The huge yellow crane straddling the tracks at one of Norfolk Southern Railway's container-handling yards works steadily along the train. It lifts each of the two containers stacked on each railcar and places them on to a waiting flatbed truck trailer, ready to be driven off.

Business at the yard in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania remains steady in spite of the downturn in demand for the consumer goods often carried in containers. Falling overall demand has been partially offset by the high fuel prices and driver shortages facing the US trucking industry.