Topic: Rail & Intermodal

When the merger agreement was initially announced, the rail carriers said it would create the nation’s first transcontinental railroad—which will connect more than 50,000 route miles across 43 states from the East Coast to the West Coast and connect around 100 ports as well.

Rail carloads, at 224,620, fell 1.7% annually, and intermodal containers and trailer volume, at 294,284 units, decreased 1.2% annually.

Total November volume, at 1,456,259 units, fell 4.1% annually, following a 2.0% annual decline in October and respective 2.4% and 1.6% annual gains seen in September and August, respectively. Which was preceded by July’s 4.4% annual gain, which saw higher volumes due to the pulling-forward of goods being imported during the previous pause on the White House’s reciprocal tariffs.

With a merger application for the proposed $85 billion historic merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern expected to be filed with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) this week, more than half of union employees at the railroads indicated they are not in favor of the merger. That is the word from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET) and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, whom collectively account for 53% of UP and NS union employees, with the two unions...

The report observed that T&L dealmaking activity gained renewed traction over the second half of this year, with buyers prioritizing strategic alignment over scale. And it added that acquirers focused on subsectors offering defensible growth, operating efficiency, and exposure to high-barrier markets, with activity across what the firm called the full value chain, ranging from infrastructure to asset-light platforms, coupled with capital allocated for things like technology modernization, resilient supply chains, and specialized logistics services.

Rail carloads, at 228,823, rose 1.7% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers, at 280,176 units, fell 5.4% annually.

Uncertainty still dominates the transportation landscape, but shifts in capacity, trade policy, energy markets, and global demand suggest a year of transition. Our panel reveals where rates may finally stabilize—and where volatility is far from over. In this annual webcast, supply chain group editorial director Michael Levans and contributing editor Brooks Bentz have assembled our annual panel of logistics and freight transportation analysts to share their insights on rate patterns in all the major transport modes in an effort...

The November FRI was down 0.4% from October to November, falling for the seventh time in the last eight months, and it was off 4.4% annually, due largely to an intermodal slowdown in recent months, noted the report.

Representing the National Electric Manufacturers Association (NEMA) at the USTR hearing, Patrick Lozada, NEMA Senior Director of Global Policy, made the case for the USTR to move forward with what he called a swift review and renewal of the USMCA.

Rail carloads, at 197,955, increased 4.3% annually, and intermodal containers and trailers, at 234,860 units, fell 6.5% annually.

The November LMI reading came in at 55.7 (a reading above 50 indicates growth is occurring), following matching 57.4 readings, for both September and October. This represents the ninth straight month the LMI has been below the all-time overall average of 61.4.

While a December 1 date for the merger application to be sent to the Surface Transportation Board (STB), regarding the historic proposed $85 billion merger between Class I railroads Union Pacific (UP) and Norfolk Southern (NS), had been widely anticipated, UP CEO Jim Vena said at the UBS Global Industrials and Transportation Conference this week that the merger’s submission will be delayed for about two weeks.

Stay informed and ready for what’s next with the November Edge Report from C.H. Robinson.

When a major automotive manufacturer faced delays and high costs managing freight from more than 30 vendors in Mexico, Averitt delivered a streamlined cross-border solution.

The letter added that USMCA ensures U.S. manufacturers, farmers, and service providers can continue to access the Canadian and Mexican markets, while also noting that it guarantees that virtually all U.S. exports enter these markets tariff-free, while also helping American companies and their employees compete in the country’s top two export markets.

Total loadings, at 4,757,324, increased 2.8% annually, hitting its highest level since the second quarter 2021.

2025 delivered a near repeat of 2024's volatility, with tariffs, uneven demand, political uncertainty, and shifting trade dynamics leaving logistics managers stuck in a constant state of reaction. Across every mode—trucking, intermodal, rail, ocean, parcel, and shipper operations—experts point to the same themes: excess capacity, fragile confidence, tariff-driven distortion, and a growing reliance on technology as the industry waits for clarity that never quite arrives.

In a speech at last week’s RailTrends conference in New York, Union Pacific Railroad CEO Jim Vena made the case for Union Pacific’s historic proposed $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern, in advance of the company submitting its merger application to the Surface Transportation Board.

With an expected December 1 date for the application regarding the historic $85 billion proposed merger between Class I railroad carriers Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, there was no shortage of opinions regarding the deal at the RailTrends conference.

The state of the North American intermodal market could be described as somewhat bifurcated, based on a presentation at last week’s RailTrends conference in New York by noted intermodal expert Larry Gross, president of Gross Transportation Consulting.