According to the North American Intermodal Transport Association (IANA) to provide data report shows that in March the multimodal transport volume again annual decline.

Joni Casey, president and CEO of IANA, said trailer shipments fell 28.8 percent to 191,941 vehicles in the first three months to 2023, while domestic container shipments fell 5.8 percent to 1,927,682 vehicles. All domestically produced equipment fell 8.5 percent to 2,119,623 units. ISO containers were 1,820,530, down 8.8 percent. Among them, the volume of trailer traffic in March was 63315, a year-on-year decrease of 30.5, and the domestic container traffic volume was 689170, a year-on-year decrease of 8.4. All domestic equipment, which includes trailers and domestic containers, fell 10.9 percent to 754,485. The international container index stood at 618,776, down 15.7 percent.

The IANA report said that intermodal traffic in March has been rising amid lower consumer demand, and the shift in spending from goods to services is a long-term trend that has affected imports and intermodal traffic for most of the past 12 months.
freight consultancy FTR said the February data reflected a "largely favorable and stable environment for shippers". The company added that a slight decline in fuel costs and relatively weak freight demand offset the strength in freight rates and utilization this month. Through 2023, market conditions will remain in a moderately favorable range for shippers.

Todd Tranausky, FTR's vice president of rail and multimodal transport, said the relatively stable, slightly favourable outlook for shippers is unlikely to change in the coming months. But shippers need to watch carefully for signs of a change in the market, as this could happen soon. Shippers also need to keep a close eye on the underlying economy for signs of change that could alter the economic calculations between shippers and their transport suppliers. "

freight forwarding network