The study objective is to develop methods for performance evaluation of center coupler draft gears in various operating conditions. The problem to which the paper is devoted is to reduce the dynamic loading of the rolling stock by means of using efficient draft gears. The research methods on which this study is based are widely used in the dynamics of railroad cars. Typical modes of shunting impact of cars are considered, which are characterized by the highest level of forces in automatic couplings. The design schemes of impacts are considered as a system of connected material points. On the basis of D'Alembert's principle, differential equations of motion are made, and they are integrated by the Euler method. The novelty of the work is in developing an approach to evaluate the performance of draft gears using the proposed integrated evaluation. The results of the study are the nomographs of the effort in the draft gear, depending on car weight and the speed of impact. The conclusions of the study contain the evaluation of the results of applying the proposed approach, as well as recommendations on possible use of the proposed approaches.