In “A Series of Uncertain Events”, Harris + David break down the “Telegraph Market Consist” for 1H 2026 + what the next three to six months may hold for freight rail. The outlook is…murky, with carload volumes projected to dip 3–5% + intermodal 5–6%. The bright side? This all potentially ripens the conditions for what looks like a shipper’s market.
They unpack the forces behind those lower volumes – from international trade headwinds + tariff turbulence to weaker domestic indicators. They also dive into lanes where intermodal is gaining ground versus truckload. For rail shippers the message is pretty simple: in a cycle like this, leverage matters + this may be just the moment to use it.