Quest for Quality 2023: Rail and Intermodal

Logistics Management readers who follow group news editor Jeff Berman’s coverage of the rail freight and intermodal sectors know that it has been a rocky ride over the past year and a half—and most believe that these markets are still working their way back on track from the pandemic.

Ongoing staffing issues, lower volumes, inflation, and mixed economic indicators are all issues that have been added to the stew. In the meantime, the freight railroad sector remains squarely in the crosshairs of the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which, as Berman has reported, is keeping a watchful eye on the rails and has been more vocal regarding railroad service and new regulations.

While 2022 volumes ended the year in what could be viewed as a mixed bag, with total U.S. rail carloads off 0.3% annually and intermodal containers and trailers down 4.9%, through May we saw carloads tick up ever so slightly. However, intermodal volumes continue to under-perform due to the direct link to international trade.

As Berman has reported recently, there are some reasons for optimism. There are indications that perhaps volumes have bottomed out and could slowly be returning to growth mode, coupled with some visible signs of sorely needed service improvements.

Although many shippers believe that more investment is needed in these vital freight transportation sectors to get back on track, it’s safe to say that the 14 service providers taking home 2023 Quest for Quality gold have maintained exceptional services levels during these trying months.

This year we congratulate seven winners in the Rail/Intermodal Service Providers category, with Swift Transportation posting an impressive 51.14 to lead the way in weighted scores. In this year’s Intermodal Marketing Companies category, we find another seven winners, with Hub Group putting up a remarkable 61.34 weighted score, the single highest score posted in the 2023 Quest for Quality survey.