Intermodal traffic jumped 25.1% last week compared with the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday.

Intermodal freight volume climbed back late in 2010 to pre-recession levels, driven by cost considerations of both shippers who moved more international import goods and truckers who shifted more freight onto the rails.

After several years of anticipation throughout the trucking industry, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration finally in October released their joint proposed rule to regulate greenhouse gases for the commercial transportation sector.

Consumer confidence rose to a six-month high this month, according to the final monthly Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index released Thursday.

Ozburn-Hessey Logistics said Dec. 13 it promoted Greg Sanders president of the company’s North America Transportation unit.

A shipper group has expressed “profound disappointment” over a so-called fact-finding investigation by the Federal Maritime Commission into numerous U.S. importer and exporter complaints about “perceived malpractices” by ocean carriers that resulted in supply-chain service disruptions and rate and surcharge increases in late 2009 and 2010.

Intermodal traffic rose 13.8% last week from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.