We define the type of a periodic orbit of a graph map. We consider the class of ‘train-track’ representatives, that is, those graph maps which minimize the topological entropy of the topological representatives of a given free group endomorphism. We prove that each type of periodic orbit realized by an efficient representative is also realised by any representative of the same free group endomorphism. Moreover, the number of periodic orbits of a given type is minimized by the efficient representatives.