WATSONVILLE, Calif. — David DeBoer, an intermodal pioneer who was instrumental in the development of the now ubiquitous double-stack well car, died on Nov. 17. He was 87.
He began his transportation career with the New York Central, and later spent time at Trans World Airlines. He joined the Federal Railroad Administration after the bankruptcy of the Penn Central, and went on to establish the Interstate Commerce Commission’s Rail Service Planning Office.
DeBoer then joined the marketing department at Southern Pacific in 1978 and later ran SP’s intermodal division. DeBoer co-founded Greenbrier Intermodal, where he retired as chairman.
DeBoer was a founding director of the Intermodal Association of North America, was a director of Trailer Train Corp. (now TTX), and was a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Intermodal Freight Terminal Design and Operations.
He is the author of the book “Piggyback and Containers: A History of Rail Intermodal on America’s Steel Highway,” and wrote about the development of double-stack cars and service in the November 2011 issue of Trains.
Intermodal analyst Larry Gross, who was involved with the development of the RoadRailer, says DeBoer helped make double-stacked containers the industry standard.
“I was often at odds with him as he was the double-stack guy and I was the RoadRailer guy,” Gross says. “He was a vociferous proponent of double stack and played a significant role in the ultimate decision to standardize on the domestic container.”
DeBoer represented the United States in two international rail congresses in Bologna, Italy, and Moscow, where he gave papers on the U.S. intermodal progress, according to his obituary.
DeBoer was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., grew up in Battle Creek, Mich., and began watching trains along the rails of the Michigan Central at an early age. He earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Upon retirement, he became a volunteer at Second Harvest and Loaves and Fishes in Watsonville, Calif., and served on the organization’s board of directors.
DeBoer is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sandra Ogden DeBoer; a daughter, Kathleen Hurd of Vancouver, Wash.; a son, James Phillip DeBoer of Kutztown, Pa.; a son, Christopher David DeBoer of Walnut Creek, Calif.; seven grandchildren; and his sister, Karen DeBoer Potts of Lake Jackson, Texas.
A celebration of life will be held on April 11, 2026, in Watsonville.
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