Rail freight metrics

Time to check in on rail freight shipments as reported by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). These are short line and regional shipments:

Commodity (carloads)	March 2025	March 2024	% Change
Chemicals	60,640	51,750	17.2
Containers	46,689	38,897	20.2
Grain	33,757	31,944	37.4
Crushed Stone/Sand/Gravel	26,251	25,893	1.4
Coal	22,895	24,979	(8.3)
Metals & Products	21,053	20,989	0.3
Motor Vehicles	12,815	10,886	17.7
Waste & Scrap Materials	11,860	11,832	0.2
Lumber & Wood Products	9,604	9,535	0.7

Demand
Economics
Freight
Supply

Greg Wittbecker

Veteran aluminum executive Greg brings over 40 years of leadership experience from Alcoa, Cargill, and CRU. He offers rare depth in commercial strategy, policy analysis, and industry evolution, with expertise spanning the trading floor to the boardroom. You can reach Greg at Greg.Wittbecker@crugroup.com or 865-621-4564.