Intermodal Up in 2021, Down in 4th Quarter

Intermodal volume during 2021 had a pattern that became all too familiar to those who follow the weekly traffic reports issued by the Association of American Railroads.

For the year the Intermodal Association of North America said volume was up by 3.6 percent to 18.4 million units when compared with 2020.

But in the fourth quarter of 2021, volume dropped 9.8 percent when compared with the same period of 2020.

All market segments saw declines during the fourth quarter. International containers fell 16.2 percent to 2,013,879 units; trailers fell 10.9 percent to 306,344 units; and domestic containers fell 2.4 percent to 2,076,790 units.

IANA CEO Joni Casey said intermodal traffic  grew during 2021 although at a much slower rate than it did in 2020.

“Performance continues to be affected by the virus, as well as network congestion and the intermittent scarcity of equipment and labor.” Casey said in a news release.

Tags: Intermodal Association of North America, intermodal traffic