Rail/Intermodal: Service remains high, investment still strong
While the rail and intermodal sectors had been enjoying steady growth over the past few years, these vital sectors have not been immune to the freight slowdown being felt on the highways, in the air, and on the high seas over the course of 2016. In fact, that’s been made clear with the declining volumes on a year-to-date basis for freight rail, with intermodal following suit.
As group news editor Jeff Berman has reported, through the end of May, Association of American Railroads (AAR) data show that domestic carload volumes were down 13.6% annually, while the weekly average carload for May was off 10.3% annually—the third lowest on record behind March 2016 and April 2016.
On the intermodal front through May, intermodal container and trailer volumes are off 1.3%, with intermodal units regularly outpacing rail carload volumes, something that never happened prior to May 2015.
However, since more and more shippers have found strategic ways to integrate rail intermodal into their logistics operations, we’ll most likely see those volumes begin to tick up over the course of the next six months as inventories dwindle and the economy begins its slow ascent.
And while volumes may be “soft,” readers of Logistics Management tell us that these 10 service providers have been delivering world-class service over the past 12 months and are worthy to walk way with Quest for Quality gold as a result.
In the Rail/Intermodal Service Provider category this year we find four winners posting scores above the 46.11 weighted average. Putting up top marks in 2016 is CSX Transportation Intermodal with a score of 48.80. CSX lead the way in Information Technology (8.50), Customer Service (9.47) and Equipment & Operations (9.59). BNSF Railway pulled in first in On-time Performance (11.61), while Florida East Coast Railway scored best in Value (11.54).
In this year’s Intermodal Marketing Companies category, JB Hunt Intermodal chugs away with top spot (47.69), scoring big in On-time Performance (11.01) and Equipment & Operations (9.29). Matson Logistic and Clipper Express both scored a criteria-high score of 10.95 in Value, while Schneider Intermodal Services lead the way in Information Technology (8.18) and
Customer Service (9.24).
2016 Quest for Quality Winners Categories NATIONAL LTL | REGIONAL LTL | TRUCKLOAD | RAIL/INTERMODAL | OCEAN CARRIERS | PORTS | 3PL | AIR CARRIERS and FREIGHT FORWARDERS |  home page |
