize our products to cater to specific needs of end-users. Our distributors also serve and develop dealers, predominantly OEM dealers, in their territories by providing new products, technical support, tools, training, parts and product information.

        In addition to managing our investments in wholly-owned and partially-owned distributors, our Distribution segment is responsible for managing the performance and capabilities of our independent distributors. Our Distribution segment serves a highly diverse customer base with approximately 42 percent of their 2010 revenues being generated from the sale of new engines and power generation equipment, compared to 44 percent in 2009, and the remaining revenue generated by parts and service revenue.

        Financial information about our distributors accounted for under the equity method are incorporated by reference from Note 2, "INVESTMENTS IN EQUITY INVESTEES," to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

8

Table of Contents

        In November 2010, we purchased a majority interest in a previously independent North American distributorship. The acquisition was accounted for under the purchase method of accounting and resulted in an aggregate purchase price of $27 million. The assets of the acquired business were primarily accounts receivable, inventory, and fixed assets. The transaction generated $1 million of goodwill.

        On January 4, 2010, we acquired the remaining 70 percent interest in Cummins Western Canada (CWC) from our former principal for consideration of approximately $71 million in order to increase our ownership interests in key portions of the distribution channel. We formed a new partnership with a new distributor principal where we own 80 percent of CWC and the new distributor principal owns 20 percent. The acquisition was effective on January 1, 2010, and was accounted for as a business combination. The results of the acquired entity were included in the Distribution operating segment as of the acquisition date including $2 million of goodwill. The assets of the acquired business were primarily inventory, fixed assets and accounts receivable. See Note 21, "ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES," to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional detail.

        Our distributors compete with distributors or dealers that offer similar products. In many cases, these competing distributors or dealers are owned by, or affiliated with the companies that are listed above as competitors of our Engine, Power Generation or Components segments. These competitors vary by geographical location.

JOINT VENTURES, ALLIANCES AND NON-WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARIES

        We have entered into a number of joint venture agreements and alliances with business partners around the world. Our joint ventures are either distribution or manufacturing entities. We also own controlling interests in non-wholly-owned manufacturing and distribution subsidiaries. We have three approximately 80 percent owned entities that are consolidated in the Distribution segment as well as several manufacturing joint ventures in the other operating segments.

        In the event of a change of control of either party to these joint ventures and other strategic alliances, certain consequences may result including automatic termination and liquidation of the venture, exercise of "put" or "call" rights of ownership by the non-acquired partner, termination or transfer of technology license rights to the non-acquired partner and increases in component transfer prices to the acquired partner. We will continue to evaluate joint venture and partnership opportunities in order to penetrate new markets, develop new products and generate manufacturing and operational efficiencies.

        Financial information about our investments in joint ventures and alliances is incorporated by reference from Note 2, "INVESTMENTS IN EQUITY INVESTEES," and Note 24, "VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES," to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

9

Table of Contents

        Our equity income from these investees was as follows:

Distribution Entities

•

North American Distributors—Our distribution channel in North America includes 12 partially-owned distributors. Our equity interests in these nonconsolidated entities range from 30 percent to 50 percent. We also have an approximate 80 percent ownership interest in three partially owned distributors which we consolidate. While each distributor is a separate legal entity, the business of each is the same as that of our wholly-owned distributors based in other parts of the world. All of our distributors, irrespective of their legal structure or ownership, offer the full range of our products and services to customers and end-users in their respective markets.



•

Komatsu Cummins Chile, Ltda.—Komatsu Cummins Chile, Ltda. is a joint venture with Komatsu America Corporation. The joint venture is a distributor that offers the full range of our products and services to customers and end-users in the Chilean market.

        Our distribution agreements with independent and partially-owned distributors generally have a three-year term and are restricted to specified territories. Our distributors develop and maintain a network of dealers with which we have no direct relationship. The distributors are permitted to sell other, noncompetitive products only with our consent. We license all of our distributors to use our name and logo in connection with the sale and service of our products, with no right to assign or sublicense the trademarks, except to authorized dealers, without our consent. Products are sold to the distributors at standard domestic or international distributor net prices, as applicable. Net prices are wholesale prices we establish to permit our distributors an adequate margin on their sales. Subject to local laws, we can generally refuse to renew these agreements upon expiration or terminate them upon written notice for inadequate sales, change in principal ownership and certain other reasons. Distributors also have the right to terminate the agreements upon 60-day notice without cause, or

10

Table of Contents

30-day notice for cause. Upon termination or failure to renew, we are required to purchase the distributor's current inventory, signage and special tools, and may, at our option purchase other assets of the distributor, but are under no obligation to do so.

        See further discussion of our distribution network under the Distribution segment section above.

Manufacturing Entities

        Manufacturing joint ventures are generally formed with customers and allow us to increase our market penetration in geographic regions, reduce capital spending, streamline our supply chain management and develop technologies. Our largest manufacturing joint ventures are based in China and are included in the list below. Our engine manufacturing joint ventures are supplied by our Components segment in the same manner as they supply our wholly-owned Engine segment and Power Generation segment manufacturing facilities. Components segment joint ventures and wholly owned entities provide fuel system, filtration and turbocharger products that are used in our engines as well as some competitors' products. These joint ventures are not included in our Consolidated Financial Statements.

•

Dongfeng Cummins Engine Company, Ltd.—Dongfeng Cummins Engine Company, Ltd. (DCEC) is a joint venture in China with Dongfeng Automotive Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Dongfeng Motor Corporation (Dongfeng), one of the largest medium-duty and heavy-duty truck manufacturers in China. DCEC produces Cummins four- to 13-liter mechanical engines, full-electronic diesel engines, with a power range from 125 to 545 horsepower, and natural gas engines.



•

Chongqing Cummins Engine Company, Ltd.—Chongqing Cummins Engine Company, Ltd. is a joint venture in China with Chongqing Machinery and Electric Co. Ltd. The joint venture manufactures several models of our heavy-duty and high-horsepower diesel engines, primarily serving the industrial and stationary power markets in China.



