The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) says that growing domestic trailer volumes have pushed U.S. intermodal shipments up 8.7 percent in the first quarter, the eighth consecutive quarterly increase in intermodal volume.

Combined trailer and domestic container growth has provided the best total domestic gains since it began reporting intermodal statistics in 1996, adds the IANA.

According to the IANA, transloaded international freight did not drive gains. Rather, the greatest expansion came from the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest regions. While international volume also grew in Q1, it improved more slowly than in recent years. Volume increased in all key corridors that IANA monitors, with the three corridors showing the most significant bi-directional activity being Northeast - Midwest (+16.7%); Southeast - Southwest (+11%); and, Midwest - Southwest (+9.4%).