The Warehouse Underground Podcast

Ben Hopkins
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MANAGEMENT

REAL talk for warehouse, DC & FC professionals of all levels around the globe! Join Ben, a former Air Force officer and 13-year leader in distribution centers, along with his guests, as they deliver sharp and insightful content for the warehousing and distribution center industry, one of the most underrepresented industries in the podcast realm today (but not anymore!)

  1. BONUS Audio from Live Community Event (Turbo Boost Your FC Career)

    4H AGO · BONUS

    BONUS Audio from Live Community Event (Turbo Boost Your FC Career)

    Different vibe here from a regular TWU podcast, but raw real event with real people from the FC industry and the panel offering as much insight, perspective, wisdom as we could! Also, these are OUR opinions and thoughts about A way to excel in the industry.  We are not saying these opinions are THE way.  Take them as you will. A little bit of everything in this one and worth a listen! Carlos Cody @ 10:28 Devin Galloway @ 44:25 Ben Hopkins @ 58:51

    1h 15m
  2. Ep #35 Keith Ingels, Director of Lean Business Development at Toyota Material Handling North America

    FEB 4

    Ep #35 Keith Ingels, Director of Lean Business Development at Toyota Material Handling North America

    Keith Ingels is the Director of Lean Business Development at Toyota Material Handling North America. Find out how the famous Toyota Production System, that he has extensive training in, is intertwined with Toyota Material Handling equipment of all types. Don't miss our no holds barred discussion about all things Lean/Continuous Improvement in the industry... 👍 Things we like. 👎 Things we don't like, 🚫 Things that should just be removed from people's vocabulary all together. MYTHS! "Lean can be used to drive results. No, lean is used to drive INPUTS which drive results!" Check this episode out and hear some of the gritty truths you've come to expect from The Warehouse Underground!

    44 min
  3. Ep #34 Stephen Bartalini Director, National Sales at PalletTrader

    JAN 20

    Ep #34 Stephen Bartalini Director, National Sales at PalletTrader

    How many pallets are on Earth?  I've seen some big estimates on this (pushing 10 figures.)  They are such a critical piece of operations today but can sometimes be an afterthought, that is, until you run out.  Good operations leaders should know at least a little bit about how the pallet industry operates.  Having a great partner for this can be HUGE!  Stephen Bartalini the Director, National Sales at PalletTrader and this episode is a great place to start learning more and could be just the partner for you.  Great chat about the industry he is in, the operational realities ops leaders need to know, and how they best partner with their customers to ensure they check all of their boxes.

    43 min
  4. Ep #33 Carlos Cody: Amazon & Executive Ops Leader | Scaling Systems, Developing Leaders (Helping other leaders level up!)

    JAN 3

    Ep #33 Carlos Cody: Amazon & Executive Ops Leader | Scaling Systems, Developing Leaders (Helping other leaders level up!)

    Loved chatting with Carlos Cody on this episode about real life of operations inside big fulfillment centers and how he leads others in this arena! He's walking the walk in the world of fulfillment as an Executive Operations Leader (scaling systems, developing leaders & driving profitable growth) and he's doing this the right way: by growing, mentoring, and championing all of the talented people he leads. We chat about the realities of fulfillment center operations, how people can best set themselves up for career success, and how to become a true genuine and authentic leader. This episode is packed with incredible advice for anyone, but especially emerging leaders in this industry!

    49 min
  5. Ep #32 Ria Story : Top Story Leadership (The Ladder of Influence®) Author, Speaker & Trainer

    12/04/2025

    Ep #32 Ria Story : Top Story Leadership (The Ladder of Influence®) Author, Speaker & Trainer

    I couldn't have Mack on the podcast without also featuring an episode with Ria Story too!  She is the founder of Top Story Leadership and has trained thousands of leaders across the country & internationally for more than 13 years and has helped them in the development needed to climb The Ladder of Influence®.  A published author of 21 books, her own story of resilience is truly inspiring not only to me but to the many others who hear her message.    When you listen to her, you will understand why so many others find her so engaging and immediately grasp how impactful her message can be!

    49 min
  6. Ep #31 Mack Story Blue-Collar Leadership® (Helping Leaders Engage the Front Line to Improve the Bottom Line.®)

    11/19/2025

    Ep #31 Mack Story Blue-Collar Leadership® (Helping Leaders Engage the Front Line to Improve the Bottom Line.®)

    Mack Story, the creator of Blue-Collar Leadership®, joined me for a great show that speaks directly to the heart of the blue-collar world but also those who lead in it on both sides.  The majority of people working in distribution today are front line employees!  Blue-Collar Leadership® is designed to help you strengthen your team, increase workforce engagement, and build a high-impact culture that retains and attracts top talent. They specialize in Helping Leaders Engage the Front Line to Improve the Bottom Line.® Such a great and insightful show with incredible wisdom that you can only get from living it just like Mack has!  Check out his books, courses, speaking events, or podcast today (you won't regret it!)

    58 min
  7. Ep #30 Dr. Vernard Jenkins VP of Operations at Knight-Swift Warehousing & Fulfillment

    11/13/2025

    Ep #30 Dr. Vernard Jenkins VP of Operations at Knight-Swift Warehousing & Fulfillment

    In a world where metrics, efficiencies, KPIs rule the day, it was great chatting with Dr. Vernard Jenkins (also a fellow 2003 graduate of the Air Force Academy) about the massive importance of soft skills for leaders in the distribution industry. He's the VP of Operations at Knight-Swift Warehousing & Fulfillment, a 3PL with sites nationwide. While he himself has had success at every level during his career climb, he is a big-time champion and model for what it means to give back and mentor the next generation of leaders. Check out all of his awesome articles on LinkedIn and his new video series "Dinner Conversations with Doctor V." It is some of the most honest, heartfelt, genuine and frankly spot on advice that anyone in the industry could benefit from!

    48 min
  8. Ep #29 "Manager Methods" Devin Galloway, Operations Leadership Expert & Corporate Trainer

    11/03/2025

    Ep #29 "Manager Methods" Devin Galloway, Operations Leadership Expert & Corporate Trainer

    🦺 "Manager Methods" episode! Great chat with Devin Galloway, an Operations Leadership Expert & Corporate Trainer, about development of new managers in fulfillment centers and the challenges this environment can bring. He should know. 👉 He has 12+ years of experience inside of Amazon FCs starting out as a front-line associate, managing hundreds of employees across multiple departments then ultimately, he progressed to designing and delivering leadership development workshops to managers across more than 80 Amazon sites throughout the US and Canada. 🚨 Now he is giving back to all and helping the next wave with Leadership Lessons (link below) where he's published 300+ articles providing practical leadership guidance for operations managers. Check out his stuff and you'll see like I did that it's the gritty truth. Use it to help transform leaders of all levels!

    41 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

REAL talk for warehouse, DC & FC professionals of all levels around the globe! Join Ben, a former Air Force officer and 13-year leader in distribution centers, along with his guests, as they deliver sharp and insightful content for the warehousing and distribution center industry, one of the most underrepresented industries in the podcast realm today (but not anymore!)

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