Cementing its role in the North American supply chain, the value of intermodal transport speaks for itself with another year of solid growth. Building on the industry's positive 2012 performance, total shipments improved 4.6 percent in 2013, according to the Intermodal Association of North America's (IANA) fourth quarter and year-end Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics. Domestic container volume "” which doubled over the past 10 years "” outperformed other markets in 2013, capping the year with a 9.4 percent bump, which was consistent with Q4 growth of this segment at 9.0 percent.

Total intermodal traffic grew in the third quarter of 2013 by 4.7 percent, year-over-year, attributable to gains across the board, according to the Intermodal Association of North America. Domestic container volume continued to lead intermodal growth, posting a year-over-year increase of 9.4 percent, and combined with a 1.2 percent boost in intermodal trailer volume for the same period, all domestic equipment experienced 7.6 percent year-over-year gains during the third quarter of 2013.

Domestic container volume continued its steady performance in the second quarter of 2013 with 9 percent year-over-year gains, largely attributable to a strong big-box segment, with total intermodal traffic rising by 2.4 percent for the quarter, according to IANA, a trade association for the intermodal transportation industry.

The 10.2-percent year-over-year gain in domestic container volume in the first quarter of 2013 represents the sixth consecutive quarter of 10-percent-plus increases, and the second highest volume in domestic container history, according to the Intermodal Association of North America's Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics report.