The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported mixed United States rail carload and intermodal volumes for the week ending November 17.
Rail carloads, at 262,514, slipped 1.1% annually and were below the weeks ending November 10 and November 3 at 281,675 and 270,305, respectively.
AAR said that three of the 10 carload commodity groups it tracks saw annual gains, including: petroleum and petroleum products, up 2,440 carloads, to 12,623; grain, up 1,668 carloads, to 23,601; and miscellaneous carloads, up 164 carloads, to 9,897. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2017 included nonmetallic minerals, down 3,496 carloads, to 33,262; motor vehicles and parts, down 2,009 carloads, to 16,018; and farm products excl. grain, and food, down 613 carloads, to 16,141.
Intermodal containers and trailers, at 284,027, rose 1.1% compared to the same week a year ago. This trailed the week ending November 10 at 285,361 and the week ending November 3 at 289,741.
Through the first 46 weeks of 2018, U.S. carloads are up 1.8% annually at 12,110,985 and intermodal units are up 5.6% at 12,845,306.