IANA Report: North American intermodal volume grew 11.6% year-over-year in June, with domestic equipment leading the gains.

Introduction

The North American intermodal market delivered strong year-over-year growth in June 2026. According to data from the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) provided to Logistics Management, total volume reached 1,639,677 units in June, up 11.6% year-over-year, significantly exceeding the 4.4% increase in May. This performance highlights the critical role intermodal plays in the current complex trade environment.

Key Developments

• All segments showed gains in June:
• Trailers: 41,294 units, up 19.4% year-over-year
• Domestic containers: 799,069 units, up 15.6% year-over-year
• Total domestic equipment (trailers + domestic containers): 840,363 units, up 15.8% year-over-year
• International (ISO) containers: 799,314 units, up 7.5% year-over-year

• Year-to-date data (January–June) shows:
• Total volume: 9,365,178 units, up 2.5% year-over-year
• Domestic containers: 4,540,122 units, up 7.4% year-over-year
• Trailers: 233,272 units, up 2.8% year-over-year
• Total domestic equipment: 4,773,394 units, up 7.2% year-over-year
• International containers: 4,591,784 units, down 1.9% year-over-year

The North American Intermodal Volume Index (IVI) launched by IANA earlier this month had an estimated July value of 106.8, slightly below June's 107.7, but still the second highest reading in 2026. The index aims to provide the industry with an immediate snapshot of market conditions.

Supply Chain Impact

In a recent webinar, IANA Economic Director Andrew Sibold pointed out that the ongoing conflict in Iran continues to push fuel prices higher, prompting some long-haul freight to shift from truck to intermodal, bringing additional volume to intermodal. However, the overall growth in the first half of the year was moderate, mainly due to the tariff-driven front-loading effect from the same period last year, when a large volume of goods were imported early, raising the year-over-year base.

Sibold emphasized that the current structural increase in the domestic intermodal share is an important change. International container demand is weak, partly due to reduced imports caused by tariffs, while domestic freight has replaced some imported supply. This trend deviates from historical patterns: traditionally, international containers were the main growth engine for intermodal, but now domestic equipment is dominating.

Regional Impact

• Within North America: Domestic containers and trailers grew strongly, reflecting active U.S. inland trade. In particular, long-haul cross-country rail benefited from higher fuel costs, widening the cost advantage of rail intermodal over trucking.
• Internationally: ISO containers declined year-over-year in the first half, indicating that import container volumes are under pressure from tariffs. However, international containers grew 7.5% in June alone, which may suggest a recovery in imports, but trends need further monitoring.

Industry Outlook

As the Iran conflict continues and fuel prices remain high, intermodal's cost competitiveness relative to trucking is likely to persist.## Industry Outlook

As the conflict in Iran continues and fuel prices remain high, the cost competitiveness of multimodal transport compared to trucks is expected to persist. However, uncertainty in tariff policies is a key variable: if Sino-US trade frictions ease, imported containers may rebound, driving a recovery in international multimodal transport; otherwise, domestic equipment will continue to be the main growth driver. The IVA index shows a slight cooling in July, but the overall level remains healthy.

Conclusion

The North American multimodal transport data for June 2026 reflects a structural shift in the market amid rising fuel costs and adjustments in trade policies. Domestic equipment grew strongly, while international containers still need to recover. Industry participants should monitor tariff trends and fuel price fluctuations, and flexibly adjust their transport mode mix to maintain supply chain efficiency.