The Warehouse Underground Podcast with Ben Hopkins: real conversations with and for warehouse, DC and supply-chain leaders at every level

A-03ZONEBroadcast Log

Recent episodes.

1. 47:14

   Episode59Career

   Anthony Allen

   Founder & Managing Director, Supply Chain Talent Advisors · Executive search

   Anthony Allen started on a warehouse floor in the mid-90s and now recruits supply chain leaders for a living. He tells job seekers why they’re getting ghosted, tells hiring managers why they can’t find “good” people, and explains why scar tissue beats years of service.

   In this episode

   • Recruiters work for the company, not the candidate, and why about 75% of Anthony’s searches are never posted.
   • How to beat AI resumes and applicant tracking systems: lead with numbers, not job descriptions.
   • “Define good”: the question hiring teams skip, and how candidates can ask it at the end of the interview.
   • Scar tissue vs. years of service: why the 2:00 a.m. call says more than the pedigree.
   • Paying below the market rate, and why that seat opens up again in six months.
   • Why director-level roles are among the hardest hires, and why big-company talent can flop at smaller shops.
   • Recruiting activity vs. progress, and why about 90% of his placements this year came through relationships.

   Watch on YouTubeVisit Supply Chain Talent Advisors

2. 43:36

   Episode58Consultants

   Andy Paulson

   Founder, Warehouse Performance Group · Labor management

   Andy Paulson has been part of LMS rollouts at hundreds of distribution centers. By his count, only about 1 in 10 hit a home run. He and Ben hash out what separates those sites from everyone else — and it isn’t the software.

   In this episode

   • Why an LMS is a tool, not a program, and why most rollouts stall.
   • The foundation to fix first: supervisor roles, floor time and the “one best way.”
   • What executives must do before handing it to the ops team (one site’s overtime goal was worth $800K a year).
   • The unsung KPI: direct vs. indirect hours, and the 17 minutes a day that can cost a 100-person building $250K a year.
   • Pay for performance done right: self-funding, with a Coca-Cola bottler running 50–100% more productive.
   • No budget? How to get real gains with your WMS data, payroll and good old Excel.

   Watch on YouTubeVisit Andy Paulson

3. 47:08

   Episode57Software & Tech

   Cathleen Turner

   Founder & CEO, Margin · Start-up spotlight

   Billing cycle issues and cash flow sagas are common thorns in the side of 3PLs — but they don’t have to be part of doing business. Cathleen has seen it from both sides of the fence, and shares what it’s really like being an entrepreneur.

   YouTubeVisit Margin

4. 41:13

   Episode56Software & Tech

   Wes Coleman

   Industry Principal for Warehousing, Zebra Technologies

   36 years in and around the industry, and a lot to say about real operational excellence.

   • User acceptance now sits above throughput, quality and efficiency. Retention changed the math.
   • Bolting good tech onto a bad process only makes things worse. Fix the process first.
   • You don’t have to fully automate — augment one small piece of a process at a time.

   Episode text & summaryYouTube

5. 38:57

   Episode55Safety

   Brian Fielkow

   EVP, Acrisure · former CEO, Jetco Delivery · author of “Making Safety Happen”

   • Why safety should never be a “priority” — priorities shift, core values don’t.
   • How the C-suite sets the tone for safety culture (and why they can’t delegate it).
   • The football helmet analogy: PPE is your last line of defense, not your first.

   Episode text & summaryBrian Fielkow & Associates

6. 45:32

   Episode54Leadership

   Ben Green

   COO, TrailPath Workplace Solutions

   Technology and leadership are often treated as two separate things. That’s shifting. Floor leads gotta know:

   • Who needs my attention, and where should I focus?
   • When should I coach — and when should I step back?
   • Habits shape behavior. Behavior shapes results.

   Episode text & summaryTrailPath website

7. 44:54

   Episode53Robotics

   Pete Allen

   Managing Partner, Birch Advisors

   Many companies seek Pete out for strategies on integrating and growing robotics and automation.

   • Robotics and humans: an “either/or” or an “and also”?
   • What ops leaders should focus on to build the warehouse of the future.
   • Which operations get the most from robotics — and how to minimize the risk.

   Pete on LinkedInYouTube

8. 36:45

   Episode52Robotics

   Mike Bearman

   Chief Legal & Safety Officer, Vecna Robotics

   Robotics are everywhere in distribution. But what do you really need to know about whether they’re right for your operation?

   • Why many warehouse automation projects fail to deliver on their original expectations.
   • Key do’s and don’ts — and why AI should never be responsible alone for warehouse safety.
   • The “inside scoop” questions to ask a possible vendor.

   Vecna Robotics website

9. 10:06

   Episode51On the road

   Mike Field

   Chief Operations Officer, Toyota Material Handling North America

   The Warehouse Underground hit the road for the opening of Toyota Material Handling North America’s new 295,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Columbus, Indiana — a $100M investment bringing 140 new jobs. More than 1 in 3 forklifts sold in the US is made by them.

   Mike on LinkedInToyota Material Handling

▶ Every Episode on YouTube