It can seem, at least while reading Reddit posts, that too many managers are out there trying to fix things that aren’t broken.

Like OP’s, who thought he could get more production out of him but, in the end, cost the company a whole lot of lost time.

He ran the forklift and unloaded trucks as they came with the day’s deliveries.

At my most recent former employer, a home improvement store in the vein of Lowe’s or Home Depot, I worked in receiving, mostly unloading trucks with a forklift.

About two years into my time there, we got a new assistant store manager, let’s call him Gary. This guy came in and thought that not only did his poo not stink, but that we should all eat as much of it as possible.

Micromanaging, changing SOP, etc. Everything he said was right.

So one day, a truck is in the process of backing down the ramp to our receiving docks, but there’s a problem with the brakes and the wheels are just dragging.

Since my job at that moment is “wait until the truck comes in and unload it once it does,” there’s literally nothing I can really do apart from give the dude good vibes from my seat. (To be clear, the problem was not any failing on the driver’s part, just bad luck with the hoses).

At this time of day, we have two people on the clock in receiving: me on one forklift, waiting for the truck, and my department manager on another, helping out in the outside yard because two propane forklifts were disabled and they had two lumber trucks show up at the same time.

We only had two electric forks, and they were the only ones that could be inside the building. So basically, I’m literally all alone on the only available forklift that can unload the truck. Which is fine, because that’s my jam.

At the same time, we only had one dock of three available for live loads, because one already had an unhooked trailer and the other was broken.

On the day in question, one of the trucks was having a struggle, which meant OP was just sitting and waiting instead of “staying busy.”

So, while we’re understaffed and short equipment, and while the driver is trying to free his truck, Gary walks into receiving with two other department managers and sees me sitting on the forklift, basically just twiddling my thumbs as I watch the driver.

I can understand how it might look like I’m goofing off, since I kind of am, but not really.

“Why are you just sitting there?” Gary asks me.

“Waiting for the truck to back up,” I say.

He says, “While you’re waiting, you can do other things.”

I look out the dock door and see the driver come out from between the truck and trailer and get back in the cab, so I say, “But he’s almost got it. He’ll be docked in like a minute.”

“And in that minute, you can do other things.”

His manager, who no one liked, told him to do something while he was waiting. When OP could see he wasn’t going to budge, he asked what he should do.

I’ve had more than my share of crappy leaders in my life, and I can tell by Gary’s tone and body language that nothing is going to shake him from this attitude, so I just say, “You got it, what should I do while I wait?”

Gary says “Go outside and help unload one of the lumber trucks.”

I say, “For how long?”

The manager told him to go help unload the lumber deliver for “as long as it takes.”

Sounding annoyed, he waves his hands in a shooing motion and says, “For as long as it takes, now go.” Then he walks away.

The two department managers look at each other, look at me, smile, and follow after him.

They know what’s about to happen.

Hey, buddy, you got it. I’m absolutely gonna do this for you.

So I spin the forklift around and zip out through the big overhead door into the outside yard to help with the lumber trucks.

As I do this, I hear the trailer back into the dock. But that doesn’t matter, because Gary gave me a mission.

OP followed the instruction to the letter, which meant 4 other trucks were waiting for him to unload by the time he returned.

I make it to where the lumber trucks are parked in the yard, and my department manager drives over next to me. He says, “Why are you out here? Isn’t the truck docking?”

I nod. “Gary told me I needed to be out here helping while I wait. He was very insistent.” I slowly emphasize the last two words.

My manager just smiles, turns around and continues to unload.

I start helping. A stack of studs here, a bundle of trusses there, and I’m doing my part to empty these flatbeds of wood.

While this is happening, I hear the gate attendant for the outside yard radio that we have another truck waiting to come in.

I radio back that it’s gonna have to wait until the other truck is gone.

Then another truck shows up. And another. In the twenty minutes I’ve been outside, four trucks besides the one that is now in the dock have arrived to be unloaded in our single dock.

And every time I tell the gate that they have to wait.

The store manager was waiting, and OP didn’t let his direct manager get away with any lies.

At this point, the general store manager Mike finally hears what’s happening over the radio and cuts in. “Hey what’s going on? Are we not unloading the truck in receiving?”

I radio back and say, “I’ll be there in just a second.” I put the load I’ve got on my tines where it needs to go back to receiving.

As I drive into the bay, Mike and Gary are both standing there, with the driver next to them.

I zip up to them and hold my hand out for the driver’s paperwork. He hands it to me as Gary says, “What the heck is taking you so long? Why haven’t you started unloading yet?”

“You told me to help on the lumber trucks while I wait,” I say.

Gary sputters and says, “I meant until this truck was in the dock.”

I look at Mike and then back to Gary. “I asked you for how long and you said for as long as it takes.”

“I didn’t say that.” I look at him and he looks at me, like he’s daring me.

And I like taking dares.

I name the two department managers who were with him when he told me and say “We all heard you say it. You were very clear.”

Now, everyone leaves him alone – which is exactly how he likes it.

His face turns the color of an apple, and not like a Fuji or Gala, but a Red Delicious.

He opens his mouth but Mike puts a hand on his arm and stops him. Mike looks at me and says, “Get it sorted fast, okay?” I nod and get started as Mike walks away with Gary fuming beside him.

Now I didn’t hear their conversation because I was kicking butt and taking names on my forklift, but word got back to me that Mike told Gary he would never again be allowed to question anything anyone in receiving does, and especially me when it comes to unloading trucks.

If I’m on a forklift, I’m basically untouchable.

And over the next year that Gary was with us, he abided by that directive, though he did feel entitled to shoot me a dirty glance or twenty every so often.

Not that I cared, because I had trucks to unload.

The top commenter this is a classic “they’ve reached their level of incompetence” story.

People are very familiar with this concept.

Others suggested it might be an issue with Garys.

But how effective do managers have to be, really?

And absolutely no one is impressed by these guys.

These stories are way too common, if you ask me.

You have to trust your employees when and where you can!