Freight markets always turn. The question, then, is what shippers + carriers should do before that happens. In this episode of “Talk Track”, David is joined by Dr. Angi Acocella, research scientist at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, for a deep dive into how freight cycles actually work.
Angi shares her “Elephants or Goldfish?” research, which is a data-driven look at how shippers + carriers truly behave as markets shift. It’s a rare empirically researched answer to a long-standing debate: do relationships in freight actually matter?
The pair also dig into what drives freight cycles, which indicators have proven most reliable, + the question every railroader should be asking: with trucking tightening + rail acting as the relief valve, what does that mean for rail volumes through the rest of 2026? Spoiler: even the brightest minds in freight say predicting the turn is hard.
Talk Track, hosted by Harris Ligon + David Correll of Telegraph™, is a spin-off series dedicated to timely rail industry news. From service shakeups to technology breakthroughs, each episode delivers a behind-the-scenes perspective on all the happenings shaping the future of freight rail.
Harris + David will bring their decades of rail experience to help them parse through the latest industry headlines, evolving regulations, + the long-term forecasts for how railroads move freight across North America. Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.