Don't Dwell On It

Telegraph

Welcome to Don’t Dwell On It, hosted by Harris Ligon + Sydney Schreiber of Telegraph™. This podcast dives into all of the nitty gritty that makes up the freight rail industry. Whether you’re a rail veteran, a supply chain strategist, a tech enthusiast, or just someone who loves freight rail, Don’t Dwell On It is your go-to source for thoughtful conversations, real-world insights, + bold ideas on what is driving the industry forward.  Freight rail is more than steel wheels on steel tracks. It is a cornerstone of the global supply chain network, a driver of sustainability, + plays a critical role in the US economy. Nowadays, visibility, reliability, + accessibility aren’t just buzz words - they are non-negotiables for rail shippers, and Telegraph is at the center of it all.  Every other month, Harris + Sydney will be chatting about the most pressing topics in freight rail. With special guests, industry experts, + plenty of fun stories, you won’t want to miss an episode! Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.  About Our Hosts Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.  Sydney Schreiber is Director of Operations at Telegraph. Before joining the team, she built her career in the trucking world, having worked at both Uber Freight + Coyote Logistics.  About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn. 

  1. 7 Sept

    Don’t Dwell On It: Good Freight Hunting

    In “Good Freight Hunting”, Les Akin joins Harris + Sydney to trace a career that spans everything from being on a brokerage floor, to over on the shipper side, consultancy, + startups. They dive into why three-letter city codes were drilled into memory over at Coyote, run through Les’s experience at Pepsi as transportation-as-a-service was just getting off the ground, + then what he calls his real-world MBA at Accenture, where he learned that consultants are really just professional storytellers. After all those experiences, he is convinced that what ails supply chains today isn't a technology problem at all. From there the conversation turns to the back half of 2026, like what it will look like to lock in multi-year rail contracts against a volatile market + why relationships still outperform every single tool on the market when capacity tightens. Les makes the case for "decision quality" as the metric that is worth chasing, argues that AI without master data management is just an expensive way to make an even bigger mess, + gives his opinion on the freight he would go hunting for (it will probably surprise you!). Harris offers a theory to close: organisations don't innovate because they're visionary. They innovate because someone made it worth their while. Most companies aren't short on good ideas - they are short on people who still think it's worth mentioning them. About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn.

  2. 17 Aug

    Don’t Dwell On It: The Long + the Short of It

    Roughly 140,000 miles of track. Around 600 railroads. Nearly 580 of them are shortlines. So why then does the industry still treat them like their kid brother? In this episode, Harris + Sydney delve into what actually defines a shortline (hint: it's annual revenue, not track miles), + why the smallest operators are so often the first to trial new technology. They also talk about the proximity advantage shortlines have - it doesn’t take thirty meetings + ten different committees when your shippers are close enough to quickly tell if your “good idea” worked or not. Perhaps not unexpectedly, they also find a chance to touch on how shortlines are reacting to the merger news. And with over 500 different voices at the table, that’s a lot of opinions to digest - though you might just be surprised to hear where we think they land! About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn.

  3. 22 Jun

    Don’t Dwell On It: (Rail)Car Talk

    The railcar leasing industry didn't appear out of nowhere - it was born the moment railroads stopped trying to do absolutely everything (they even owned hotels + golf courses!) + started focusing on the one thing they actually do best.  In (Rail)Car Talk, Harris + Sydney are back with Erica Ray, SVP of Sales at AITX, for Part 2 of their conversation, this time focusing on the mechanics of railcar leasing + what it actually takes for a new shipper to get their hands on equipment. Erica doesn't sugarcoat it: for a first-time shipper, breaking into the railcar market is not the easiest thing. She walks through the whys of that + what technological advancements could do to close the gap. The conversation also touches on what current market activity is signalling, from data center buildouts driving boxcar + aggregate hopper demand, to the rising appetite for cement. Shortlines get their due, as the most underrated part of the industry, + Erica shares her reflection on what a career in rail does to your grit. Spoiler alert: it builds it considerably because nothing is as bad as a bad day on the railroad! About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn.

  4. 9 Jun

    Don’t Dwell On It: From RACS to Rail Leasing

    Erica Ray, SVP of Leasing at AITX, didn't plan on a career in rail, but rail, as it turns out, had a plan for her. In "From RACS to Rail Leasing," Harris + Sydney sit down with Erica to trace a career that spans revenue accounting at Norfolk Southern (ask her all about RACS!), a front-row seat to the PTC era, a little rail-inspired stand-up, + a move to equipment leasing at AITX, which she views as both rewarding + considerably less stressful. Erica brings her candid, been-there perspective to discuss some of the most common railroading headaches, as well as where she sees it all going in the near-term. Thick skin required, optimism optional - but, luckily, she has plenty of both! About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn.

