Source: DC Velocity
U.S. intermodal traffic volumes set a record in 2017, and the consensus going into 2018 is for more gains. The global economy ended last year with its best-synchronized recovery since 2010. In the U.S., ocean imports were expected to rise 7 percent over 2016 levels, according to a December survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and consultancy Hackett Associates. Meanwhile, already-solid domestic intermodal demand will likely be goosed if qualified over-the-road drivers remain in short supply and if the trucking industry struggles with transitioning to the federal safety mandate requiring that virtually all trucks built after the year 2000 have electronic logging devices (ELDs) onboard.