Intermodal demand stays firm as truck capacity tightens.
U.S. intermodal volume climbed above 303,000 units for the week ending August 29 while dry van spot linehaul rates remained more than 30% above year-ago levels. The takeaway: long-haul shippers have a strong reason to compare rail before accepting elevated truck pricing.
Published by LaserNet Jax · Week of August 31 · Data sourced from AAR and DAT Freight & Analytics
Rail volume is growing while truck pricing remains elevated.
For the week ending August 29, U.S. railroads handled 303,191 intermodal containers and trailers, up 5.7% from the same week in 2025. Through 34 weeks, U.S. intermodal volume is running 3.9% ahead of last year.
“The strongest intermodal conversation right now is not that rail replaces truck. It is that long-haul shippers should compare both before committing to elevated spot pricing.”
Truckload pricing is reinforcing that case. DAT reported national dry van spot linehaul at $2.19 per mile excluding fuel, 32.4% above the same week last year. Load posts increased while available truck posts fell, pushing DAT’s load-to-truck ratio to 12.01.
U.S. intermodal volume tops 303,000 units.
Intermodal remained a growth segment at the end of August, with both U.S. and Canadian intermodal traffic posting year-over-year gains.
Spot rates eased slightly, but capacity signals remain tight.
DAT reported national dry van spot linehaul of $2.19 per mile, excluding fuel. That was down $0.02 from the prior week, but still 32.4% above the same week last year and 21.2% above the nine-year seasonal average.
DAT reported load posts up 12.3% week over week while truck posts fell 10.0%. For shippers exposed to spot truck pricing on long-haul lanes, that combination supports taking a fresh look at intermodal where transit requirements allow.
Where we would start the intermodal conversation.
| Lane | Market Read | Intermodal Position |
|---|---|---|
Midwest → West Coast Ohio River / Great Lakes origins → California / Pacific Northwest |
Worth reviewing now DAT shows Ohio River and Great Lakes among the highest dry-van origin regions by rate per mile. |
Strong Review |
Northeast → West Coast Upper Atlantic origins → California / Pacific Northwest |
Compare rail vs. truck Upper Atlantic dry-van rates rose week over week in DAT’s latest report. |
Review |
Southeast → Long Haul Southeast / Carolinas → Midwest or West |
Case-by-case Truck pricing remains well above year-ago levels; rail fit depends on dray, ramp and transit. |
Evaluate |
U.S. → Canada U.S. origins → Toronto / Montreal / Vancouver |
Active rail market Canadian intermodal units were up 7.7% YoY for the week ending August 29. |
Evaluate |
Short haul / tight transit |
Truck often fits better Intermodal value depends on enough distance to offset rail and dray components. |
Truck Often Better |
Three things on our radar.
Intermodal volume is still growing.
U.S. intermodal traffic was up 5.7% year over year for the latest AAR week, and cumulative 2026 intermodal volume is up 3.9%. That is a meaningful signal that shippers continue using rail even as broader freight demand remains mixed.
Truck availability is the bigger story than a one-week rate dip.
DAT’s national linehaul rate eased slightly, but truck posts fell 10% week over week and remained 31.9% below last year. The load-to-truck ratio jumped to 12.01, so long-haul capacity deserves attention heading into September.
Do not force intermodal onto every lane.
The best opportunities remain lanes where distance, ramp choice, dray economics and transit requirements line up. The right move is to compare viable options, not assume rail or truck wins before evaluating the lane.
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The Weekly Rail Report is published every Monday by LaserNet Jax — a direct Intermodal Marketing Company based in Jacksonville, FL. We hold railroad contracts with CSX, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, CN and CPKC, plus access to the full North American rail network. Data sourced from the Association of American Railroads (AAR), DAT Freight & Analytics, and industry market reports. All figures are for informational purposes; lane-specific rates vary and should be confirmed directly.