IANA: Intermodal growth 6.3 percent in last quarter

IANA: Intermodal growth 6.3 percent in last quarter    Intermodal volume strengthened in the first quarter, growing 6.3 percent, according to Intermodal Market Trends and Statistics, a quarterly publication of the Intermodal Association of North America released Thursday.
   Growth improved from the fourth quarter’s 5.5 percent pace, the report said. The first quarter gain marked a solid four years of advances that started in the second quarter of 2002. During that period, quarterly volume increased by more than one-half million loads. Domestic intermodal increases accelerated in the first quarter, adding 4.4 percent compared to the fourth quarter’s 1.3 percent gain.
   Most of this gain was in containers, up 8.4 percent. As overall domestic container gains strengthened, the shift to longer 53-foot boxes also continued, according to IANA. Fifty-three foot container volume increased 31 percent, while 48-foot container loads fell. International gains continued in the first quarter, though at a somewhat slower pace than 2005.