•

Tata Cummins Ltd.—Tata Cummins Ltd. is a joint venture in India with Tata Motors Ltd., the largest automotive company in India and a member of the Tata group of companies. This joint venture manufactures the engines in India for use in trucks manufactured by Tata Motors, as well as for various industrial and power generation applications.



•

Shanghai Fleetguard Filter Co., Ltd.—Shanghai Fleetguard Filter Co., Ltd. is a joint venture in China with Dongfeng that manufactures filtration systems.



•

Komatsu manufacturing alliances—Komatsu manufacturing alliances consists of two manufacturing joint ventures and one design joint venture including two in Japan and one in the U.S. with Komatsu Ltd. The joint ventures manufacture Cummins-designed medium-duty engines in Japan and Komatsu-designed high-horsepower engines in the United States (U.S.) The industrial engine design joint venture is located in Japan.



•

Cummins Westport, Inc.—Cummins Westport Inc. is a joint venture in Canada with Westport Innovations Inc. to market and sell automotive spark-ignited natural gas engines worldwide and to participate in joint technology projects on low-emission technologies.



•

Valvoline Cummins, Ltd.—Valvoline Cummins, Ltd. is a joint venture in India with Ashland Inc., USA. This joint venture manufactures and distributes lubricants and oil related products in India which are used in automotive and industrial applications. Products include transmission fluids, hydraulic lubricants, automotive filters, cooling system products, greases and specialty products.



•

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel Marine, LLC—Cummins MerCruiser Diesel Marine, LLC is a joint venture in the U.S. with Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation, to develop, manufacture and sell recreational marine diesel products, including engines, sterndrive packages,

11

Table of Contents

inboard packages, instrument and controls, service systems and replacement and service parts and assemblies, complete integration systems and other related products.

•

Beijing Foton Cummins Engine Co., Ltd.—Beijing Foton Cummins Engine Co., Ltd. is a joint venture in China with Beijing Foton Motor Co., Ltd., a commercial vehicle manufacturer, which produces two families of Cummins high performance light-duty diesel engines in Beijing. The engines are used in light-duty commercial trucks, pickup trucks, multipurpose and sport utility vehicles. Certain types of marine, small construction equipment and industrial applications are also served by these engine families.

Non-Wholly-Owned Manufacturing Subsidiary

        We have a controlling interest in Cummins India Ltd. (CIL), which is a publicly listed company on various stock exchanges in India. CIL produces mid-range, heavy-duty and high-horsepower engines, as well as generators for the Indian and export markets. CIL also produces compressed natural gas spark-ignited engines licensed from another of our joint ventures. CIL's net income attributable to Cummins was $46 million, $28 million and $36 million for 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

SUPPLY

        We source our materials and manufactured components from leading suppliers both domestically and internationally. We machine and assemble some of the components used in our engines and power generation units, including blocks, heads, turbochargers, connecting rods, camshafts, crankshafts, filters, exhaust systems, alternators and fuel systems. We single source approximately 60 to 70 percent of the total types of parts in our product designs. We have long-term agreements with critical suppliers to assure the right capacity, delivery and quality. Although we elect to source a relatively high proportion of our total raw materials and component requirements from sole suppliers, we have established a process to annually review our sourcing strategies with a focus on the reduction of risk, which has led us to dual source critical components, where possible. We are also developing suppliers in many global or emerging markets to serve our businesses across the globe and provide alternative sources in the event of disruption from existing suppliers.

PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS

        We own or control a significant number of patents and trademarks relating to the products we manufacture. These patents and trademarks were granted and registered over a period of years. Although these patents and trademarks are generally considered beneficial to our operations, we do not believe any patent, group of patents, or trademark (other than our leading brand house trademarks) is considered significant to our business.

SEASONALITY

        While individual product lines may experience modest seasonal declines in production, there is no material effect on the demand for the majority of our products on a quarterly basis with the exception that our Power Generation segment normally experiences seasonal declines in the first quarter due to general declines in construction spending during this period and our Distribution segment normally experiences seasonal declines in first quarter business activity due to holiday periods in Asia and Australia.

LARGEST CUSTOMERS

        We have thousands of customers around the world and have developed long-standing business relationships with many of them. We have long-term heavy-duty engine supply agreements with PACCAR and Volvo Trucks North America. We have mid-range supply agreements with PACCAR, as

12

Table of Contents

its exclusive engine supplier, as well as with Daimler Trucks North America (formerly Freightliner LLC), Ford and MAN (formerly Volkswagen). We also have an agreement with Chrysler for supplying the engine for use in Dodge Ram trucks. In our off-highway markets, Cummins has various engine and component supply agreements ranging across our midrange and high-horsepower businesses with Komatsu Ltd., as well as various joint ventures and other license agreements in our Engine, Component and Distribution segments. Collectively, our net sales to these seven customers was approximately 25 percent of consolidated net sales in 2010, compared to approximately 23 percent in 2009 and 22 percent in 2008 and individually was less than eight percent of consolidated net sales to any single customer in 2010, compared to less than nine percent and less than eight percent in 2009 and 2008, respectively. These agreements contain standard purchase and sale agreement terms covering engine and engine parts pricing, quality and delivery commitments, as well as engineering product support obligations. The basic nature of our agreements with OEM customers is that they are long-term price and operations agreements that assure the availability of our products to each customer through the duration of the respective agreements. Agreements with most OEMs contain bilateral termination provisions giving either party the right to terminate in the event of a material breach, change of control or insolvency or bankruptcy of the other party.

BACKLOG

        As a result of the improving economy in 2010, our lead times increased from their lower levels during the recession. While we have supply agreements with some truck and off-highway equipment OEMs, most of our business is transacted through open purchase orders. These open orders are historically subject to month-to-month releases and are subject to cancellation on reasonable notice without cancellation charges and therefore are not considered firm.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSE

        Our research and development program is focused on product improvements, innovations and cost reductions for our customers. We expense research and development expenditures, net of contract reimbursements, when incurred. Research and development expenses, net of contract reimbursements, were $402 million in 2010, $362 million in 2009 and $422 million in 2008. Contract reimbursements were $68 million in 2010, $92 million in 2009 and $61 million in 2008.

