U.S. intermodal volume again tops carloads in Week 20

U.S. freight-rail traffic remained steady in the week ending May 18, thanks to railroads' intermodal volumes, according to Association of American Railroads data.

Total traffic rose 0.9% to 474,886 carloads and intermodal units during the week compared with traffic in the same week last year. Total carloads were down 4.8% to  214,092 units, but intermodal volume climbed 6.2% to 260,794 containers and trailers.

Five of the 10 carload commodity groups that AAR tracks weekly posted an increase. They included grain, up 11.2% to 19,917 carloads; petroleum and petroleum products, up 10.8% to 10,330; and chemicals, up 2.3% to 32,294.

Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 19.3% to 50,520 carloads; metallic ores and metals, -8.3% to 20,570; and nonmetallic minerals, -3.5% to 31,798.

Canadian railroads logged 92,669 carloads for the week, up 5.7%, and 72,537 intermodal units, down 2.6 %. Mexican railroads posted 16,635 carloads for the week, up 7.9; and 12,705 intermodal units, up 15.8%.

For the first 20 weeks of 2024 compared with traffic during the same period in 2023:
• U.S. railroads reported 9,316,665 carloads and intermodal units, a 2% increase;
• Canadian railroads reported 3,229,985 carloads, containers and trailers, up 0.9%; and
• Mexican railroads reported 603,969 carloads and intermodal units, up 10.9%.