CSX Corporation CSX is set to release first-quarter 2016 results, after markets close on Apr 12.In the last quarter, the company posted a positive 4.35% earnings surprise. Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.Factors at PlayCoal is a key revenue-generating commodity for railroad operators. Thus, a decline in domestic coal shipments hurts CSX Corp.’s operations to a considerable extent. Meanwhile, a strong U.S. dollar, lower fuel surcharges from customers owing to declining fuel costs and sluggish carload growth at the energy sector are likely to impact the company’s top line.Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively show that CSX Corp. is likely to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or at least 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, this is not the case here as elaborated below.Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP for the company stands at -2.7% as the Most Accurate estimate is 36 cents while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is 37 cents.Zacks Rank: CSX Corp. carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).Please note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 and 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.Stocks to ConsiderHere are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.Canadian National Railway Company CNI with an Earnings ESP of +3.03% and a Zacks Rank #2.JB Hunt Transport Services Inc. JBHT with an Earnings ESP of +1.18% and a Zacks Rank #3.Canadian Pacific Railway Limited CP with an Earnings ESP of +2.29% and a Zacks Rank #2.Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CSX CORP (CSX): Free Stock Analysis Report CDN NATL RY CO (CNI): Free Stock Analysis Report CDN PAC RLWY (CP): Free Stock Analysis Report HUNT (JB) TRANS (JBHT): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research