        For 2010, 2009 and 2008, approximately $38 million, $151 million and $116 million or 9 percent, 42 percent and 27 percent respectively, were directly related to compliance with 2010 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission standards. For 2010, approximately $36 million or 9 percent was directly related to compliance with 2013 EPA emission standards. In 2010, we increased research, development and engineering expenses as we continued to invest in future critical technologies and products. We will continue to make investments to improve our current technologies, to continue to meet the future emission requirements around the world and improve fuel economy.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

Sustainability

        We continue to be a leader in sustainable business development and practices. We have invested significantly in new products and technologies designed to further lower emission and increase fuel efficiency from our products. We have increased our commitment to addressing the global impact of climate change through the structured approach of our 10 climate change principles developed last year that address ways we are becoming a greater part of the solution. We have worked collaboratively with customers to improve their fuel economy and reduce their carbon footprint. We have significantly reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from our facilities through a strong energy efficiency program and we met our publically stated goal of 25 percent intensity reduction after complete 2010 goal-year

13

Table of Contents

environmental data was verified. We have taken leadership positions on climate change by articulating our positions on key public policy issues surrounding climate change. For the sixth consecutive year, we were named to the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index, which recognizes the top 10 percent of the world's largest 2,500 companies in economic, environmental and social leadership. Our sustainability report for 2010 is available on our website at www.cummins.com.

Product Environmental Compliance

        Our engines are subject to extensive statutory and regulatory requirements that directly or indirectly impose standards governing emission and noise. Our products comply with all current emission standards that the EPA, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and other state and international regulatory agencies have established for heavy-duty on-highway diesel and gas engines and off-highway engines. Our ability to comply with these and future emission standards is an essential element in maintaining our leadership position in regulated markets. We have made, and will continue to make, significant capital and research expenditures to comply with these standards. Failure to comply with these standards could result in adverse effects on our future financial results.

EPA Engine Certifications

        The current on-highway emission standards came into effect in the U.S. on January 1, 2010. To meet the 2010 U.S. EPA heavy-duty on-highway emission standards, we used an evolution of our proven 2007 technology solution to maintain power and torque with substantial fuel economy improvement and maintenance intervals comparable with our 2007 compliant engines. We offer a complete lineup of on-highway engines to meet the near-zero emission standards. Mid-range and heavy-duty engines for EPA 2010 require nitrogen oxide (NOx) aftertreatment. NOx reduction is achieved by an integrated technology solution comprised of the XPI High Pressure Common Rail fuel system, Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology, next-generation cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), advanced electronic controls, proven air handling and the Cummins Particulate Filter. The EPA and CARB have certified that our engines meet the 2010 emission requirements. Emission standards in international markets, including Europe, Japan, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, India and China are becoming more stringent. We believe that our experience in meeting U.S. emission standards leaves us well positioned to take advantage of opportunities in these markets as the need for emission control capability grows.

        Federal and California regulations require manufacturers to report failures of emission-related components to the EPA and CARB when the failure rate reaches a specified level. At higher failure rates, a product recall may be required. In 2010, we submitted eleven reports to the EPA relating to software corrections in the engine control module and to the exhaust aftertreatment system. The software corrections related to the engine control module and exhaust aftertreatment system necessitated the campaigns of approximately 11,400 and 6,310 engines, respectively.

Other Environmental Statutes and Regulations

        Expenditures for environmental control activities and environmental remediation projects at our facilities in the U.S. have not been a substantial portion of our annual capital outlays and are not expected to be material in 2011. Except as follows, we believe we are in compliance in all material respects with laws and regulations applicable to our plants and operations.

        In the U.S., pursuant to notices received from federal and state agencies and/or defendant parties in site environmental contribution actions, we have been identified as a potentially responsible party (PRP) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended or similar state laws, at approximately 20 waste disposal sites. Based upon our experiences at similar sites we believe that our aggregate future remediation costs will not be significant. We have

14

Table of Contents

established accruals that we believe are adequate for our expected future liability with respect to these sites.

        In addition, we have four other sites where we are working with governmental authorities on remediation projects. The costs for these remediation projects are not expected to be material.

EMPLOYEES

        As of December 31, 2010, we employed approximately 39,200 persons worldwide. Approximately 15,500 of our employees worldwide are represented by various unions under collective bargaining agreements that expire between 2011 and 2015. For a discussion of the effects of our 2008 and 2009 restructuring actions on employment, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and Note 22, "RESTRUCTURING AND OTHER CHARGES," to our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-K.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

        We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). You may read and copy any document we file with the SEC at the SEC's public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for information on the public reference room. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy and information statements and other information that issuers (including Cummins) file electronically with the SEC. The SEC's internet site is www.sec.gov.

        Our internet site is www.cummins.com. You can access our Investors and Media webpage through our internet site, by clicking on the heading "Investors and Media" followed by the "Investor Relations" link. We make available, free of charge, on or through our Investors and Media webpage, our proxy statements, annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.

        We also have a Corporate Governance webpage. You can access our Governance Documents webpage through our internet site, www.cummins.com, by clicking on the heading "Investors and Media," followed by the "Investor Relations" link and then the topic heading of "Governance Documents" within the "Corporate Governance" heading. Code of Conduct, Committee Charters and other governance documents are included at this site. Cummins Code of Conduct applies to all employees, regardless of their position or the country in which they work. It also applies to the employees of any entity owned or controlled by us. We will post any amendments to the Code of Conduct and any waivers that are required to be disclosed by the rules of either the SEC or the New York Stock Exchange LLC (NYSE), on our internet site. The information on Cummins internet site is not incorporated by reference into this report.

