WASHINGTON — Intermodal issues continued to weigh on U.S. rail volume in October, as a 7.9% drop in intermodal traffic led to an overall decline of 2.8%, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads.
The overall drop came despite a 3.8% increase in carload volume.
“For railroads, the supply chain challenges are being felt most keenly in our intermodal terminals where rail customers have been unable to clear their freight as quickly as they and the railroads would like,” AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray said in a press release. “The shortages of dray trucks, drivers and warehouse space are significant constraints that drove intermodal volumes down in October. Railroads continue to work closely with their customers and supply chain partners to address these challenges, while maintaining network fluidity and delivering the maximum possible freight volumes safely and efficiently.”
Year-to-date traffic remains ahead of 2020 through 10 months, with carloads up 7.5% and intermodal units up 8% for a total combined increase of 7.8%.
Weekly figures continue traffic trends
U.S. carload traffic remained up while intermodal traffic was down for the week ending Oct. 30, continuing a pattern that has existed since August. Compared to the comparable week in 2020, U.S. railroads originated 238,267 carloads, an increase of 4.9%, while moving 271,874 containers and trailers, a decrease of 7.3%.
The overall traffic of 510,141 carloads and intermodal units represented a 2% decrease from the same week in 2020, as well as a fractional decrease from the 510,762 carloads and intermodal units of the previous week in 2021.
North American totals, for 12 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads, included 337,727 carloads, up 3.7% from the same week in 2020; 357,365 intermodal units, down 8.7%, and 695,092 carloads and intermodal units, down 3%.
I seems like if a dray operator can transfer several loads from an inter-modal terminal to a customer in the time it takes a long distance driver to drive one load half way across the country, that switching long some long distance drivers to dray service would help alleviate the problem and the drivers would be home with their families every night.