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Feb 4, 2008 1:04 PM

Intercontinental intermodal revenue moves for the month of December dropped 11 percent from November, influenced by import freight use of both East and West Coast ports in the US, according to the Intermodal Monthly Update published by FTR Associates, Nashville IN, and Gross Transportation Consulting (GTC), Port Washington NY.

“Substantial amounts of import freight that previously landed on the west coast and moved east via long-haul 'transcon' intermodal is now landing on the east coast, according to Larry Gross, author of the update. "The trend is most acute in the southern United States.”

FTR said in a news release that total 2007 intermodal revenue movements of 14.08 million resulted in a decline of 1.1 percent from 2006. Loss of intermodal freight to alternative all-water movement has been a significant drag on intermodal volumes in key long-haul lanes in 2007.

The intermodal forecast continues to move lower as international equipment movements via rail will remain weak over the next several quarters. FTR and GTC forecast total loadings to grow by only 1.6 percent in 2008.