<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2020-10-20</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000923120</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>GREENBRIER COMPANIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>GBX</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000937952</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>FURMAN WILLIAM A</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O THE GREENBRIER COMPANIES, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>ONE CENTERPOINTE DRIVE, SUITE 200</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LAKE OSWEGO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>OR</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>97035</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>Chairman &amp; CEO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2020-10-20</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>82167</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>512238</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2020-10-20</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>F</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>17422</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>32.31</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>494816</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The reported transaction involved the reporting person's receipt of grants of 67,887 restricted stock units under The Greenbrier Companies 2017 Amended and Restated Stock Incentive Plan and the vesting of 14,280 performance-vesting restricted stock units granted under The Greenbrier Companies 2017 Amended and Restated Stock Incentive Plan, which had previously been reported on Table II of Form 4. The reporting person has reported prior awards of restricted stock units in Table II of Form 4. The total reported in Column 5 includes the 67,887 newly awarded restricted stock units, 14,280 newly vested performance-vested restricted stock units, 80,026 previously reported time-vesting restricted stock units, and 350,045 shares of common stock previously reported as indirectly owned by trust.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: Kim Moore, Attorney-In-Fact For: William A. Furman</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2020-10-22</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