15

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

        Following are the names and ages of the executive officers of Cummins Inc., their positions with us as of January 31, 2011, and summaries of their backgrounds and business experience:

16

Table of Contents

        Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is elected annually by our Board of Directors and holds office until the first meeting of the Board of Directors following the annual meeting of the shareholders. Other officers are appointed by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, are ratified by our Board of Directors and hold office for such period as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors may prescribe.

ITEM 1A.    Risk Factors

        Set forth below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are some of the principal risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual business results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements contained in this Report and could individually or combined have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows. These risk factors should be considered in addition to our cautionary comments concerning forward-looking statements in this Report, including statements related to markets for our products and trends in our business that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Our separate section above, "CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION," should be considered in addition to the following statements.

The discovery of any significant problems with our new engine platforms in North America could materially adversely impact our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

        The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) have certified all of our 2011 on-highway and off-highway engines, which utilize selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to meet requisite emission levels. We introduced SCR technology into our engine platforms in 2010. The effective performance of SCR technology and the overall performance of these engine platforms impact a number of our operating segments and remain crucial to our success in North America. While the model year 2010 engine platforms have performed well in the field and the 2011 model year engines have undergone extensive testing, the discovery of any significant problems in these platforms could result in recall campaigns, increased warranty costs, reputational risk and brand risk.

Another downturn in our markets could materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows again.

        Although the emerging markets, including China, India and Brazil, recovered in 2010, the global economy remains fragile, with North America and other developed countries continuing to experience sluggish results and certain countries in Europe experiencing a debt crisis. If the global economy were to take another significant downturn, depending upon the length, duration and severity of such a downturn, our results of operations, financial condition and cash flow would almost certainly be materially adversely affected again. Specifically, our revenues would likely decrease, we may be forced to consider further restructuring actions, we may need to increase our allowance for doubtful accounts, our days sales outstanding may increase and we could experience impairments to assets of certain of our businesses.

Another downturn in the North American and European automotive industries could adversely impact our business.

        A number of companies in the global automotive industry have experienced significant financial difficulties in recent years. In North America, General Motors Corporation ("GM"), Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Group, LLC ("Chrysler") experienced declining markets; furthermore, GM and Chrysler previously filed for, and then exited, bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code and accepted substantial monetary infusions from the U.S. government. Automakers across Europe and Japan also experienced difficulties from a weakened economy and tightening credit

17

Table of Contents

markets. Because many of our suppliers also supply automotive industry participants, the difficult automotive industry conditions also adversely affected our supply base. During the recession, lower production levels for some of our key suppliers, increases in certain raw material, commodity and energy costs and the global credit market crisis resulted in severe financial distress among many companies within the automotive supply base. A return to financial distress within the automotive industry and our shared supply base and/or the subsequent bankruptcy of one or more additional automakers may lead to further supplier bankruptcies, commercial disputes, supply chain interruptions, supplier requests for company sponsored capital support or a collapse of the supply chain.

We rely on income from investees that we do not directly control.

        Our net income includes significant equity, royalty and interest income from investees that we do not directly control. For 2010, we recognized $351 million of equity, royalty and interest income from investees, compared to $214 million in 2009. The majority of our equity, royalty and interest income from investees comes from our 12 unconsolidated North American distributors, and from two of our joint ventures in China, Dongfeng Cummins Engine Company, Ltd. ("DCEC") and Chongqing Cummins Engine Company, Ltd. ("CCEC"). Our equity ownership interests in our unconsolidated North American distributors generally range from 30 percent to 50 percent. We have 50 percent equity ownership interests in DCEC and CCEC. As a result, although a significant percentage of our net income is derived from these unconsolidated entities, we do not unilaterally control their management or operations, which puts a substantial portion of our net income at risk from the actions or inactions of these other entities. A significant reduction in the level of contribution by these entities to our net income would likely have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Government regulation could adversely affect our business.

        Our engines are subject to extensive statutory and regulatory requirements governing emission and noise, including standards imposed by the EPA, the European Union, state regulatory agencies, such as the CARB and other regulatory agencies around the world. We have made, and will be required to continue to make, significant capital and research expenditures to comply with these regulatory standards. Developing engines to meet changing government regulatory requirements, with different implementation timelines and emission requirements, makes developing engines efficiently for multiple markets complicated and could result in substantial additional costs that may be difficult to recover in certain markets. In some cases, we may be required to develop new products to comply with new regulations, particularly those relating to air emission. For example, we were required to develop new engines to comply with stringent emission standards in the U.S. by January 1, 2010, including the reduction of NOx emission to near zero levels, among other requirements. While we were able to meet this and previous deadlines, our ability to comply with other existing and future regulatory standards will be essential for us to maintain our position in the engine markets we serve. Further, the successful development and introduction of new and enhanced products in order to comply with new regulatory requirements are subject to other risks, such as delays in product development, cost over-runs and unanticipated technical and manufacturing difficulties.

Our truck manufacturers and OEM customers may not continue to outsource their engine supply needs.

        Several of our engine customers, including PACCAR Inc., Volvo AB and Chrysler, are truck manufacturers or OEMs that manufacture engines for some of their own products. Despite their engine manufacturing abilities, these customers have historically chosen to outsource certain types of engine production to us due to the quality of our engine products, our emission capability, our systems integration, their customers' preferences, their desire for cost reductions, their desire for eliminating production risks and their desire to maintain company focus. However, there can be no assurance that these customers will continue to outsource, or outsource as much of, their engine production in the

18

Table of Contents

future. Increased levels of OEM vertical integration could result from a number of factors, such as shifts in our customers' business strategies, acquisition by a customer of another engine manufacturer, the inability of third-party suppliers to meet product specifications and the emergence of low-cost production opportunities in foreign countries. Any significant reduction in the level of engine production outsourcing from our truck manufacturer or OEM customers could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our products are exposed to variability in material and commodity costs.

