Stoughton Launches Intermodal Container, Smart Chassis
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LONG BEACH, Calif. — Stoughton Trailers has re-entered the intermodal container market with a new 53-foot domestic container and showcased its next-generation Smart Chassis outfitted with enhanced connectivity features and automated coupling with yard tractors.
The Wisconsin-based manufacturer unveiled the new equipment at the Intermodal Association of North America’s Intermodal Expo 2025.
“We are committed to shaping the future of the intermodal transportation industry by investing in safety, innovation and sustainability,” Jeremy Sanders, Stoughton’s chief commercial officer, said during a Sept. 16 news conference at the event.
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Stoughton said its new container, now available for order, is designed to thrive in harsh operating environments while providing expanded freight capacity for carriers and shippers.
The company will manufacture the containers at its Stoughton, Wis., plant using domestically sourced steel and aluminum, Sanders said.
Stoughton’s Jeremy Sanders introduces the manufacturer’s new intermodal container at IANA Intermodal Expo 2025. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)
The container features a composite plate-style design with weather-resistant bonded sidewall panels to help protect against corrosion and improve ease of repair. The reinforced plate structure resists damage, reduces repair costs and enhances the product’s return on investment, the company said.
Inside, the container offers an internal width of 100.38 inches, an increase of 2.38 inches compared with standard welded containers. That extra width translates to 262 cubic feet of additional space, or 6.5% more volume than corrugated steel containers.
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“This new intermodal container sets a higher standard in the market — giving carriers the durability they expect with the added capacity that drives real bottom-line success,” said Pat Gunn, Stoughton’s vice president of intermodal sales.
The product marks Stoughton’s return to the intermodal container market after exiting that business for about a decade, Gunn said. Before that, Stoughton produced more than 60,000 containers dating to 1988.
In addition to the new composite plate model, Stoughton is offering two other container configurations — a sheet-and-post model and a corrugated steel model.
Stoughton will manufacture the containers at its Stoughton, Wis., plant using domestically sourced steel and aluminum. (Seth Clevenger/Transport Topics)
The equipment manufacturer also exhibited its next-generation Smart Chassis at Intermodal Expo.
The chassis is compatible with Electrans Technologies’ Auto Connect system, which automatically couples a yard truck and chassis’ pneumatic air lines, 7-way electrical lines and communication wiring in seven seconds without requiring the driver to leave the cab.
Stoughton said this auto-coupling capability not only improves efficiency for intermodal fleets but also paves the way for autonomous operations.
Aleson
“Imagine a driver simply backing up, pushing a button within the cab and seven seconds later driving away with the trailer,” said Andy Aleson, Stoughton’s engineering manager of advanced trailer development. “This is not the distant future. It’s here now. We wanted to ensure our intermodal fleet customers are ready to adopt this technology as the industry moves to gain efficiency, improve safety and pursue autonomous operation.”
To enable this capability, Stoughton engineered a coupler into its chassis to house the Auto Connect receiver.
At Intermodal Expo, Stoughton demonstrated the auto-coupling capability with a Tico terminal tractor equipped with autonomous driving technology from ISEE and the Auto Connect system.
Stoughton’s Smart Chassis also showcased numerous sensors and smart features, ranging from asset tracking to tire pressure monitoring and onboard cameras.
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“These are all features that can go on a chassis today if a customer needs it,” Sanders said.
The Smart Chassis incorporates systems from several business units of Clarience Technologies, including sensors and alerts powered by Road Ready, automatic tire inflation from Pressure Systems International, wireless camera systems from Rear View Safety and LED signal and marker lighting from Truck-Lite.
Stoughton also highlighted smart features available through its partnership with Phillips Connect, including a wireless backup camera, solar-powered tracking and tractor-trailer pairing validation.
In addition, Stoughton also noted that its intermodal chassis recently achieved the ToughGuard award for rear underride crash protection from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The safety award makes Stoughton the first and only chassis manufacturer to receive that IIHS certification, Sanders said.
The rear impact guard is now standard on all Stoughton 53-foot chassis and is available for the company’s 2021 and newer existing chassis models through an upfit kit.
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