Carry That Weight

Every time that forklift breaks down, I have to use this pallet jack to haul everything around and this causes a great disruption in the workflow.  I saw the out of service sign on old Tiger this morning and I am almost certain that it is the same problem with the steering, which has been causing the left wheel to drift.  Ever since that worker on the night shift got high and drove it through a concrete wall, it has never been the same.  Well at least he got fired for that, as I never liked him anyway.  Old Tiger is only 22 years old, but they stopped making those models and it is hard to get parts, so I am sure that it will be out of commission for a while.  The recycling plant is making money recycling cardboard, plastic, glass and cans, but it is an ever-changing business with spiking costs and even though management knows that we need a new forklift truck, they keep hesitating on their decision to buy one.  The township pays us to collect all the stuff that the residents put out by the street, but there is a lot more to the recycling business than collecting.

There is sorting, separating, bundling, stacking and so many other things that go on inside of the recycling plant that most people don’t know about.  I am able to push much more weight with the pallet jack than I am able to pull but pulling a load across a flat surface increases my maneuverability, letting me direct the pallet where it belongs.  I like being able to stretch my back out when pulling, but excessive pulling can result in me injuring my back.  When I pull the freight, I am able to check for any hazards that may be up ahead, such as pedestrians and there are a lot of blind spots when you push the pallets.  Pallet trucks are actually quite simple to operate, but since a warehouse is an industrial setting, there is always a chance for an accident to happen which could cause an injury.  It is not that busy here today, so I turned the music up and I am listening to Cumberland Blues by the Grateful Dead, which is an awesome work song.

Written for Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #190.