Car Builder

A car builder is a company that manufactures freight cars. Car builders design and assemble the many types of railcars in service - boxcars, hoppers, tank cars, flatcars, gondolas, and specialized equipment - building them to the standards required for use on the interchange network.

What They Do

Building a freight car involves fabricating the underframe and body, mounting the trucks and wheelsets, installing the couplers and air brake system, and applying the markings that identify the car. Cars are built to meet the design and construction standards set by the AAR and the applicable federal requirements so that they can operate safely and be accepted in interchange by any railroad. A car builder may construct cars for a railroad, for a leasing company, or for a private owner who ships in their own equipment.

Why It Matters

The builder and the build date are part of a car's permanent record and are reflected in its registration and stenciling. They matter for tracking a car's age and history, for maintenance scheduling, and for certain inspection intervals that are referenced to when a car was built or rebuilt. By constructing equipment to common standards, car builders make it possible for a car from any source to move freely across the railroad network alongside cars from every other builder and owner.