Podcast
Meet Me for Coffee
Hosted by Samantha Jones · EN
Meet Me for Coffee features some of the logistics industry's brightest minds in a free-flowing, conversational style, live virtual meeting over coffee.Samantha Jones, a new and passionate voice in the industry, hosts the show. She is joined by guests who share valuable insights as to how to navigate the current and future freight markets.
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep. 62 - 2026 Freight Market Outlook
Mar 3101:07:06Tap to summarizeUncertainty. Tariffs. Two words that reigned king throughout 2025. Two words that have made planning ahead a very difficult task. Does that mean we should quit trying to plan? Likely not. The economy is still evolving, geopolitics are still evolving, businesses are adapting, consumers are reacting, and the supply chain has to respond. Join our host, Samantha Jones and her panel of economic and freight market experts as they help companies prepare for 2026 and the road ahead. These experts candidly cut right to the heart of both the opportunities and the challenges that the economy and the freight market face moving into a new year. Kick off your new year strong by gaining valuable insights for navigating your economic and freight market environments. Register to attend the live show so you can be notified of show updates and playbacks! Even if you cannot make the live time, registering will ensure you are able to watch it back after easier. Have questions you want answered on the show? Start adding them to the comments of this post now! We will address them on the live show, or join the live show and ask them then!
Transcribe →Ep. 63 - A Conversation with Forrest Dougan
Mar 3100:48:03Tap to summarizeJoin our host Samantha Jones, and her guest Forrest Dougan, the Sr. Director - Economic Strategy & Data Science at OPENLANE as they explore how businesses can be using economic insights to plan and drive their businesses forward in 2026. This is Forrest's first time joining the podcast, and we are excited to hear his thoughts as he shares a fresh perspective that will help logistics and supply chain decision makers continue to navigate the markets we operate in. Have questions? Start adding them in the comments, or bring them to the live show!
Transcribe →Ep. 64 - A Conversation with Blake Collins
Mar 3100:47:38Tap to summarizeOur host Samantha Jones is back with live shows after her maternity break, and this month, we’re diving into one of the biggest questions facing business leaders in 2026: the labor market.Jobs data has been front and center for economists, the Fed, and executives alike. But what does it actually mean for your business, your hiring plans, or your career?To break it down, Samantha is joined by Blake Collins for a real-world conversation on what’s happening inside today’s job market. They’ll cover hiring and job search trends so far in 2026, what startups and investors are signaling, whether companies are leaning into bold growth plans or playing it safe, and how to avoid costly hiring mistakes this year.Whether you’re leading a company, recruiting talent, considering a new hire, or exploring your next move, this episode will give you a clearer perspective on how businesses are navigating talent and growth right now.Drop your questions in the comments or bring them to the live show, and come grab a coffee with us.
Transcribe →Ep. 65 - A Conversation with Andrew Petrisin
Mar 3100:28:28Tap to summarizeOn this episode of Meet Me For Coffee, Samantha Jones is joined by Andrew Petrisin, CEO & Founder of Laneway and former member of the U.S. Supply Chain Disruption Task Force under the Biden Administration. Andrew shares his background and what it was like working through some of the most disruptive moments in modern supply chain history, before building Laneway, a marketplace focused on improving how companies negotiate ocean freight contracts.They'll discuss what’s happening in ocean shipping today, and unpack the structural inefficiencies that still exist, the hidden costs inside carrier contracts, and why managing ocean capacity is often more complicated than it looks. Andrew also breaks down the core cost components of ocean freight and the ripple effects of overbooking and allocation challenges. They also get into current market uncertainty, regulatory developments, and how shifts in global sourcing are impacting freight lanes. Andrew shares practical insights for BCOs trying to navigate it all, from managing allocations more effectively to thinking differently about contracts and carrier relationships.If you’re involved in ocean freight or supply chain strategy, or you want to keep up with a market you are not as often involved in, you won't want to miss this episode! You can add your questions to the comment section starting now, or bring them with you to the live event! Register to receive show updates and playbacks if you cannot make the live event, and share this with a colleague you think would find value in the insights! Thanks for meeting us for coffee!
