Meet Me for Coffee

What happens halfway around the world can have a direct impact on our domestic logistics markets.

In this upcoming episode of Meet Me For Coffee, Samantha Beach will sit down with Matthew Muenster, Chief Economist at Breakthrough, to unpack the global energy markets and explain what they mean for trucking, transportation costs, and the broader freight economy.

Using research, industry data, and a deep understanding of market fundamentals, Matt helps some of the world's largest brands navigate fuel and freight strategy. During this conversation, he'll connect global events with the real-world decisions transportation professionals face every day.

Together, Samantha and Matt will explore:

How geopolitical conflict influences crude oil and diesel prices
Why global energy markets matter to every freight market participant
The relationship between crude oil, refining capacity, and transportation fuel costs
What recent market disruptions could signal for the months ahead
Key economic and energy indicators shippers, brokers, and carriers should be watching
Practical insights to help transportation leaders prepare for an uncertain market
How to be thinking about RFP efforts this year, and more! 

From geopolitical tensions to diesel prices at the pump, this episode will break down the forces shaping today's transportation landscape, and what they could mean for the future of U.S. trucking.

Whether you're a shipper, carrier, broker, or simply fascinated by the intersection of economics and freight, you won't want to miss this conversation.

Meet Me For Coffee — Where freight markets and economics meet.

Join our host Samantha Jones as she sits down for a virtual coffee meeting with DAT Principal Analyst Dean Croke. Dean will dissect what current market data and indicators are telling us about where the freight market is headed. Dean also provides excellent insights into the operational thought processes of carriers, and we are eager to hear his take on how carriers are responding to the supply constraints, the lack of significant volume increases, and the sudden spike in rates. For a Tuesday morning pulse on the freight market, be sure to join us!

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 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.

Joining Samantha Jones-Beach will be:
Ken Adamo
Jason Miller
Aaron Terrazas
David Spencer

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 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! 

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 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.

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 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! 

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 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! 

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 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. economy
What transportation and logistics markets should expect heading into 2026
How corporate intelligence modeling predicts demand cycles, pricing shifts, and capacity changes
Key risks and signals executives should watch right now
And 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.

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 tune in for a full conversation geared around helping your business navigate the current economy and freight markets!

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 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!