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Aug 10, 2006 10:29 AM

Intermodal volume topped 2005’s peak season levels in the second quarter, and grew 5.9 percent, compared to the second quarter of 2005, according to Intermodal Market Trends and Statistics, a quarterly publication of the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA).

The 3.58 million second quarter intermodal loads topped last year’s fourth quarter peak of 3.56 million. On a monthly basis, June volume of 1.24 million loads topped last year’s October peak of 1.23 million.

This was the first time since IANA started reporting loadings in 1996 that the prior year’s quarterly and monthly peaks were exceeded in the first half of the following year.

International containers dominated growth, adding more than 9 percent and accounting for over 90 percent of the second quarter’s gain. The increase resulted from continued strength in container imports from Asia, particularly at Pacific Southwest ports.

The international gain accelerated from a 7.6 percent increase in the first quarter. Domestic intermodal growth also extended into the second quarter, though at a slower pace than the first quarter’s 4.4 percent gain.