WASHINGTON — Carload traffic remains up while intermodal moves continue to lag behind 2020 levels in the latest weekly statistics from the Association of American Railroads.
For the week ending Dec. 18, 2021, U.S. railroads moved 234,704 carloads, an increase of 1.7% over the same week in 2020, while the 269,395 containers and trailers represented a 6.9% decrease. The total of 504,099 carloads and intermodal units is a 3.1% decrease.
Year-to-date totals, through 50 weeks, show traffic up in almost every category Intermodal units show a 5.3% increase, while carloads are up 6.7%. Of the 10 categories of carload traffic, only motor vehicles and parts (down 0.5%) and petroleum and petroleum products (down 4.1%) are behind 2020 levels. Total traffic is up 5.9%, averaging 506,739 carloads and intermodal units per week.
North American volume, for 12 reporting U.S, Canadian, and Mexican railroad, shows 331,416 carloads for the week, down 1.1%; 349,986 intermodal units, down 7 percent, and total traffic at 681,402 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.3%. Overall North American traffic for the first 50 weeks of 2021 is up 4.8% compared to 2020.
LONG BEACH
Does the drop in intermodal infer that the OTR driver pool has increased as I suspect truck traffic has increased.