• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • REGIONS
    • Asia Pacific
    • Canada
    • China
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East/Africa
    • North America
  • BLOG
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » May Was 18th Consecutive Month of Gains in Intermodal Traffic

May Was 18th Consecutive Month of Gains in Intermodal Traffic

June 9, 2011
AAR

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) said that carloads in May 2011 increased 0.5 percent compared with the same month last year, for a total of 1,159,328 carloads. According to AAR's monthly Rail Time Indicators report, intermodal traffic in May increased 7.5 percent for a total of 932,956 trailers and containers compared with May 2010. On a seasonally adjusted basis, carloads were flat and intermodal was up 0.8 percent over April 2011.

May saw the 18th straight month of intermodal gains, and this month's weekly average of 233,239 is the second-highest May average on record. The gains in intermodal can be attributed to several factors, including growing international trade, better service, large investments in infrastructure and equipment by railroad companies, fuel costs, highway congestion and truck driver shortages, and the conversion of boxcar traffic. Looking further at the import and export commodities, "big box" retailers dominate intermodal container imports while recycled paper, scrap materials, and chemicals dominate container exports.

Railroads also continued to add jobs, with April seeing the addition of 935 freight rail employees, bringing the Class I freight railroad employee total to 156,777 employees nationwide.

"For the second month in a row, rail intermodal traffic was great, while carload traffic left something to be desired," said AAR senior vice president John T. Gray.  "Like other national indicators, rail traffic reflects a degree of uncertainty regarding the direction of the economy.  Railroads join everyone else in hoping current trends are just a bump in the road rather than a portent of things to come."

Overall, eight of 20 commodity categories saw carload gains on U.S. railroads in May 2011 compared with May 2010. Traffic gains were led by  metallic ores, up 17.6 percent; grain, up 16.3 percent and chemicals, up 4.1 percent. Commodity groups with declines included: waste and non-ferrous scrap, down 16 percent; nonmetallic minerals, down 11.5 percent, and coal, down 1.8 percent.

The Rail Time Indicators report combines rail traffic data with more than 15 key economic indicators (such as consumer confidence, housing starts, and industrial production) in a non-technical snapshot of the U.S. economy.  By assembling this information in a single place, and presenting rail traffic in the context of the broader economy, Rail Time Indicators provides a convenient, clear look at the key trends that can reveal where the economy - and, therefore, rail traffic - may be going.

Source: Association of American Railroads

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

North America Logistics Food & Beverage Logistics Outsourcing Rail & Intermodal Transportation & Distribution
KEYWORDS Food and Beverage Logistics Logistics Outsourcing North America Rail & Intermodal Transportation & Distribution
  • Related Articles

    Moderate Gains in Weekly Rail Intermodal Traffic, But Blizzards Have Negative Impact

    AAR Reports Carload Declines, Intermodal Gains In Weekly Rail Traffic

  • Related Events

    How Neiman Marcus Transformed Ticketing for a Faster Time to Market

AAR

U.S. Representatives Back Bill To Expand Rail Infrastructure

More from this author

Get regular updates!
Subscribe to our newsletter

Enjoy curated articles directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • 1115_chinarareearthminerals

    Podcast | Can China’s Monopoly on Rare Earth Minerals Be Broken?

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
  • 1111_makeorbreakblockchain

    The Element That Can Make or Break Blockchain for the Supply Chain

    Technology
  • 1125_themodernfactory

    The ‘Modern’ Factory Remains a Dream for Many Manufacturers

    Technology
  • 1118_howconsumerproductscompanies

    How Consumer-Products Companies Are Wasting Their Digital Spend

    Technology
  • 1122_forcedlaborinindia

    Podcast | This Campaign Is Out to Stop Forced Labor in India

    Sourcing/Procurement/SRM

Digital Edition

55746

Subscribe today and receive the latest issue

Start Your Subscription

Case Studies

  • Manufacturer Slashes Shipping Costs With AI Packaging Solution

  • Apparel Retailer Saves $45 Million With Reverse Logistics Solution

  • QuestaWeb Configures Fragrance Company’s Complex Procedures Into Its Advanced FTZ Software

  • Business Turnaround: Integrated Business Planning as a Management Tool

  • How a 3PL Reduced Rejected Deliveries Using LoadProof

Visit Our Sponsors

  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • Webinars
  • The Magazine
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • Resources
    • Newsletters
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us

All content copyright © 2016 - 2018 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing