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Intermodal Volume Rises 1.4% in Third Quarter
Domestic Containers Surge 9%
Intermodal traffic volume rose 1.4% in the third quarter, the seventh straight quarter of year-over-year gains, the Intermodal Association of North America said.
Domestic container volume climbed 9%, the strongest increase of the year, to 1.27 million units, while trailer volume dipped 0.8% to about 425,000 units, IANA said in a statement.
While rising diesel prices drove freight to trailers during the first half of the year, diesel prices began a decline in the third quarter which may have contributed to the decline in trailer activity in rail service, IANA said.
International container volume declined 2.6% in the quarter to 1.96 million units, IANA 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.
