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During the fourth quarter, North American intermodal volume totaled 3.5 million containers and trailers, a 5.5 percent increase compared with fourth-quarter 2004. The industry now has posted 15-straight quarters of year-over-year gains, according to the Intermodal Association of North America’s (IANA) quarterly “Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics” report.

During the quarter, domestic trailers totaling 710,831 units dropped 0.7 percent but domestic containers totaling 818,295 units rose 3.2 percent — the segment’s second-straight quarterly gain after a weak first half in 2005. Domestic container volume increased in six of nine regions tracked by IANA, with the largest growth posted in the Midwest, and double-digit gains registered in the Southeast and Northeast regions.

Quarterly international (ISO) containers totaled 2 million units, an 8.9 percent increase compared with fourth-quarter 2004.

“While the pace of international growth showed a minor decrease – dropping to a single digit for the first time in 2005 – [total] domestic volume increased by 1.3 percent for its first quarterly gain during the year,” IANA officials said in the report.