First-Quarter Intermodal Volume Gains 5.8% Year-Over-Year
Intermodal traffic volume rose 5.8% in the first quarter from a year ago, the Intermodal Association of North America said.
Domestic container volume jumped 14.9% to 1.29 million units, while trailer volume fell 6.9% to about 380,000 units.
International container volume rose 2.9% to 1.8 million units, and international intermodal shipments gained 9.6%.
The overall volume of just under 3.5 million units was an all-time record and the overall increase was the ninth straight quarter of year-over-year gains.
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.
