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6/12/2026
Compiled by Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
Greenbrier is a leading intermodal unit solutions provider, offering rail-car designs that support North America’s evolving transportation infrastructure, company officials said in an email. Greenbrier’s intermodal cars are engineered to improve loading efficiency, increase capacity and support the seamless movement of freight across North America.
The company’s double-stack and international (ISO) intermodal units play a vital role in enabling efficient, safe and reliable movement of goods across the rail network, Greenbrier officials said.
The car builder has helped shape the industry since the early days of containerized transportation. In 1984, Greenbrier designed and built the first intermodal car capable of double-stacking shipping containers.
Today, Greenbrier continues to build on that legacy by maintaining a strong focus on safety, durability and operational performance, company officials said.
Its current portfolio features high-performance intermodal solutions tailored to modern logistics demands. The Maxi-Stack® IV Car, a three-unit articulated design, is widely used in domestic service and optimized for 53-foot containers, offering an ideal balance of capacity and efficiency, Greenbrier officials said.
The Maxi-Stack® I Car supports ISO container service with a five-unit articulated configuration designed for 20- to 40-foot containers. For heavier loads, the 53-foot Husky-Stack™ Car offers high-capacity performance in a single-unit platform.
The 53-foot All-Purpose Double-Stack Car provides added versatility, accommodating both containers and trailers, including multiple trailer configurations, company officials said.
TrinityRail® has supported the intermodal space as part of its commitment to being a full-service provider of all types of rail products and services, company officials said.
An ongoing focus: To continuously improve the intermodal product line as market needs evolve, while also striving to create more homogeneous products and a customer-focused family of intermodal product offerings that includes both articulated and single-unit heavy-duty cars, Trinity officials said.
The goal is to maximize design and user interface through a continuing collaborative effort with customers, including Class Is and other key industry stakeholders.
“This collaboration has provided multiple opportunities to advance our designs to better meet both customer needs and the operational environment,” Trinity officials said.
Examples include efforts to maximize carrying capacity while maintaining structural integrity. A focus on detailed elements of the designs can also provide enhanced customer benefits.
For example, fastened top chord running boards designed to better withstand container impacts can offer greater fatigue life than welded versions.
“We have even focused on ergonomics for operators of the equipment, such as IBC boxes that can better store manual and automatic IBCs,” Trinity officials said.
Throughout the North American fleet, GPS devices and sensor hardware are helping to elevate fleet management and equipment monitoring solutions.
“We continue to work to advance the application and utilization of telematics throughout the rail supply chain,” Trinity officials said.
A. Stucki Co. has provided parts for the rail-car industry for more than a century. Now with more than 15 manufacturing facilities in North and South America, the company serves the intermodal market with new and reconditioned wheelsets, couplers and other parts from its plants in Calera, Alabama, and Jerseyville and Pekin, Illinois, and reconditioned bearings from its Elizabethtown, Kentucky, facility.
In late 2025, the company expanded its capabilities and strengthened aftermarket services with the acquisition of Wheelworx, one of the largest wheel shops in North America, company officials said.
The new, refurbished-gauged and reconditioned parts manufactured at the Alabama and Illinois locations are fully certified. Reconditioning work cells are equipped with advanced machining, welding and gauging systems to ensure compliance to AAR standards.
Core wheelsets are carefully gauged to identify wheels that can be reprofiled and placed back into service, company officials said. After the axle is inspected, new wheels are bored and pressed on, and reconditioned bearings are applied.
A large, in-house fleet of trucks and trailers ensures safe and timely delivery of wheelsets to customers, company officials said.
“The reconditioning process represents the major part of our business and offers both economical and functional advantages by prolonging the life and value of essential rail components,” said A. Stucki Vice President and General Manager Justin Schoenfeldt.
High-speed and high-mileage intermodal rail cars require maximum cushioning, reliable energy management, long-term protection and enhanced safety. Miner Enterprises Inc.’s draft gears, side bearings, brake beams and running board grating systems fulfill all four of those essential performance components, company officials said.
Miner’s Crown SG draft gears, certified under AAR M-901E Group J specifications, provide 39% more spring capacity than other all-steel M-901G draft gears, they said.
“This is achieved by utilizing the industry-proven friction clutch design, combined with durable and resilient spring packages that maximize cushioning, while providing long-term protection and reliability to intermodal cars,” Miner officials said.
Miner’s TecsPak® Constant Contact (TCC) side bearings enable intermodal cars to run at higher speeds with reduced truck and wheel wear. They are engineered to improve curving performance and control over truck hunting and car body roll, company officials said.
The TCC-IV-LT side bearings feature a durable, heat-resistant design that provides superior heat dispersion, increasing the life of the side bearings in high-speed, high-mileage applications, they said.
Miner Series 2008 Brake Beams can minimize uneven brake shoe wear. Notched brake heads reduce beam binding for more consistent braking and an innovative reversible strut allows for quick conversion of the hand of the beam.
Worker safety is a paramount concern in intermodal terminals. Miner Grating Systems manufactures and fabricates safety grating and running-board products for rail-car applications.
Miner’s bar grating, diamond grating and round-hole safety grating products are all AAR approved, company officials said.
Amsted Rail’s IBEX® truck-mounted brake system provides measurable reductions in lifecycle maintenance costs while shedding significant weight, company officials said. Averaging 802 pounds lighter than body-mounted systems and 220 pounds lighter than competing truck-mounted designs, the IBEX frees up lading capacity and reduces fuel consumption, they said.
The system is designed to provide maximum shoe-to-wheel alignment and uniform shoe force balance across every brake position.
“This precision translates into better wheel-wear balance, longer wheel life and even braking that maximizes shoe life, reducing the cost of shoe and wheel replacements,” Amsted Rail officials said.
Featuring weld-free bolted construction, replaceable brake heads and fast beam position adjustment, the IBEX adapts seamlessly to narrow- and wide-gauge applications, they added.
“This near ‘one-size-fits-all’ architecture simplifies inventory and minimizes spare parts across mixed fleets,” Amsted Rail officials said.
By mounting the slack adjuster directly to the beam with connecting rods, the IBEX reduces system-wide wear and provides greater clearance, requiring less frequent piston travel adjustments than conventional TMBs and reducing labor hours.
The IBEX’s actuator eliminates the seals and lubrication points that traditionally drive maintenance interventions, removing a recurring service item from the schedule entirely, Amsted Rail officials said.
Compatible with standard AAR bolsters, brake beams and cylinders, the IBEX retrofits easily to existing rail cars and is designed for fleets focused on lowering total cost of ownership, they said.