Intermodal volumes climb

Intermodal volumes climb    Second quarter intermodal volumes were 3.3 million units, 17.2 percent higher than in the second quarter of 2009, the Intermodal Association of North America said.
   IANA said domestic container volumes were up 16.4 percent to 1.1 million units, a new high. Trailer volume rose 5 percent to 406,080, while international container volume improved 20.9 percent to nearly 1.8 million units.
   “Although domestic container volume grew at a somewhat slower pace than international for the first time in recent years, it was the 20th-consecutive quarter of growth for domestic containers,” IANA said.
   Overall domestic intermodal volume (trailers and domestic containers) rose 13.2 percent, which IANA said was “a gain strong enough to erase 2008-2009 volume losses and set a new record for the highest domestic intermodal loadings in a quarter.”
   The association said, “Inventory restocking likely played a major role in driving the large increase in intermodal volume recorded this quarter. During last year's downturn, retailers aggressively cut inventories to the point where they were so low at the beginning of 2010 that they could not support even a modest rise in consumer spending. As a result, inventory replenishment has resumed and has become a key driver of intermodal growth. Although total intermodal shipments are still below pre-recession levels, they have significantly recovered.”