Intermodal demand stays above last year as drayage and reefer bottlenecks persist

Rail data confirm continued intermodal growth

AAR reported 280,264 U.S. intermodal containers and trailers for the week ending October 31, 3.9% above the comparable 2025 week. Through 43 weeks, U.S. intermodal volume totaled 12.27 million units, up 4.7%. Total U.S. rail traffic increased 3.5% for the week, with carloads up 3.0%. These are network-level counts, not service guarantees for a particular lane or ramp.

IANA's early November index remains above last year

IANA estimated its November Intermodal Volume Index at 105.2, down 2.1% from October but 8.0% above November 2025. The index translates high-frequency activity onto a 2017–2019 baseline of 100 before official monthly totals are published. It is an early estimate—not a completed November count—and IANA said October is likely to finish near July's record volume.

Demand is concentrating in specific intermodal markets

C.H. Robinson says domestic intermodal volume averaged roughly 300,000 units per week in early October, about 12.6% above a year earlier, and demand accelerated late in the month. It identifies capacity pressure in California, Texas, Salt Lake City and Chicago and stronger conversion from truckload on Chicago-, Memphis- and Atlanta-to-Northeast lanes. Those observations come from a logistics provider and should be evaluated against each railroad's current lane availability and service plan.

Port and inland conditions remain uneven

Maersk says truck and chassis supply is generally available, but vessel bunching and concentrated arrivals can still tighten individual gateways. It identifies Houston and Los Angeles as tighter drayage markets, expects selected railcar constraints and elevated November dwell, and recommends earlier terminal appointments and close attention to last-free-day and empty-return requirements. C.H. Robinson separately reports that rail-bound imports at Los Angeles and Long Beach averaged 7.19 terminal days in September versus 3.18 days for truck-bound imports, citing PMSA data.

Seasonal refrigerated pressure is building

Maersk reports tighter refrigerated-truck availability on the East Coast, particularly in the Northeast, as citrus volumes increase. The carrier expects the pressure to continue through November and is sourcing alternate capacity. This is an operating outlook rather than a national reefer rate forecast; shippers should validate equipment, appointment and temperature-control requirements on the actual origin market.

What carriers, brokers and shippers should do

RoadHouse perspective: compare truckload and intermodal using total transit time, reliability, ramp cutoffs, drayage, chassis, storage and recovery cost—not linehaul alone. Reserve reefer and constrained intermodal moves earlier, confirm holiday receiving hours, and build exception plans for rail dwell or missed terminal appointments.

Understanding the update

AAR supplies observed weekly and year-to-date rail volumes. IANA supplies an early November estimate that precedes finalized monthly counts. Maersk and C.H. Robinson supply operating observations and planning guidance across their networks. The article separates observed data, an estimated index and provider forecasts.

Questions to consider

• Which lanes can shift to intermodal without violating delivery commitments?
• Are drayage, chassis, storage and recovery costs included in the mode comparison?
• Which reefer origins need earlier booking or backup capacity this month?

Read the original reporting

This page provides an original summary and practical commentary. The linked source contains the full reporting. Older stories reflect information available on their published dates.

Sources used for verification

• AAR weekly rail traffic report for the week ending October 31 — November 4, 2026 ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• IANA November Intermodal Volume Index estimate — November 6, 2026 ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• C.H. Robinson November intermodal market analysis — November 5, 2026 ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• C.H. Robinson November ports and drayage analysis — November 5, 2026 ↗ (opens in a new tab)