You Asked How Loading Went

[Intro – end-of-shift store ambience, distant forklift] [Manager – spoken] How'd loading go today? [Employee – spoken, tired] Pretty normal. [Pause] Well... You asked. [Acoustic guitar begins] [Verse 1] First truck pulled up just after eight, Guy had a bed full of building supplies, Looked at me and said, "Think it'll fit?" I looked at the truck. Then looked at him. [Spoken] We'll make it fit. Pulled the forklift around the side, Checked the load and checked the ride, Spotter stepped out where we could see, And we took it slow as it needed to be. Forks came up, load came across, No shortcuts and nobody got lost, Set it down, gave it one good check, Driver looked over and said, [Customer] "That's it?" [Employee] That's it. [Chorus] You asked how loading went today, Well, we got a little bit of everything, Pickup trucks and awkward loads, More than a couple tricky things. Forklift rolling, platform high, Keeping everybody clear nearby, Nothing fancy, nothing new— Just doing what we're supposed to do. [Verse 2] Second truck came in around ten, Guy said, "I've loaded this before, my friend." I said, "Good, then you know the drill." He said, "I can help." I said, "You can stand right there." [Beat] He laughed and shook his head, Said, "Fair enough, you're the expert." We got the load up off the ground, Spotter watching all around, Little signal, little move, Everybody knew exactly what to do. He watched the forks come into place, Then gave me one of those impressed looks. [Customer] "That actually looks pretty easy." [Employee] That's because we're making it look easy. [Chorus] You asked how loading went today, Well, we got a little bit of everything, Pickup trucks and awkward loads, More than a couple tricky things. Forklift rolling, platform high, Keeping everybody clear nearby, Take it up and take it slow, That's just how the loading goes. [Verse 3] Around noon came a truck too small, Guy had bought enough to fill the whole yard, He looked at me and looked at the bed, Then looked at everything he had instead. [Customer] "Think it'll all fit?" [Employee] Probably not. [Customer] "Can we try?" [Employee] We can figure it out. So we moved a few things, Made a little space, Checked the load and checked the placement, Then started moving at a steady pace. Forks went under, Spotter gave the sign, Lifted just enough To get everything aligned. One little adjustment, Then another inch or two— [Spotter] Hold. [Employee] Stopped. [Spotter] Good. [Employee] That's why they're here. [Bridge – music drops, more reflective] It's funny from the outside, Looks like lifting something up, Moving it a couple feet And putting it in a truck. But there's a lot that happens Before those forks leave the ground, And the safest load of all Is the one where everybody's watching out. No hero stories, No racing the clock, Just a crew that knows the job And knows when to stop. [Instrumental Break – electric guitar, forklift beep rhythm] [Spoken – manager] So nothing unusual? [Employee] Depends what you mean by unusual. [Manager] Go on. [Employee] Last truck of the day... [Verse 4] Guy pulled up five minutes late, Said, "Sorry, hope I'm not too late." I looked at the clock. Then looked at the load. [Employee] We'll get you taken care of. Sun was dropping, shadows getting long, Everybody wanted to get home, But we took our time and checked it twice, Because getting home safe beats getting home nice. Forklift rolled, spotter stood, Everything went like it should, Load went down, truck rolled out, Customer waved as he drove away. I watched those taillights disappear, Then parked the forklift for the day. [Final Chorus – full band] You asked how loading went today, Well, we got a little bit of everything, Pickup trucks and awkward loads, More than a couple tricky things. Forklift rolling, platform high, Keeping everybody clear nearby, Take it up and take it slow, That's just how the loading goes. You asked if everything went right— [Pause] Yeah. We all went home tonight. [Outro – quiet guitar, forklift powering down] [Manager – spoken] So... Pretty normal day? [Employee – exhausted laugh] Pretty normal. [Pause] Just another day of loading trucks. [Manager] Anything else? [Employee] Yeah. Tomorrow morning? [Manager] Yeah? [Employee] We're gonna do it all again. [Soft guitar ending]