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The intermodal boomlet continues.



For the 19th-consecutive week, U.S. railroads have posted an intermodal volume increase compared with 2001 figures. For the week ended Aug. 17, U.S. roads moved 194,547 trailers and containers, up 8.2 percent, according to Association of American Railroads data released Aug. 22.



During the year's first 33 weeks, U.S. railroads moved 5,853,302 trailers and containers, a 5.0 percent increase compared with the same period last year.



Weekly carload traffic also was up, albeit slightly — 3.8 percent. Among commodity types, bright spots included metallic ores and metals (up 8.9 percent), coal (5.0 percent) and nonmetallic minerals and products (4.9 percent).



Meanwhile, Canadian roads had an even better intermodal week. They moved 43,293 trailers and containers the week ended Aug. 17, an 18.4 percent increase, and 1,239,337 trailers and containers through 33 weeks, up 8.6 percent.



Through 2002's first 33 weeks, 16 reporting U.S. and Canadian roads moved 7,092,639 trailers and containers — a 5.6 percent jump compared with last year.