Intermodal Freight Briefing: US Rail Volumes Surge as Network Speeds Slow and Trucking Insurance Costs Rise

## Intermodal & Surface Freight Briefing ### Rail Volume Boom Strains Network Capacity US intermodal rail volumes recorded a strong 10% increase last week, extending what FreightWaves describes as a sustained growth streak across the nation's freight rail network. However, the surge is coming at a cost: major railroads are reporting significant network slowdowns, with train speeds at some carriers falling to 10-to-20-month lows. According to FreightWaves, the volume gains — which also extend into Canadian intermodal markets — are creating bottlenecks that threaten to erode the efficiency advantages that intermodal transport typically offers shippers. For maritime supply chain operators, the development is particularly relevant given that intermodal rail serves as a critical inland extension of port-to-door container movements. Congestion on rail networks can translate directly into dwell time pressures at major gateway ports and inland container depots. The data underscores a recurring tension in freight logistics: demand spikes that outpace infrastructure capacity can quickly turn growth into a liability, particularly for time-sensitive cargo moving through integrated ocean-rail supply chains. ### Trucking Insurance Crisis Deepens In the surface freight sector, the trucking insurance market is facing mounting pressure from forces that go beyond headline-grabbing courtroom verdicts. FreightWaves reports that Cover Whale Chief Risk Officer Myles Oppenheimer has identified legislative environments and a lack of underwriting discipline as the primary drivers of escalating costs — characterising the situation as a 'self-inflicted wound' for the industry. Oppenheimer's analysis points to structural issues within state-level liability frameworks that create disproportionate exposure for carriers, compounding the financial strain on an industry already navigating tight margins. Rising trucking insurance costs have broader implications for the maritime freight ecosystem, as higher drayage and over-the-road rates ultimately feed into total landed costs for containerised cargo moving through US ports. ### Implications for Maritime Supply Chains Taken together, these developments highlight growing cost and capacity pressures across the landside components of the US freight network. Port operators, beneficial cargo owners, and logistics managers should monitor intermodal rail performance metrics closely, as speed degradations on key corridors — including those serving major container ports — could affect cargo velocity and supply chain predictability in the weeks ahead.