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Jun 1, 2006 12:00 PM

Intermodal volume strengthened in the first quarter, growing 6.3%, according to Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics, a quarterly publication of the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA).

Growth improved from the fourth quarter's 5.5% pace. The first quarter gain marked a solid four years of advances that started in second quarter 2002. During this period, quarterly volume increased by more than one-half million loads.

Domestic intermodal increases accelerated in the first quarter, adding 4.4% compared with the fourth quarter's 1.3% gain. Most of this gain was in containers, up 8.4%. As overall domestic container gains strengthened, the shift to longer 53-foot boxes continued. Fifty-three-foot container volume increased 31%, while 48-foot container loads fell. International gains continued in the first quarter, though at a somewhat slower pace than 2005.

E-mail Melka Johnson at melka.johnson@intermodal.org or phone her at 301-982-3400, ext 351 for more information.