How Warehouses Actually Work (From Roman Granaries to Robot Fleets)

When you order something online, it doesn't just appear — it pauses in a warehouse first. But most people picture a dusty shed from Indiana Jones. The reality is far stranger: Roman horrea that held political power, Dutch East India Company packhouses that invented global supply chains, and a 1923 forklift that doubled usable storage height overnight. This episode traces the full arc from Neolithic grain pits to modern lights-out facilities running on AI-driven slotting and 750,000 robotic drive units. Along the way, we explore the 1.9 million Americans who work in warehouses, the rise of the PLC technician as the industry's fastest-growing role, and why the warehouse is really a flow system — not a storage system at all.