WEST COAST PORT LOCKOUT HIT U.S. INTERMODAL VOLUMES

WEST COAST PORT LOCKOUT HIT U.S. INTERMODAL VOLUMES    Due to the work stoppage at West Coast ports, intermodal traffic on U.S. railroads during the week ended Oct. 5 dropped 29 percent, or more than 50,000 units, the Association of American Railroads reported.
   Intermodal volume totaled 134,319 trailers and containers during the week ended Oct. 5. Container volume dropped 40 percent, while trailer loadings declined 3 percent.
   Carload freight, which doesn’t include the intermodal data, totaled 342,306 cars, down 2 percent.
   The Association of American Railroads also reported cumulative totals for U.S. railroads during the first 40 weeks of 2002. Intermodal volume of 7.16 million trailers and containers was up 4 percent as compared to the same period in 2001.