Intermodal Traffic Rises 3.3% for Week

U.S. intermodal traffic rose 3.3% last week from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads reported.

 

Container traffic for the week ended Aug. 4 rose 4.4% to 212,740 units, while trailers fell 4.3% to 30,521 units.

Railroad carloads excluding intermodal rose 0.4% to 288,229 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.