#not going to contemplate how much of my hourly wage that is

[cactustreesmotel]

i just spent 7 entire canadian dollars on a ham and cheese croissant before work

[vixxscifiwritings]

no such thing as separation

Taekwoon and Sanghyuk’s affections touch across time. Goodbyes are only meant for those who love with their eyes. For those who love with their heart and soul, there is no such thing as separation.

Rating - General

Major Warning - None

Minor Warning - A hella lotta fluff

Prompt - Time Travel

Word Count - 1850

Pairing/Characters - LeoHyuk

Tags - A whole lot of fluff, seriously, it is fluffy af, non chronological timeline, VIXX members appear as minor characters

-x-

“You’re here?” Sanghyuk asks, lifting his head up from the pillow. His eyes are firmly shut and his voice is barely audible. By the end of the question, he is back to dozing off.

“Yeah. Go back to sleep honey” Taekwoon says, running his hands through Sanghyuk’s hair.

“I missed you” Sanghyuk says, shifting and stretching his arms out. Taekwoon takes the cue to shrug the warm layers he is wearing off and gets into bed with the man.

“I missed you too love” Taekwoon says fondly. Sanghyuk has dozed off again and is starting to snore. His hair is messy and his lips parted, loose and relaxed.

The afternoon sun is blocked by the curtains. Orange in colour, even the dim light makes the room warm. Taekwoon is grateful. It’s winter where he was and the warmth is much needed. He feels the chill in his bones seep away as Sanghyuk’s body heat warms him up by mere proximity.

Taekwoon takes a deep breathe and closes his eyes. He still feels disoriented and the break is much necessary.

-x-

“Why did you let me oversleep?” Taekwoon complains as he steps out. It’s morning and he feels guilty for having slept more than fourteen hours away.

“Oversleep?” Hongbin asks in surprise. “You told me not to wake you up since your exams were done.”

“Oh yeah…” Taekwoon says sheepishly, wracking his brains for what timeline he is supposed to be in. He went to sleep in Sanghyuk’s bed just a few hours ago but he woke up with his old roommate and friend Hongbin. And if he is talking about exams then this must be senior year in undergrad.

“I think my last final frazzled my brain” he says with a huff, sitting down on the chair by the kitchen counter.

“I understand that feeling. I am really calculating if I need my degree at the moment” Hongbin laments.

“Well… someday you are going to be a leading expert on the subject” Taekwoon assures him. It isn’t the full truth because he can’t give away the future just like that. But it is genuine enough for it to be reassuring when required. Hongbin smiles at him ruefully before going back to the extra highlighted pages of his thick textbooks.

“Maybe you should get some food. I’m heading to the library for a last revision before my exam” Hongbin tells him. Taekwoon watches him go before slumping. He misses Sanghyuk thought he doesn’t even know the man yet.

-x-

“So… where is Taekwoon?” Hakyeon asks, placing the Thai food on the counter.

“Travelling for work” Sanghyuk tells him. It’s a blatant lie and Sanghyuk knows that Hakyeon can tell. Yet he has no better explanation. He feels a little guilty because he knows Hakyeon would love Taekwoon under normal conditions. But their situation isn’t ordinary and Hakyeon thinks that Taekwoon is a straight up flight risk and negligent boyfriend.

“He’s not around that much, is he?” Hakyeon asks with the raise of an eyebrow.

“He’s busy and I don’t mind” Sanghyuk shrugs.

“But doesn’t it get lonely?” Hakyeon asks curiously.

“He comes home to me at the end of the day. I think that’s enough” Sanghyuk says. Hakyeon doesn’t say more, heading to the kitchen to get plates and cutlery.

-x-

Sanghyuk tries not to overthink Hakyeon’s statement. The question haunts him for days on end.

It’s a struggle to keep himself from feeling this way. It’s unfair to feel alone knowing that Taekwoon doesn’t abandon him by choice but just because his powers are not under his control.

But it does raise more questions. Sanghyuk has this nagging voice at the back of his head which asks him if it is enough. Taekwoon lives his life in leaps and bounds whereas Sanghyuk takes linear chronological baby steps. What if Taekwoon runs so far ahead that Sanghyuk cannot catch up? What if he gets tired of someone so… so constant and unexcitable?

Sometimes Taekwoon tells him of his adventures. He rarely travels beyond his own life span and even more rarely to other places. But he has done so enough for him to have a collection of adventures locked away. Even if he can't tell anyone about it.

Sanghyuk compares it to his life. He barely travels away from the city. Heck he can't afford to take too many days off because he works on an hourly wage and every hour counts if he wants any savings at all.

Why isn't Taekwoon bored of him yet?