        Our businesses establish prices with our customers in accordance with contractual time frames; however, the timing of market price increases may prevent us from passing these additional costs on to our customers through timely pricing actions. Additionally, higher material and commodity costs around the world may offset our efforts to reduce our cost structure. While we customarily enter into financial transactions to address some of these risks (i.e. copper, platinum and palladium), there can be no assurance that commodity price fluctuations will not adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. In addition, while the use of commodity price hedging instruments may provide us with protection from adverse fluctuations in commodity prices, by utilizing these instruments we potentially forego the benefits that might result from favorable fluctuations in price. As a result, higher material and commodity costs, as well as hedging these commodity costs during periods of decreasing prices, could result in declining margins.

We are subject to currency exchange rate and other related risks.

        We conduct operations in many areas of the world involving transactions denominated in a variety of currencies. We are subject to currency exchange rate risk to the extent that our costs are denominated in currencies other than those in which we earn revenues. In addition, since our financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars, changes in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and other currencies have had, and will continue to have, an impact on our results of operations. While we customarily enter into financial transactions to address these risks, there can be no assurance that currency exchange rate fluctuations will not adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. In addition, while the use of currency hedging instruments may provide us with protection from adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates, by utilizing these instruments we potentially forego the benefits that might result from favorable fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

        We also face risks arising from the imposition of exchange controls and currency devaluations. Exchange controls may limit our ability to convert foreign currencies into U.S. dollars or to remit dividends and other payments by our foreign subsidiaries or businesses located in or conducted within a country imposing controls. Currency devaluations result in a diminished value of funds denominated in the currency of the country instituting the devaluation.

We are vulnerable to supply shortages from single-sourced suppliers.

        During 2010, we single sourced approximately 60 to 70 percent of the total types of parts in our product designs. Any delay in our suppliers' deliveries may adversely affect our operations at multiple manufacturing locations, forcing us to seek alternative supply sources to avoid serious disruptions. Delays may be caused by factors affecting our suppliers, including capacity constraints, labor disputes, economic downturns, availability of credit, the impaired financial condition of a particular supplier, suppliers' allocations to other purchasers, weather emergencies or acts of war or terrorism. Any extended delay in receiving critical supplies could impair our ability to deliver products to our customers.

19

Table of Contents

Our products are subject to recall for performance or safety-related issues.

        Our products may be subject to recall for performance or safety-related issues. Product recalls subject us to harm to our reputation, loss of current and future customers, reduced revenue and product recall costs. Product recall costs are incurred when we decide, either voluntarily or involuntarily, to recall a product through a formal campaign to solicit the return of specific products due to a known or suspected performance issue.

We face significant competition in the markets we serve.

        The markets in which we operate are highly competitive. We compete worldwide with a number of other manufacturers and distributors that produce and sell similar products. We primarily compete in the market with diesel engines and related diesel products; however, new technologies continue to be developed for gasoline and other technologies and we will continue to face new competition from these expanding technologies. Our products primarily compete on the basis of price, performance, fuel economy, speed of delivery, quality and customer support. We also face competitors in some emerging markets who have established local practices and long standing relationships with participants in these markets. There can be no assurance that our products will be able to compete successfully with the products of other companies and in other markets. For a more complete discussion of the competitive environment in which each of our segments operates, see "Operating Segments" in "Item 1 Business."

We are exposed to political, economic and other risks that arise from operating a multinational business.

        Approximately 64 percent of our net sales for 2010 were attributable to customers outside the U.S., compared to 52 percent in 2009. Accordingly, our business is subject to the political, economic and other risks that are inherent in operating in numerous countries. These risks include:

•

the difficulty of enforcing agreements and collecting receivables through foreign legal systems;



•

trade protection measures and import or export licensing requirements;



•

the imposition of taxes on foreign income and tax rates in certain foreign countries that exceed those in the U.S.;



•

the imposition of tariffs, exchange controls or other restrictions;



•

difficulty in staffing and managing widespread operations and the application of foreign labor regulations;



•

required compliance with a variety of foreign laws and regulations; and



•

changes in general economic and political conditions in countries where we operate, particularly in emerging markets.

        As we continue to operate our business globally, our success will depend, in part, on our ability to anticipate and effectively manage these and other related risks. There can be no assurance that the consequences of these and other factors relating to our multinational operations will not have a material adverse effect upon us.

Significant declines in future financial and stock market conditions could diminish our pension plan asset performance and adversely impact our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

        We sponsor both funded and unfunded domestic and foreign defined benefit pension and other retirement plans. Our pension expense and the required contributions to our pension plans are directly affected by the value of plan assets, the projected and actual rates of return on plan assets and the actuarial assumptions we use to measure our defined benefit pension plan obligations, including the discount rate at which future projected and accumulated pension obligations are discounted to a

20

Table of Contents

present value. We could experience increased pension expense due to a combination of factors, including the decreased investment performance of pension plan assets, decreases in the discount rate and changes in our assumptions relating to the expected return on plan assets.

        Significant declines in future financial and stock market conditions could cause material losses in our pension plan assets, which could result in increased pension expense in future years and adverse changes to our financial condition. Depending upon the severity of market declines and government regulatory changes, we may be legally obligated to make pension payments in the U.S. and perhaps other countries, and these contributions could be material.

We face reputational and legal risk from operation outside the U.S. and affiliations with joint venture partners

        Several of our foreign subsidiaries, affiliates and joint venture partners are located outside the U.S. with laws, rules and business practices that differ from those of the U.S. The activities of these entities may not comply with U.S. laws or customs or our Code of Business Conduct and actions by these entities may cause us legal or reputational risk if they violate applicable laws, rules or business practices.

We face the challenge of increasing our capacity and ramping up our production at the appropriate pace as we exit the downturn.

        Prior to the recession, we experienced capacity constraints and longer lead times for certain products. Accurately forecasting our expected volumes and appropriately adjusting our capacity as we exit the downturn have been, and will continue to be, important factors in determining our results of operations. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to increase manufacturing capacity to a level that meets demand for our products, which could prevent us from meeting increased customer demand and could harm our business. However, if we overestimate our demand and overbuild our capacity, we may have significantly underutilized assets and we may experience reduced margins. If we do not accurately align our manufacturing capabilities with demand it could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Our business is exposed to risks of product liability claims.

