Total intermodal volume fell 2.0% year-over-year in fourth-quarter 2025, the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) reported Feb. 16. While domestic container originations grew 2.2%, international containers declined 4.7%, and trailers dropped 23.1%. For the year, total volume rose 2.3%.
“While aggregate intermodal volume weakened 2.0% year-over-year for Q4 2025, the domestic market actually decoupled from this trend, showing 2.2% growth,” said IANA Director of Economics Andrew Sibold. “This stands in sharp contrast to the 4.7% drop in international containers.”
According to IANA, only three of the seven highest-density trade corridors, which collectively handled more than 60% of total volume, were up in fourth-quarter 2025. The Trans-Canada jumped 10.8%; the Northeast-Midwest increased 3.0%; and the intra-Southeast edged 0.8% higher. The South Central-Southwest lost 4.3%, and the Midwest-Southwest contracted 9.9%. The Southeast-Southwest and the Midwest-Northwest delivered 12.9% and 19.7% less volume, respectively.
Total IMC volume was down 6.8% year-over-year in 4Q25, with intermodal loads off 2.8% and highway traffic 12.8% to the negative.