The empty house has no answers and the food he was eating suddenly has zero flavour. He wraps up his lunch and shoves into the refrigerator. The mechanical humming of the machine is the only sound that resonates in the tiny room.

-x-

When Taekwoon wakes up, his bones are singing. He recognizes the tattle tale sign that he has travelled again. His senses are on high alert, causing him to sit up from bed abruptly.

This is not the small flat in Seoul that he has lived in for all his life. The room is of different dimensions and is painted a vibrant yellow with drawings on the lower ends. Red and green crayons form a jarring contrast and this confuses Taekwoon.

Has he travelled beyond his lifespan again?

The date on the calendar tells him that he is ten years after where he last was. This must be seven years after meeting Sanghyuk then.

Taekwoon puts his feet off the bed and contemplates if there is a way that he can avoid touching the ground because this weird future might become a reality then.

“Appa! Appa!”

A small child, roughly four years old comes running into the room. Taekwoon panics. He is in the wrong house for sure and now he has been discovered. The view from the window doesn't look very high up. He can always jump out and never return to this district and just let the household assume he was a thief.

“Jiwoo! Your father is asleep!” Sanghyuk admonishes, following the small child into the room.

“Appa awake!” the child claims, holding his hands up so that Taekwoon can pick him up. Taekwoon hesitantly picks the child up and Sanghyuk makes a guilty face. When Taekwoon looks at Sanghyuk all of it clicks into place.

He's the father.

Sanghyuk is also the father.

This is their child.

They have a family.

Taekwoon's heart swells and is in sure danger of bursting from joy and pride. He has a family. He has a family with Sanghyuk. Sanghyuk. The man he loves. The man he is afraid he will lose because he is never around and surely Sanghyuk deserves better than an absentee boyfriend. But they have a family. They made it.

A shrill squeal is heard as Taekwoon squishes his son. His Jiwoo. Taekwoon hugs him tightly and coos at him. He even lifts Jiwoo and pretends to throw him up and around till Sanghyuk intervenes to scold him for how reckless he is being. But Taekwoon will be damned if he can stop smiling through the entire act.

He pulls Sanghyuk into bed too, just so that he can cuddle his family. His family. He hopes the elation he feels at the moment will never fade.

Sanghyuk picks up on the fact that something is different. Something is not quite right with this set up and the way he is behaving. Taekwoon gets a look saying they will be talking soon. That hasn't changed over the years and this makes Taekwoon smile even more. In return for Sanghyuk frowning at him, Taekwoon kisses the corner of Sanghyuk’s lips and Jiwoo giggles.

-x-

It doesn't take long for Sanghyuk to figure out that Taekwoon mostly time travels when he is asleep. He rarely disappears during the day or when he is awake. But there are multiple occasions where he goes to bed with Taekwoon and wakes up alone.

Taekwoon is never gone for more than five days at maximum. It's a limit that they haven't tested and Sanghyuk hopes they won't. Going to bed alone is still terrible, no matter how heartwarming it is to wake up next to Taekwoon unexpectedly.

When Sanghyuk goes to bed that night, he holds onto the hope that Taekwoon will be back in the morning. His five days are almost up and he really wants Taekwoon home with him now.

Being woken up with slow kisses is a feeling he can get used to.

“Why are you so affectionate today?” Sanghyuk asks playfully. It's the middle of the night and he figures Taekwoon must have just returned.

“I love you” is all Taekwoon says, before trapping him between his legs and kissing him. He kisses his lips, jawline and cheeks. Any place he can get his lips on.

Sanghyuk doesn't know what to make of the increased affections. “Did you miss me so much?” he asks, dreading the answer.

“I always miss you” Taekwoon replies honestly. “And I don't want to live without you anymore. I want to get married and for us to have an army of children in a house in the suburbs.”

“At least take me to dinner first” Sanghyuk replies teasingly.

The playful tone hides a deep insecurity. Sanghyuk has been thinking. After spending days wondering, he has come to the same realizations as what Taekwoon easily put into words. A life without Taekwoon is meaningless because it would be a life without love.

But he was always worried that this realization came too fast. That Taekwoon may not be in the same space and state of mind. They've only known each other for a very short time and yet life when he didn't know Taekwoon feels like a lifetime ago.

But Taekwoon is serious, he realizes. “A family is a big responsibility” Sanghyuk replies. “And with our situation… I don't even know how we'll handle one child. Much less an army.”

“I took the long way home this time” Taekwoon says carefully. “I went to the past and then to our future.”

“What did you see?” Sanghyuk asks curiously.

“We had a family. We were happy” Taekwoon tells him. It's a vague and generic answer and Sanghyuk knows that Taekwoon won't speak more. He rarely gives Sanghyuk details from the future lest they affect it for the worse.