Transcribe →Ep. 61 - A Conversation with Keith Prather
Dec 900:43:10Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Meet Me For Coffee Podcast, our host Samantha Jones will sit down with Keith Prather, Managing Director and Partner at Armada Corporate Intelligence, one of the most respected economic forecasting and business intelligence firms in the country.Armada functions like an intelligence agency for corporate executives, helping leaders anticipate what’s coming long before it hits their bottom line. Their proprietary ASIS modeling system blends traditional intelligence techniques with advanced analytics to forecast everything from economic trends and sector growth to supply chain risks, raw material costs, and geopolitical pressures, with accuracy rates as high as 92–99% six months out.Join the conversation live as Samantha asks Keith to unpack topics such as:The current state of the U.S. economyWhat transportation and logistics markets should expect heading into 2026How corporate intelligence modeling predicts demand cycles, pricing shifts, and capacity changesKey risks and signals executives should watch right nowAnd More With more than 24 years advising corporate boards, industry associations, and over 50,000 business leaders monthly, Keith brings a rare level of clarity to an increasingly complex economic landscape.
Transcribe →Ep. 57 - A Conversation with Mazen Danaf
Dec 900:36:27Tap to summarizeGrab a coffee and join our host Samantha Jones as she sits down with Mazen Danaf, Principal Economist at Uber Freight, to discuss the intersection of freight markets and economics.When Mazen last joined us in July 2023, the conversation centered on whether we were nearing the turning point in the freight cycle. At the time, he didn’t see many reasons for rates to improve, and here we are, two years later, still navigating the low end of the cycle.We’ll revisit that discussion, explore what’s changed (and what hasn’t), and get Mazen’s take on today’s economic and industry trends.
Transcribe →Ep. 59 - A Conversation with Lynda Patterson
Dec 900:42:29Tap to summarizeJoin our host Samantha Jones-Beach Jones and her guest Lynda Patterson, the SVP of Sales - Logistics, at Watco as they discuss some markets that need a little time and attention but don't often get it! Join us for an update on barge logistics, imports, and a conversation around visibility and execution in inbound supply chains, from barge, to rail, to truck. Watco's services are unique and their capabilities allow them to have a strong view of what is possible in a company's global supply chain, join Samantha and Lynda as they discuss the opportunities and challenges facing our nation's supply chain and logistics decision makers!
Transcribe →Ep. 60 - A Conversation with Aaron Terrazas
Dec 900:43:32Tap to summarizeA new face on the podcast! We are super excited to have Aaron Terrazas, Independent & Fractional Economist and formerly an economist at Glassdoor, Convoy, Zillow, and the US Treasury Dept, join our host, Samantha Jones! We are excited to hear the thoughts of an economist who has experience in freight application as well! You don't want to miss this one! Submit your questions now, and tune in for a full conversation geared around helping your business navigate the current economy and freight markets!
Transcribe →Ep. 58 - A Conversation with Jason Miller
Dec 900:48:55Tap to summarizeIt's fall break, so we're jumping on the opportunity to snag Jason Miller for a coffee chat while he's not teaching a MBA level logistics course! Join our host Samantha Jones as her and Jason meet for a live podcast conversation to hear Jason's latest thoughts on the US economy, global supply chains, domestic freight networks, and more! As busy logistics professionals, we cannot devote all of our time to understanding the current dynamics impacting freight markets, but others can! As an educator, Jason's research focuses on topics at the intersection of supply chain management and economics, with a special emphasis on examining issues in the for-hire trucking industry including carrier safety, pricing dynamics, employment dynamics, and carrier growth. We hope you make some time to meet us for coffee!
Transcribe →Ep. 54 - A Conversation with Taylor Walker
Sep 1600:42:33Tap to summarizeJoin our host Samantha Jones and her guest Taylor Walker, the Chief Insurance Officer at Loadsure, as they discuss the evolution of risk in trucking and how that has impacted shippers, brokers and carriers. They plan to start with some insurance 101 to cover terms that have grown in significance but may still be underexplained in our space. We will cover other topics like shippers changing risk tolerance and the impact it has on their brokers and carriers, and the rising barriers to entry for freight brokerages to get up and going. Join us as we lean on Taylor's wealth of knowledge and expertise in insurance and supply chain / logistics to help us better educate ourselves for important risk and insurance decisions. Remember, we love questions, submit them in the show comments anytime before, during or even after the show!
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