  5. 6 May

    Don’t Dwell On It: Lessor is More

    They own the equipment that keeps freight rail moving, but chances are, you don’t really give them a second thought. In “The Lessor of Two Evils”, Harris + Sydney really zoom out to talk about one of the rail industry's most essential + oft overlooked players: railcar lessors. Lessors own + lease cars that shippers depend on to move their goods across the freight rail network. It’s a simple premise, but behind the scenes is a surprisingly complex operation. Harris + Sydney also dig into where they foresee the lessor space heading, namely telematics + predictive maintenance. Scale is everything here + widespread implementation is still likely 5 to 10 years away. It’s a true duality: plenty of opportunities on the horizon, but plenty of challenges still to be faced.  About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn.

  6. 6 Apr ·  Bonus

    Talk Track: Cloudy with a Chance of Carloads

    The forecast is calling for grain, grain, grain…with a slight chance of geopolitical disruption + a 40% probability that everything changes again before next week. In Cloudy with a Chance of Carloads, Harris + David return with Telegraph’s Q2 2026 Market Consist. As we head into summer, they break down what they are seeing in data - mostly that grain carloads are looking really strong, chemical moves are definitely facing headwinds, + that shipper-friendly market we’ve all enjoyed this last year? It might just be closing up shop. With the USMA renegotiation up in the air - which could easily impact cross-border freight volumes - the fact that 2026 is basically tracking on par with 2025 is actually something close to good news.  About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn.

  7. 30 Mar

    The Fast + the Cautious

    Railroads have always used technology, but the question is: are they using the right technology for the current time? In The Fast + the Cautious, Harris + Sydney explore one of the most debated, + perhaps most misunderstood, topics across the industry: technology adoption across the railroads. They make the case that railroads are doing better than they are typically given credit for, given the consideration that their number one priority will always be safety + the reality that they will only successfully implement technology when it is financially beneficial for them to do so. They also juxtapose all of that against the needs of frustrated shippers who just expect more in 2026. Their friendly debate also includes everything from shortlines + API feeds to how the railroads can remain competitive against trucking - which is typically faster to adopt technology overall. Tech adoption is increasing across the board + technology itself is only getting faster. So the question remains: can railroads keep up, or will they always be the more cautious part of the supply chain? About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn.

  8. 24 Mar ·  Bonus

    Talk Track: Crude Intentions

    When conflict half a world away closes the Strait of Hormuz + sends West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude past $100 a barrel, the ripple effects don't just stay in the Middle East, they also show up on American railroads. In "Crude Intentions," Harris + David connect the dots between the escalating energy crisis + what it actually means for shippers, equipment owners, + Class I operating expenses. David, a former US Department of Energy economist who once had to explain anything above $28 per barrel crude to the Secretary's office, puts the current numbers in sharp relief. The pair then digs into the mechanics of fuel surcharges, as well as railroad earning call expectations. The episode spans everything from tanker cars to corn + soybeans. They also pull back the curtain to examine the US-China trade relationship + what a newly complicated energy dynamic could mean for intermodal volumes. The bottom line? When energy markets get this volatile, nothing on the freight rail network is insulated. About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn.

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About

Welcome to Don’t Dwell On It, hosted by Harris Ligon + Sydney Schreiber of Telegraph™. This podcast dives into all of the nitty gritty that makes up the freight rail industry. Whether you’re a rail veteran, a supply chain strategist, a tech enthusiast, or just someone who loves freight rail, Don’t Dwell On It is your go-to source for thoughtful conversations, real-world insights, + bold ideas on what is driving the industry forward.  Freight rail is more than steel wheels on steel tracks. It is a cornerstone of the global supply chain network, a driver of sustainability, + plays a critical role in the US economy. Nowadays, visibility, reliability, + accessibility aren’t just buzz words - they are non-negotiables for rail shippers, and Telegraph is at the center of it all.  Every other month, Harris + Sydney will be chatting about the most pressing topics in freight rail. With special guests, industry experts, + plenty of fun stories, you won’t want to miss an episode! Find us at telegraph.io/insights, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.  About Our Hosts Harris Ligon is the co-founder + CEO of Telegraph. Prior to launching Telegraph, he spent nearly 15 years in surface transportation at Uber Freight, Norfolk Southern, + BNSF Railway. During this time, he led teams in operations, strategy, business development, + product development.  Sydney Schreiber is Director of Operations at Telegraph. Before joining the team, she built her career in the trucking world, having worked at both Uber Freight + Coyote Logistics.  About Telegraph Telegraph is a leader in delivering digital solutions to railroads, shippers, logistics service providers, terminals, + railcar leasing companies. With an integrated platform that provides price transparency, shipment visibility, + proactive business intelligence, Telegraph empowers customers, and makes shipping by rail easier + more effective. For more details, visit www.telegraph.io and follow us on LinkedIn. 

Information

  • Creator
    Telegraph
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Don't Dwell On It
  • Show Website
    Don't Dwell On It