Bruce Harmon/Trans PixsU.S. intermodal traffic rose 3.8% for the week ended Saturday from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.
Container traffic climbed 6.1% to 216,565 units, but trailers dropped 10.3% to 29,857, the rail trade group said in its weekly report.
Railroad carloads excluding intermodal declined 1.7% to 285,413 units, AAR said.
Railroad volume is considered an important economic indicator. Intermodal traffic, which tends to be higher-valued merchandise than bulk commodities, uses trains for the long haul and trucks for the shorter distance at either end of the trip.
