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During the second quarter, North American intermodal volume rose 4.5 percent compared with second-quarter 2004, according to the Intermodal Association of North America’s (IANA) quarterly “Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics” report.

International containers totaling 1.97 million units increased 10.1 percent while domestic equipment totaling 1.41 million units fell 2.5 percent. Domestic containers totaling 788,257 units and trailers totaling 622,118 units dropped 0.9 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively, compared with the same 2004 period.

“Domestic volume fell at a slightly faster pace than the first quarter, reflecting a probable early-spring economic ‘soft patch,’ combined with increased truckload capacity, tight domestic container supply and evolving railroad marketing strategies,” IANA officials said in the report.

Overall, intermodal traffic growth is slowing despite remaining ahead of historical averages. During the quarter, volume grew at half of late year’s rate, the report states.