Across-the-board fourth-quarter growth, augmenting "significant midyear gains," contributed to "strong overall intermodal performance in 2014," the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) said Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, releasing its fourth-quarter and year-end Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics.
"Despite the harsh winter that kicked off the year, intermodal volume improved 4.8% in 2014, with domestic containers leading growth and international intermodal delivering its biggest year-over-year advance since 2011," IANA reported.
"Intermodal performed well, despite industry-wide challenges," said IANA President and CEO Joni Casey. "For the first time in four years, international, domestic container, and trailer market segments all posted year-over-year growth. And volume gains were widespread geographically, with eight out of nine regions recording increases during 2014."
Domestic containers led all gains in 2014, growing 5.7% from 2013 levels. "Big boxes have remained the intermodal workhorse for four years straight, and for seven of the last eight years," IANA noted.
International almost doubled its growth pace of the last three years, reporting a 4.4% increase in 2014, IANA said, noting, "This uptick puts international loadings just 4% below pre-recession levels. Trailer volumes also reported volume improvements, with a 2.9% growth rate year-over-year."
IANA said fourth-quarter numbers reflected "a relatively soft 3% growth rate, but gains were broad-based. Domestic containers once again led the way with a 5.1% quarter-over-quarter increase. International containers grew 2.1% quarter-over-quarter, with trailers eking out a 0.1% boost, which is more than it appears given this segment's solid showing in Q4 2013."
Intermodal Marketing Companies (IMC) reported solid intermodal revenue growth in the fourth quarter, "with average revenue for intermodal loads up by 3.6%," IANA said. " IMC intermodal also reported "a respectable 1.5% gain in volumes" from the third quarter of 2014, which IANA said "runs counter to normal seasonal trends and could be a signal that this segment is regaining some traction."