Rail Freight Surge Driven by Bulk Commodities as Intermodal Stalls

Key Details U.S. rail freight posted strong gains for the week ending April 11, with total weekly traffic reaching 500,040 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.7% year-over-year. Carloads jumped 5.1% to 228,666 units, but intermodal volume declined 1.1% to 271,374 containers and trailers. Where the Growth Is Seven of 10 commodity categories gained in the latest reporting period. Coal led the way with a 13% increase, followed by petroleum and related products at 10.3%, and forest products at 8.4%. Year-to-date results show grain is up 15.4%, petroleum products gained 7.9%, and chemicals rose 4.1%. Intermodal Weakness Persists The standout concern for logistics professionals remains intermodal's continued underperformance. Through the first 14 weeks of 2026, intermodal units are down 0.3% compared to the same period last year, signaling ongoing challenges in container and trailer demand. Why It Matters For owner-operators and trucking companies, this data reflects a divergence in freight markets. Bulk commodity shipments are strong, potentially creating opportunities on dedicated lanes, while intermodal weakness suggests softer demand for container and trailer movement traditionally handled by rail-to-truck transitions.