        We face an inherent business risk of exposure to product liability claims in the event that our products' failure to perform to specification results, or is alleged to result in property damage, bodily injury and/or death. We may experience material product liability losses in the future. While we maintain insurance coverage with respect to certain product liability claims, we may not be able to obtain such insurance on acceptable terms in the future, if at all, and any such insurance may not provide adequate coverage against product liability claims. In addition, product liability claims can be expensive to defend and can divert the attention of management and other personnel for significant periods of time, regardless of the ultimate outcome. An unsuccessful defense of a significant product liability claim could have a material adverse effect upon us. In addition, even if we are successful in defending against a claim relating to our products, claims of this nature could cause our customers to lose confidence in our products and us.

We may need to write off significant investments in our new light-duty diesel engine platforms if customer commitments further deteriorate.

        We began development of a new light-duty diesel engine platform in July 2006 to be used in a variety of on- and off-highway applications. Since that time, and as of December 31, 2010, we have capitalized investments of approximately $218 million. Market uncertainty due to the global recession resulted in some customers delaying or cancelling their vehicle programs, while others remain active. If customer expectations or volume projections further deteriorate from our current levels and we do not

21

Table of Contents

identify new customers, we may need to recognize an impairment charge and write the assets down to net realizable value.

Our operations are subject to extensive environmental laws and regulations.

        Our plants and operations are subject to increasingly stringent environmental laws and regulations in all of the countries in which we operate, including laws and regulations governing air emission, discharges to water and the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of waste materials. While we believe that we are in compliance in all material respects with these environmental laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that we will not be adversely impacted by costs, liabilities or claims with respect to existing or subsequently acquired operations, under either present laws and regulations or those that may be adopted or imposed in the future. We are also subject to laws requiring the cleanup of contaminated property. If a release of hazardous substances occurs at or from any of our current or former properties or at a landfill or another location where we have disposed of hazardous materials, we may be held liable for the contamination and the amount of such liability could be material.

Unanticipated changes in our effective tax rate, the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional income tax liabilities could adversely affect our profitability.

        We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. and numerous international jurisdictions. Our income tax provision and cash tax liability in the future could be adversely affected by changes in the distribution of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, changes in tax laws and the discovery of new information in the course of our tax return preparation process. The carrying value of deferred tax assets, which are predominantly in the U.S., is dependent on our ability to generate future taxable income in the U.S. We are also subject to ongoing tax audits. These audits can involve complex issues, which may require an extended period of time to resolve and can be highly judgmental. Tax authorities may disagree with certain tax reporting positions taken by us and, as a result, assess additional taxes against us. We regularly assess the likely outcomes of these audits in order to determine the appropriateness of our tax provision. The amounts ultimately paid upon resolution of these or subsequent tax audits could be materially different from the amounts previously included in our income tax provision and, therefore, could have a material impact on our tax provision.

We may be adversely impacted by work stoppages and other labor matters.

        As of December 31, 2010, we employed approximately 39,200 persons worldwide. Approximately 15,500 of our employees worldwide are represented by various unions under collective bargaining agreements that expire between 2011 and 2015. While we have no reason to believe that we will be impacted by work stoppages and other labor matters, there can be no assurance that future issues with our labor unions will be resolved favorably or that we will not encounter future strikes, work stoppages, or other types of conflicts with labor unions or our employees. Any of these consequences may have an adverse effect on us or may limit our flexibility in dealing with our workforce. In addition, many of our customers and suppliers have unionized work forces. Work stoppages or slow-downs experienced by our customers or suppliers could result in slow-downs or closures that would have a material adverse effect on our operations.

22

Table of Contents

Our financial statements are subject to changes in accounting standards that could adversely impact our profitability or financial position.

        Our financial statements are subject to the application of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP), which are periodically revised and/or expanded. Accordingly, from time to time we are required to adopt new or revised accounting standards issued by recognized authoritative bodies, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board. Recently, accounting standard setters issued new guidance which further interprets or seeks to revise accounting pronouncements related to revenue recognition and lease accounting as well as to issue new standards expanding disclosures. The impact of accounting pronouncements that have been issued but not yet implemented is disclosed in our annual and quarterly reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. An assessment of proposed standards is not provided, as such proposals are subject to change through the exposure process and, therefore, their effects on our financial statements cannot be meaningfully assessed. It is possible that future accounting standards we are required to adopt could change the current accounting treatment that we apply to our consolidated financial statements and that such changes could have a material adverse effect on the reported results of operations and financial position.

ITEM 1B.    Unresolved Staff Comments

        None.

ITEM 2.    Properties

Manufacturing Facilities

        Our principal manufacturing facilities include our plants used by the following segments in the following locations:

23

Table of Contents

        In addition, engines and engine components are manufactured by joint ventures or independent licensees at manufacturing plants in the U.K., China, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, Turkey and Indonesia.

Distribution Facilities

        The principal distribution facilities used by our Distribution segment are located in the following locations:

Headquarters and Other Offices

        Our Corporate Headquarters are located in Columbus, Indiana. Additional marketing and operational headquarters are in the following locations:

24

Table of Contents

ITEM 3.    Legal Proceedings

        We are subject to numerous lawsuits and claims arising out of the ordinary course of our business, including actions related to product liability; personal injury; the use and performance of our products; warranty matters; patent, trademark or other intellectual property infringement; contractual liability; the conduct of our business; tax reporting in foreign jurisdictions; distributor termination; workplace safety; and environmental matters. We also have been identified as a potentially responsible party at multiple waste disposal sites under U.S. federal and related state environmental statutes and regulations and may have joint and several liability for any investigation and remediation costs incurred with respect to such sites. We have denied liability with respect to many of these lawsuits, claims and proceedings and are vigorously defending such lawsuits, claims and proceedings. We carry various forms of commercial, property and casualty, product liability and other forms of insurance; however, such insurance may not be applicable or adequate to cover the costs associated with a judgment against us with respect to these lawsuits, claims and proceedings. We do not believe that these lawsuits are material individually or in the aggregate. While we believe we have also established adequate accruals for our expected future liability with respect to pending lawsuits, claims and proceedings, where the nature and extent of any such liability can be reasonably estimated based upon then presently available information, there can be no assurance that the final resolution of any existing or future lawsuits, claims or proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

