Even though many parts of the US experienced the worst winter weather in decades, first quarter intermodal volumes grew during the first quarter of 2014, Logistics Management reported.
Total intermodal volume movements were up 2.6% compared to Q1 2013, reaching 3,777,454, according to a report released by the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA). The boost was spurred by a trailer growth rate of 7.5%, reaching 413,064, compared to domestic containers, which grew only 3.2% to 1,473,124.
Up until now, domestic containers have been the fastest-growing mode of transporting goods through the supply chain. But this winter’s rough weather may have fueled the shift toward trailers, according to the report.
“The weather deterred a good amount of economic activity,” it said. “Employment, retail sales, and many other economic indicators struggled throughout the first several months of the year potentially holding down the growth of domestic container volumes.”
Because bad weather contested the overall transportation network, shippers were forced to move their products in whatever was available. In the Northeast, trailer usage grew 15% and in Eastern Canada it grew 24%.
Joni Casey, IANA president and CEO, said the shift to trend toward trailers may be sustained even as the nation’s weather improves.
“The trailer numbers for the third and fourth quarters of 2013 were up compared to the third and fourth quarters of 2012 but were not as high as the third and fourth quarters of 2011,” Casey said. “And the first quarter of 2013 and first quarter of 2014 trailer numbers are still less than the third quarter and fourth quarter of 2011. The thought is that it will take another two months, give or take, to see if the trend in trailers will hold.”