“Baby steps” he breathes, more for himself than Taekwoon. The realization leaves him reeling. It's a lot to take in.

“I promise to always stay by your side. Even if I have to leave occasionally” Taekwoon swears.

“We can work around that” Sanghyuk agrees. They settle into a sober embrace. Taekwoon's hold on him slackens.

“Do you hate me for never being around?” he asks. It's a loaded question with no easy answer. He is well aware that this question is entirely contradictory to his earlier actions.

“No” Sanghyuk says after a prolonged moment. “I don't hate you for it.”

“Do you love me?” Taekwoon asks childishly.

“Enough to have a family someday” Sanghyuk says wittily and the two of them laugh.

-The End-

[rosamond-herondale]

(22 F) I'm a waitress and I cheated on my husband with my boss for money

Hi guys, this is my first time sharing something here. It’s a secret I will probably take to the grave but writing about it lightens my load. My name is Mona and I’m 22 years old. I’m afghan by birth but moved here with my family over 10 years ago. I’m a bit on the shorter side with brown hair and an average/curvy body. My parents separated shortly after moving here after my dad met another woman so has just been me, my mom, and my older brother. I met my husband (let’s call him Rob, not going to use real names for obvious reasons) a few years ago and we got married last year. My family was originally against this because Rob is white and not of the same religion but I managed to convince them. He’s a bit older than me at 27 but we got along really well and our maturity levels matched up.

Anyways, we ran into some financial issues after he got let go from his work and we ate into what little savings we had. Rent is expensive where we live (I won’t say where but we are in North America) and it’s been a challenge making ends meet. On top of that, I learned that Rob had cheated on me with his ex. I contemplated leaving him but after talking about it a ton and seeing how apologetic he was, I decided to forgive him. Still, the pain hasn’t fully healed for me but I’ve learned to live with it.

I had dropped out of high school and have been working as a waitress for the past few years at a restaurant/bar. My mom wasn’t happy with this and wanted me to pursue my education but school just wasn’t for me. I made decent money from tips but my hourly wage was crap.

With money so tight, I picked up extra shifts and would often work more than 50 hours a week. Rob is working odd jobs here and there and we are barely getting by. But things changed for me when my bar hired a new manager named “Peter” (again, fake name for obvious reasons).Peter was in his mid 50s, bald, a bit overweight and came across as creepy. I didn’t like him very much and missed my old manager. Peter would stare at all the girls working and had a particular interest towards me. He would often look for excuses to call me into his office for menial useless tasks and would look for any opportunity to touch my arm or hand. Our uniform is pretty generic, a black top and black skirt and I would often see myself pulling my skirt down or adjusting my top because he would be staring.

One week he posted the schedule and I noticed he had given me less than my usual hours. I went to talk to him and he told me he would see what he could do. I told him how I needed the money and I was the only stable source of income in our household. He said he would see what he could do.

The next day, Peter called me into his office and to my surprise gave me more hours. I thanked him and told him it meant a lot to me. He then asked me if I was up to take my lunch break with him later in his office. I happily accepted.

A few hours went by and I went to go see Peter. Food was already there and we sat on the sofa in his office side by side. We finished our food and talked for a bit. I was warming up to him until…he started to touch my hand. WHAT…THE…FUCK. That’s what I thought to myself. I froze in that moment and Peter moved his hands to my bare leg. He told me that he understood I was having money issues and was happy to help me besides just giving me more hours.

Again…what the fuck!? Do people actually talk like this? I thought this shit only happened in movies and books. These are the things that were running through my head as I sat there unmoving. I saw Peter reach into his wallet and pulled out 3 hundred dollar bills. I could tell how old he was because he still carried cash instead of cards. I snapped out of it.

I stood up suddenly and asked him what the fuck is wrong with him. My voice got even higher than usual and he stayed calm and took out 2 more hundreds and put them on the couch. 500 bucks sitting right there. I thought about rent coming due next week. I thought about groceries and our overdue bills. And I made the mistake of asking, “what do you want from me?”

He told me he wanted to have fun. That he would keep it a secret. And that I would walk out $500 richer. It was wrong. It was so wrong. But how could I say no? We need the money. And it’s not like my husband was the most faithful. I walked over to the couch and sat down beside Peter.

He took the money and said I could have it at the end. He put his hand on my leg at the hem of my skirt and pulled it up to show my matching thong. His fingers went under my thong on my clit. I naturally opened my legs a bit and closed my eyes as I started enjoying the sensation of my pussy getting rubbed. He went faster and faster until I started biting my lips and softly made one sound: “ohh.”