ITEM 4.    (Removed and Reserved)

PART II

ITEM 5.    Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

        (a)   Our common stock, par value $2.50 per share, is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "CMI." For information about the quoted market prices of our common stock, information regarding dividend payments and the number of common stock shareholders, see "Selected Quarterly Financial Data" in this report. For other matters related to our common stock and shareholders' equity, see Note 14, "CUMMINS INC. SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY," to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

        (b)   Use of proceeds—not applicable.

        (c)   The following information is provided pursuant to Item 703 of Regulation S-K:

25

Table of Contents

        In December 2007, the Board of Directors authorized us to acquire an additional $500 million of our common stock beginning in 2008. This authorization does not have an expiration date. We acquired $128 million in 2008, $20 million in 2009 and $241 million in 2010, leaving $111 million available for purchase under this authorization at December 31, 2010. In February 2011, the Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase program and authorized the acquisition of up to $1 billion of Cummins common stock upon the completion of the $500 million program.

        During the fourth quarter of 2010, we repurchased 38,039 shares from employees in connection with the Key Employee Stock Investment Plan which allows certain employees, other than officers, to purchase shares of common stock on an installment basis up to an established credit limit. Loans are issued for initial five-year terms at a fixed interest rate established at the date of purchase and may be refinanced after its initial five-year period for an additional five-year period. Participants must hold shares for a minimum of six months from date of purchase and after shares are sold must wait six months before another share purchase may be made. We hold participants' shares as security for the loans and would, in effect repurchase shares if the participant defaulted in repayment of the loan. There is no maximum amount of shares that we may purchase under this plan.

26

Table of Contents

Performance Graph (Unaudited)

        The following Performance Graph and related information shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the Securities and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into such filing.

        The following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock for the last five years with the cumulative total return on the S&P 500 Index and an index of peer companies selected by us. In 2010, we re-evaluated our peer group that management benchmarks against and have chosen to include companies that participate in similar end-markets and have similar businesses. Our revised peer group includes BorgWarner Inc, Caterpillar, Inc., Daimler AG, Danaher Corporation, Deere & Company, Donaldson Company Inc., Eaton Corporation, Emerson Electric Co., W.W. Grainger Inc. , Honeywell International, Illinois Tool Works Inc., Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd., Navistar International Corporation, Paccar Inc., Parker-Hannifin Corporation, Textron Inc. and Volvo AB. Each of the measures of cumulative total return assumes reinvestment of dividends. The comparisons in this table are required by the SEC and are not intended to forecast or be indicative of possible future performance of our stock.

COMPARISON OF 5-YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN AMONG CUMMINS, INC., S&P 500
INDEX AND CUSTOM PEER GROUP

ASSUMES $100 INVESTED ON JAN 01, 2006
ASSUMES DIVIDEND REINVESTED
FISCAL YEAR ENDING DEC 31, 2010

27

Table of Contents

ITEM 6.    Selected Financial Data

        The selected financial information presented below for each of the five years ended December 31, 2010, was derived from our Consolidated Financial Statements. This information should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

28

Table of Contents

ITEM 7.    Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

ORGANIZATION OF INFORMATION

        The following Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") was prepared to provide the reader with a view and perspective of our business through the eyes of management and should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying notes to those financial statements. Our MD&A is presented in the following sections:

•

Executive Summary and Financial Highlights



•

2011 Outlook



•

Results of Operations



•

Restructuring and Other Charges



•

Operating Segment Results



•

Liquidity and Capital Resources



•

Contractual Obligations and Other Commercial Commitments



•

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements



•

Application of Critical Accounting Estimates



•

Recently Adopted and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

29

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

        We are a global power leader that designs, manufactures, distributes and services diesel and natural gas engines, electric power generation systems and engine-related component products, including filtration, exhaust aftertreatment, fuel systems, controls and air handling systems. We sell our products to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), distributors and other customers worldwide. We have long-standing relationships with many of the leading manufacturers in the markets we serve, including PACCAR Inc., Chrysler Group, LLC, Daimler Trucks North America, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, Ford Motor Company, Komatsu, Volvo AB and Case New Holland. We serve our customers through a network of more than 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 6,000 dealer locations in more than 190 countries and territories.

        Our reportable operating segments consist of the following: Engine, Power Generation, Components and Distribution. This reporting structure is organized according to the products and markets each segment serves and allows management to focus its efforts on providing enhanced service to a wide range of customers. The Engine segment produces engines and parts for sale to customers in on-highway and various industrial markets. The engines are used in trucks of all sizes, buses and recreational vehicles, as well as various industrial applications including construction, mining, agriculture, marine, oil and gas, rail and military. The Power Generation segment is an integrated provider of power systems which sells engines, generator sets and alternators. The Components segment sells filtration products, exhaust aftertreatment systems, turbochargers and fuel systems. The Distribution segment includes wholly-owned and partially-owned distributorships engaged in wholesaling engines, generator sets and service parts, as well as performing service and repair activities on our products and maintaining relationships with various OEMs throughout the world.

        Our financial performance depends, in large part, on varying conditions in the markets we serve, particularly the on-highway, construction and general industrial markets. Demand in these markets tends to fluctuate in response to overall economic conditions and is particularly sensitive to changes in interest rate levels and our customers' access to credit. Our sales may also be impacted by OEM inventory levels and production schedules and stoppages. Economic downturns in markets we serve generally result in reductions in sales and pricing of our products. As a worldwide business, our operations are also affected by political, economic and regulatory matters, including environmental and emission standards, in the countries we serve. At the same time, our geographic diversity and broad product and service offerings have helped limit the impact from a drop in demand in any one industry or customer or the economy of any single country on our consolidated results.

