Domestic intermodal had its best performance this quarter since the second quarter of 2004 according to a report released today by the Intermodal Association of North America. A strong 10.5% gain in domestic containers ' their strongest quarter of growth since 1999 ' coupled with moderate domestic trailer volumes pushed overall domestic volume up a respectable 6.7%. This solid performance helped boost overall year-to-date domestic growth up by 4.7%, according to Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics, a comprehensive intermodal volume data report published by IANA.
Domestic container growth was driven by a 16.1% surge in 53-foot containers, while all other container sizes posted declines during the quarter. Domestic container gains were particularly strong in the Midwest-Northeast corridor, where eastbound shipments increased 15%, while westbound shipments increased 6%. And a first in more than three years, trailers had their second consecutive quarter of volume gains, which were primarily driven by a 10.4% increase in 53-foot units.
Q3 2007/2008 Intermodal Volume Comparisons
| Equipment Type | Q3 2007 | Q3 2008 | Change |
| Trailers | 526,888 | 527,840 | +0.2 % |
| Domestic Containers | 919,085 | 1,015,326 | +10.5 % |
| All Domestic Equipment | 1,445,973 | 1,543,166 | +6.7 % |
| ISO Containers | 2,172,645 | 2,040,991 | -6.1 % |
| Total | 3,618,618 | 3,584,157 | -1.0 % |
Continued weakness in consumer spending depressed container imports and overall international results. While international volume declined 6.1% in Q3 08 compared to Q3 07, the 2008 year to date figure was down 5.7%. In spite of a weak economy, total intermodal volume has held up relatively well. To date, shipments are only 1.6% below last year's numbers. If economic concerns worsen, it appears unlikely that we will see a noticeable rebound in international volume during the next few quarters, but domestic should continue its solid performance as road-to-rail conversion opportunities are expected to remain an attractive transportation option for many shippers.
