Meet Me for Coffee

Uncertainty. 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 fre...

Join 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...

Our 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 Bla...

On 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 improv...

In 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...

Grab 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 ye...

It'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 cann...

Join 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...

A 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 tun...

It’s that time again! Every six months, our host Samantha Jones has the privilege of moderating a panel of freight market experts to discuss what lies ahead for the economy and freight industry. This month’s panel features returning favorites Ken Adamo ( DAT Freight & Analytics ), Jason Miller ( Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of Business ), and Chris Pickett ( Flock Freight ), a...

Join 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...

Join Samantha and her guest Gad Levanon , the Chief Economist at The Burning Glass Institute and an adjunct professor of economics at NYU, as they meet for coffee and chat economics!  Gad is recognized by LinkedIn as a "Top Industry Voice", and has an impressive following of businessmen and women who are seeking to better understand and apply economics to their fields! We will dive into...

Our host Samantha Jones called attention to a statement made by Dean Croke on the Mid-Year Market Update panel in July, and we decided to follow up on that! Join our host Samantha as she brings Dean and his colleague Ken Adamo back on the show to discuss the future of freight management. All three speakers believe there are fundamental changes taking place in the way freight is managed across ship...

Join our host Samantha Jones as she sits down for coffee with Lee Klaskow , the Senior Analyst - Transportation and Logistics at Bloomberg Intelligence. Lee's profession is based around in depth research and detailed reporting, we are looking forward to hearing what his latest research has uncovered across the domestic transportation and logistics landscape. Join the live show as Samantha and...

Join our host Samantha Jones as she sits down with Adam DeGroot , the Founder and CEO of DeGroot Logistics as they review the current state of peak produce season, and the impacts it has on refrigerated logistics networks. We will cover produce trends and crop outputs, freight pricing, the behind the scenes of produce logistics operations, and more! DeGroot Logistics is owned and operated by 4th g...

Join our host Samantha Jones as she sits down with Ian Weiland from Junction Collaborative Transports , one of LA/Long Beach' largest asset drayage providers, and Anna Salasky and Jason Strickland from Givens Incorporated , a drayage and warehousing provider based out of Chesapeake VA (Norfolk Ports), with warehouses/terminals in Savannah GA, and Greensboro, NC.  With all the disruptions tari...

Join our host Samantha Jones, as she sits down with Phil Rosen , Co-founder & Editor-in-Chief of Opening Bell Daily, to learn more about where markets stand today, and the direction of the US economy.  Phil Rosen is the founder of Opening Bell Daily, an independent financial media company delivering data-driven Wall Street reporting, syndicated by Inc. Magazine and featured on Bloomberg Termin...

In this episode of Meet Me For Coffee, host Samantha Jones sits down with Frank Wurst , Director of North America Logistics at Greif, a global leader in industrial packaging products and services. With more than two decades of experience across logistics, procurement, and supply chain strategy, Frank brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective to the conversation. We dive into the modernization o...

In this episode, Samantha sits down with Elizabeth Moscoso , President of Chicago-based asset provider Moscoso Express. Operating in one of the nation’s largest multi-modal freight hubs, Elizabeth brings a unique perspective on global supply chain trends and the pulse of the transportation industry. With years of experience leading her company through multiple market cycles, Elizabeth shares how s...

It's been too long since I had David Spencer on the show to discuss his outlook on the freight market! David oversees the creation of one of my favorite freight market newsletters each month with his team at Arrive Logistics .  They keep a close eye on economic data releases, geopolitical events and regulatory changes, freight rate data sources, and more. On this episode, David will provide h...

I've been listening to Paul's economic outlooks and forecasts since before I started this podcast. Needless to say, I'm very excited to now have him join me on our next live Meet Me For Coffee episode! Paul is the Director, Transportation Consulting, at S&P Global Market Intelligence where he is part of the team that provides data and analysis for decision making for supply chai...

It's go time! You are running out of time to plan for Manifest 2025! We can help. Join Pam Simon, Conference Chair and EVP of Programming, and Samantha Jones as they discuss Manifest very candidly. You can expect to learn, who will be attending Manifest, what themes are of high interest and focus at Manifest this year, what types of sessions, events and networking will be happening at Manifes...

On this episode I am joined by Brett Suma , the Founder and CEO of Loadsmith . If you look back at this podcast's history, I don't have CEOs of freight brokerages on the show often. Our show has always been focused on freight markets, economics, and sustainable business growth models and innovation and technology. I met Brett at a conference and we got to talking and I realized Brett had...

Brokers took over a notable amount of contracted freight volumes throughout the pandemic and have retained much of it since then. They also dominate low volume or transactional freight lanes for their shipper clients. Brokers manage two customer bases every day - shippers and carriers. They are managing relationships, executing business operations, and evaluating data constantly. Lina is the CCO o...

Day 1 of the JOC Inland Distribution conference offered the Meet Me For Coffee Podcast the opportunity to interview attendees during the evening networking event! We heard from several gentlemen who spoke on panels today, as they shared their high level insights with our audience.  Lee Klaskow from Bloomberg Intelligence shared his high level thoughts on the ILA strike and the domestic freight mar...