| OPERATING SEGMENTS (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sep. 28, 2014 | Sep. 29, 2013 | Sep. 28, 2014 | Sep. 29, 2013 | Aug. 04, 2014
 Cummins Eastern Canada LP | Mar. 31, 2014
 Cummins Southern Plains LLC | Feb. 14, 2014
 Cummins Mid-South LLC | Jun. 29, 2014
 Cummins Mid-South LLC | May 31, 2013
 Cummins Rocky Mountain LLC | Jan. 31, 2013
 Cummins Northwest | Sep. 28, 2014
 Engine | Sep. 29, 2013
 Engine | Sep. 28, 2014
 Engine | Sep. 29, 2013
 Engine | Sep. 28, 2014
 Components | Sep. 29, 2013
 Components | Sep. 28, 2014
 Components | Sep. 29, 2013
 Components | Sep. 28, 2014
 Power Generation | Sep. 29, 2013
 Power Generation | Sep. 28, 2014
 Power Generation | Sep. 29, 2013
 Power Generation | Sep. 28, 2014
 Distribution | Sep. 29, 2013
 Distribution | Sep. 28, 2014
 Distribution | Sep. 29, 2013
 Distribution | Sep. 28, 2014
 Distribution
 Cummins Eastern Canada LP | Sep. 28, 2014
 Distribution
 Cummins Eastern Canada LP | Sep. 28, 2014
 Distribution
 Cummins Southern Plains LLC | Sep. 28, 2014
 Distribution
 Cummins Mid-South LLC | Sep. 29, 2013
 Distribution
 Cummins Rocky Mountain LLC | Sep. 29, 2013
 Distribution
 Cummins Northwest | Sep. 28, 2014
 Non-segment items | Sep. 29, 2013
 Non-segment items | Sep. 28, 2014
 Non-segment items | Sep. 29, 2013
 Non-segment items | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales
 Engine | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales
 Engine | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales
 Engine | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales
 Engine | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales
 Components | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales
 Components | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales
 Components | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales
 Components | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales
 Power Generation | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales
 Power Generation | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales
 Power Generation | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales
 Power Generation | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales
 Distribution | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales
 Distribution | Sep. 28, 2014
 External Sales
 Distribution | Sep. 29, 2013
 External Sales
 Distribution | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Engine | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Engine | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Engine | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Engine | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Components | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Components | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Components | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Components | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Power Generation | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Power Generation | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Power Generation | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Power Generation | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Distribution | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Distribution | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Distribution | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Distribution | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Non-segment items | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Non-segment items | Sep. 28, 2014
 Intersegment sales
 Non-segment items | Sep. 29, 2013
 Intersegment sales
 Non-segment items | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Engine | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Engine | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Engine | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Engine | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Components | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Components | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Components | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Components | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Power Generation | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Power Generation | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Power Generation | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Power Generation | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Distribution | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Distribution | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Distribution | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Distribution | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Non-segment items | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Non-segment items | Sep. 28, 2014
 Reportable segment
 Non-segment items | Sep. 29, 2013
 Reportable segment
 Non-segment items | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating results: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total sales | $ 4,890 | [1] | $ 4,266 | [1] | $ 14,131 | [1] | $ 12,713 | [1] | $ 4,890 | $ 4,266 | $ 14,131 | $ 12,713 | $ 2,181 | $ 2,045 | $ 6,449 | $ 6,139 | $ 946 | $ 784 | $ 2,821 | $ 2,292 | $ 481 | $ 499 | $ 1,408 | $ 1,621 | $ 1,282 | $ 938 | $ 3,453 | $ 2,661 | $ 635 | $ 447 | $ 1,674 | $ 1,312 | $ 341 | $ 288 | $ 976 | $ 915 | $ 273 | $ 213 | $ 728 | $ 651 | $ 10 | $ 6 | $ 27 | $ 15 | $ (1,259) | [2] | $ (954) | [2] | $ (3,405) | [2] | $ (2,893) | [2] | $ 2,816 | $ 2,492 | $ 8,123 | $ 7,451 | $ 1,287 | $ 1,072 | $ 3,797 | $ 3,207 | $ 754 | $ 712 | $ 2,136 | $ 2,272 | $ 1,292 | $ 944 | $ 3,480 | $ 2,676 | $ (1,259) | [2] | $ (954) | [2] | $ (3,405) | [2] | $ (2,893) | [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 112 | [3] | 105 | [3] | 328 | [3] | 304 | [3] | 50 | [3] | 53 | [3] | 153 | [3] | 156 | [3] | 27 | [3] | 24 | [3] | 79 | [3] | 71 | [3] | 13 | [3] | 13 | [3] | 38 | [3] | 37 | [3] | 22 | [3] | 15 | [3] | 58 | [3] | 40 | [3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Research, development and engineering expenses | 198 | 173 | 567 | 532 | 114 | 103 | 335 | 310 | 64 | 51 | 170 | 165 | 18 | 18 | 55 | 53 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Equity, royalty and interest income from investees | 99 | 91 | 294 | 281 | 40 | 31 | 117 | 106 | 9 | 5 | 27 | 21 | 13 | 13 | 30 | 30 | 37 | 42 | 120 | 124 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interest income | 6 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Segment EBIT | 684 | 536 | 1,869 | 1,594 | 330 | 272 | 910 | 806 | 172 | 132 | 524 | 387 | 60 | 45 | 146 | 172 | 131 | [4] | 86 | [4] | 333 | [4] | 281 | [4] | (9) | [2] | 1 | [2] | (44) | [2] | (52) | [2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Less: Interest expense | 15 | 8 | 47 | 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES | 669 | 528 | 1,822 | 1,572 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortization of debt discount and deferred costs excluded | 2 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gain on remeasurement of pre-existing ownership interest in the acquiree company | $ 38 | $ 12 | $ 18 | $ 13 | $ 6 | $ 1 | $ 5 | $ 7 | $ 18 | $ 0 | $ 38 | $ 12 | $ 18 | $ 18 | $ 13 | $ 7 | $ 5 | $ 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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