Supplemental cash flow information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Line Items]
Cash paid during the period for income taxes	$ 595	$ 464
Insurance and Other [Member]
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Line Items]
Cash paid during the period for interest	409	395
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member]
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Line Items]
Cash paid during the period for interest	$ 742	$ 683

Amount of cash paid for interest, including, but not limited to, capitalized interest and payment to settle zero-coupon bond attributable to accreted interest of debt discount and debt instrument with insignificant coupon interest rate in relation to effective interest rate of borrowing attributable to accreted interest of debt discount; classified as operating and investing activities.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98513485&loc=d3e4297-108586

Name:	us-gaap_InterestPaid
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration