U.S. weekly rail traffic for the week ending May 3 totaled 498,693 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.6 percent compared with the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Carloads totaled 225,641 units, up 5.6 percent compared to prior year, and intermodal volume totaled 273,052 containers and trailers, up 9.4 percent.
Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024: coal, up 11,602 carloads, to 58,614; chemicals, up 1,965 carloads, to 34,376; and farm products excl. grain, and food, up 1,386 carloads, to 16,772. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with prior year included nonmetallic minerals, down 1,999 carloads, to 30,919; metallic ores and metals, down 1,085 carloads, to 19,231; and petroleum and petroleum products, down 1,032 carloads, to 9,607.
For the first 18 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 3.9 million carloads, up 1.8 percent compared to prior year; and 4.9 million intermodal units, up 8.1 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 18 weeks of 2025 was 8.8 million carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 5.2 percent compared to last year.
Meanwhile, North American rail volume for the week ending May 3, based on nine reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads, totaled 334,973 carloads, up 4.1 percent, and 362,255 intermodal units, up 8.2 percent compared with prior year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 697,228 carloads and intermodal units, up 6.2 percent. North American rail volume for the first 18 weeks of 2025 was 12.1 million carloads and intermodal units, up 3.4 percent.
Air cargo volumes saw a 6-11% spike in volume in April as shippers attempted to stay ahead of tariff deadlines.
Apple shipped over “600 tons” of iPhone/iPad inventory from Asia to the US via air cargo, before announcing a shift of production to India.