With domestic trailers once again leading the surge, strong intermodal growth continued throughout second quarter 2004, accounting for the ninth continuous quarter of intermodal growth, according to Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics, a quarterly publication of the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA).
Intermodal growth increased from 7.1% in first quarter 2004 to 8.5% in 2Q. In the past three quarters, intermodal growth increases averaged 8.1%, accounting for the three strongest consecutive quarters of intermodal growth since IANA began collecting intermodal statistical data in 1996.
Trailers led 2Q volume leaders with a 12.1% rise, followed by a strong increase in international volume of 8.3%, up sharply from its 5.7% rise in 1Q. Though international volume may have been second-place among volume increases, it posted the largest absolute gain among major equipment categories, posting 130,000 more loadings than 2003's 2Q results.
While total domestic intermodal volume posted a record gain for the second consecutive quarter at 8.8%, domestic container volume slowed slightly, rising 6.2% after its 7.0% increase in 1Q.Domestic volume has now grown in eight of the past nine quarters. But despite recent domestic gains, international containers still carried the majority of intermodal freight — 55% of 2Q loadings.
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