North American freight traffic climbs back above pre-recession levelsPost by Cameron Davidson on 31st December 2010 in Shipping, Industry news More freight is being moved across America by rail, as
growth in traffic exceeds expectations, according to a leading industry body.
The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) revealed that
rail and truck freight volumes hit a new record high of 3.6million shipments in
the third quarter of 2010. In the first 11 months of the year, total traffic
was up 15 per cent on the same period a year earlier – but this was still about
five per cent less than in 2008.
A second report, from the country’s Institute of Supply
Management, bore out these findings, saying that manufacturing output had risen
for 16 consecutive months. “Demand is being driven more by manufacturers than
consumers,” said Steve Van Kirk, vice-president of intermodal for haulier
Schneider National.
Shipping companies are responding to this growth by increasing their
fleets, but face the challenge of addressing potential driver shortages in the
new year, IANA says.
Related Articles
Back to News Home Page |