        In 2010, emerging markets recovered with stronger demand in China, India and Brazil, while we started to see modest but uneven signs of recovery in developed markets. As we expected, after the strong demand in the second half of 2009, in advance of the 2010 United States (U.S.) emission change, demand for heavy-duty on-highway products in North America decreased approximately 61 percent in 2010 versus 2009. In addition, medium-duty truck shipments in North America decreased 34 percent in 2010 versus 2009. Excluding North American on-highway markets, overall order trends improved and were consistent with our expectations of organic revenue growth in 2010. In recognition of the global economic challenges, we launched significant restructuring initiatives in late 2008 and 2009 that were designed to reduce structural and overhead costs across all of our businesses, improve operational performance, strengthen our position in emerging markets and prepare to capitalize on the eventual recovery in North America and Europe. These initiatives helped to mitigate the adverse volume impacts that certain markets experienced and they better position us for when a more robust economic recovery extends beyond the emerging markets. Despite the slow recovery in the U.S. markets and Europe, we were able to operate much more efficiently and, as a result, recorded the most profitable results in our history in 2010.

30

Table of Contents

        The following table contains sales and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) results by operating segment for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009. Refer to the section titled "Operating Segment Results" later in MD&A for a more detailed discussion of net sales and EBIT by operating segment including the reconciliation of segment EBIT to income before taxes.

Operating Segments

        Net income attributable to Cummins Inc. for 2010 was $1,040 million, or $5.28 per diluted share, on sales of $13.2 billion, compared to 2009 net income attributable to Cummins Inc. of $428 million, or $2.16 per diluted share, on sales of $10.8 billion. We recorded restructuring and other charges of $99 million ($65 million after - -tax, or $0.33 per diluted share) in 2009. For a detailed discussion of restructuring see Note 22, "RESTRUCTURING AND OTHER CHARGES," to our Consolidated Financial Statements. The increase in income was driven by higher volumes in emerging markets, price improvements, increased equity income, decreased warranty expenses and restructuring charges incurred in 2009 that were not repeated in 2010. These were partially offset by higher income tax expense, selling, general and administrative expenses and research, development and engineering expenses in 2010 as compared to 2009.

        In 2010, we recorded a pre-tax recovery of $32 million ($21 million after -tax, or $0.11 per diluted share) related to the overpayment of revenue based taxes on imported products in Brazil from 2004-2008. The tax recovery was recorded in cost of sales in our non segment business results as it was not considered by management in its evaluation of operating results for the year.

        We generated $1,006 million of operating cash flows for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010, compared to $1,137 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2009. Refer to the section titled "Operating Activities" later in the MD&A for a discussion of items impacting cash flows. In December 2007, our Board of Directors authorized the acquisition of up to $500 million of our common stock. In February 2009, we temporarily suspended our stock repurchase program to conserve cash through the U.S. recession. We resumed stock repurchases under our Board authorization in the fourth quarter of 2009 and we have repurchased $241 million of common stock during 2010. In February 2011, the Board of Directors authorized the acquisition of up to $1 billion of Cummins common stock. In July 2010, our Board authorized a dividend increase of 50 percent to $0.2625 effective in the third quarter. Our debt to capital ratio (total capital defined as debt plus equity) at December 31, 2010, was 14.4 percent, compared to 14.9 percent at December 31, 2009. We currently have a Baa2 credit rating with a stable outlook from Moody's Investors Services, a BBB+ credit rating with a stable outlook from Standard and Poor's and a BBB+ credit rating and a positive outlook from Fitch. In addition to the $1.362 billion in cash and marketable securities on hand, we have sufficient access to our revolver and accounts receivable program to meet currently anticipated growth and funding needs.

31

Table of Contents

        Our global pension plans, including our unfunded non-qualified plans, were 96 percent funded at year-end 2010. The U.S. qualified plan, which is approximately 62 percent of the worldwide pension obligation, was 99 percent funded, and the international plans were 107 percent funded. Asset returns in 2010 for the U.S. qualified plan were 15.2 percent while the year-end 2010 discount rate was 5.40%, down 0.20 percentage points from the 2009 discount rate of 5.60%. We expect to contribute $130 million of cash to our global pension plans in 2011. We do not have a required minimum pension contribution obligation for our U.S. plans in 2010. We expect pension and other postretirement benefit expense in 2011 to decrease by approximately $5 million pre-tax, or $0.02 per diluted share, when compared to 2010. Refer to application of critical accounting estimates within MD&A and Note 11, "PENSION AND OTHER POST RETIREMENT BENEFITS," to the Consolidated Financial Statements, for additional information concerning our pension and other post-retirement benefit plans.

2011 OUTLOOK

Near-Term:

        In 2010, economies in emerging markets, including China, India and Brazil, recovered and we started to see signs of economic recovery in developed markets. We expect the following positive trends in 2011:

•

Markets for the majority of our products in China, India and Brazil should continue to grow, but at a slower pace than experienced in 2010 and we are expanding our capacity in China and India to meet the expected demand.



•

Our markets in North America are expected to improve, especially with the anticipated strong recovery of on-highway truck markets and a significant improvement in our power generation markets.



•

Other markets for our products will continue to expand, including Mexico, the Middle East and Europe.



•

We expect most of our other markets to continue to grow.

        We expect the following challenges to our business that will put pressure on earnings in 2011:

•

A higher mix of EPA 2010 compliant engines will likely increase our product warranty.



•

We will increase our investment in new product development.



•

Our joint ventures will likely experience slower growth as we invest in capacity.



•

Increasing commodity costs could continue to put downward pressure on earnings.

Long-Term:

        We see improvements in most of our current markets and we are confident that opportunities for long-term profitable growth will continue in the future.

32

Table of Contents

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS