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Mar 1, 2010 4:03 PM

The improvement in the US economy during fourth quarter 2009 translated into modest gains for intermodal shipments. Domestic container volume increased 9.0% during the quarter compared with Q4 2008. All but two IANA regions recorded domestic container volume gains. December volume was a substantial 16.9% above year-ago levels. This strong growth combined with modest gains throughout the year propelled total 2009 domestic container volumes 2.9% above 2008 figures.

International volume declined during the quarter, but the pace of decline slowed significantly. The decline was fairly widespread across most IANA regions. While international decreased 12.3% during the quarter compared with Q4 2008, volume improved significantly versus the previous three quarters, which each posted losses above 20%. While the pace of declines slowed during the quarter, total intermodal volume for the period was still 6.4% below Q4 2008.