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Intermodal traffic volume rose 9% in the first quarter, the fifth straight year-over-year increase, the Intermodal Association of North America said Friday.

International container volume rose 9.6% in the quarter to 1.76 million units, IANA said in a statement.

Domestic container volume increased 8.8to 1.12 million units, slightly below the fourth-quarter’s 8.9% year-to-year rise.

Trailer volume rose 7.5% to about 412,000 units, and 53-foot trailers jumped 21.7%, the biggest such increase since the first quarter of 2005, 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.