I got on the floor with my knees on the hard office floor and unzipped him. He wasn’t the biggest guy I had ever had but he was decent. I started licking his dick up and down with my tongue before taking it in my mouth. I was able to fit all of it without triggering a gag reflex and bounced my head up and down, sucking him off. I moved my face down to his balls and licked them too. He stroked my hair before holding my head with both hands and controlling it himself, fucking my mouth like it’s a toy.

Moments later I got up and pulled my thong down. I pulled my skirt higher to my waist and jumped on his cock not caring about the lack of a condom. I am on BC so didn’t have to worry about pregnancy. So I enjoyed it. I enjoyed cheating on my husband with this older man who was twice my age. I bounced on his cock up and down moaning as I did it, trying to be quiet so people don’t accidentally hear me. About a couple minutes later, Peter came inside me and shot his cum inside my pussy. I got up off him and went to wipe myself clean with Kleenex. I started walking out of the office before Peter called to me. I had forgotten all about the money. Peter handed it to me and I took it without saying a word.

I grabbed my purse from my locker and went to the bathroom to touch myself up. I looked terrible. My hair was a mess. My makeup was ruined. And I still had 5 hours left on my shift.

I tidied myself up the best I could and went back to work. I didn’t talk much to anyone the rest of the night except the bare minimum and avoided Peter. After my shift, I took the bus home, crying with guilt as I reached my apartment. Rob was already home and watching a movie. He asked me to join him but I said I was tired and hopped in the shower. I went straight to sleep.

A couple hours later, Rob woke me in the middle of the night as I felt him touching my butt. I looked back at him, still sleepy, and kissed him. Then we kissed more. And before I knew it, I was on his cock, riding him in the dark, thinking about the terrible thing I did earlier today, moaning with my pussy wet and nipples hard. I fucked a man twice my age…for cash…and cheated on my husband. It was wrong. But it was so hot. And from that moment, I knew this wouldn’t be the last time I would experience something like this.

submitted by /u/MiniKitty99 [link] [comments] from Sex Stories https://ift.tt/3o6kZTW

[ignis-et-equi]

I think it’s time to write.

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and his wife broke up. It was a devastating surprise to everyone involved. I haven’t really talked to anyone about it except for a very select handful of people for fear of being asked, “Do you think it might have had something to with your relationship with him?” They have both stated on multiple occasions that the break up had nothing to do with me. For the sake of their privacy, that’s the only detail that pertains to me, and thus the only one I’m going to share here.

In lieu of this, I have been giving as much emotional support as I can muster from 2,000 miles away. Now that things are starting to settle down a bit, all of the emotions that didn’t strong arm themselves out of me in the midst of the crisis are now presenting themselves. As a result, I broke down sobbing for about an hour over the smallest little thing and those emotions just started snowballing.

I absolutely adore my boyfriend, and I’m more than delighted that I’m allowed to be apart of the healing process. That being said, I haven’t been handling my emotions for a very long time, much before I met him. I shove them down, choke on the tears, and keep moving forward until I just can’t anymore. Then I have a sobbing panic attack, do some self destruction or some self care, and continue on until the next break down. It’s a vicious cycle.

I find that I am perpetually frustrated with my life and never where I want to be. Being a rennie was my ultimate goal since I was 18 and I fucked it up. I didn’t live in the present. I was constantly focused on the future, the past, anything other than what I was currently doing. I look back on the pictures I took and remember how I felt in those moments. Those feelings were not pleasant, even at Central Park, the mountains of Colorado, the forests of Texas and Georgia, snowfall in Central New York. I was so depressed the entire time I was on the road, I contemplated suicide on multiple occasions.

But I do remember the good things, like putting my feet in the creak at Helen Hunt Falls, standing under the falls at Niagara, painting in the sword shop alone listening to a podcast, eating the best Vietnamese pho and spring rolls in the south and in NYC, meeting my best friends for the first time, a compliment from a customer about how beautiful my eyes are, watching Rick and Morty while stoned with my joust family, watching my jouster boss beat Charlie Andrews in the 2017 Sherwood Forest joust tournament, picking fresh black berries and watching my friend’s face light up as she tried on for the first time.

Yeah, I had some good memories, and I could have had more if I’d just let myself be and enjoyed my life instead of continuously worry about what people were thinking of me.

With this most recent drama, I’ve rediscovered what I want my life to be. I want to see the world, meet people, learn from them, educate them, discover more ways to effectively communicate, no matter the boundaries. I want to develop myself into the kind of person that doesn’t need to give a shit what other people think because I know that I’m doing the best I can and things that make me happy, like making amazing memories and creating lively stories.

I started aimlessly back in December with my mental health, and that seems to have helped tremendously, but there’s still work to be done with that. (The problem is that I’m better, but my idea of better doesn’t necessarily mean that there can’t still be improvement to be made.) Then I got a job and maintained my streak of increasing my hourly wage with each job I’ve taken. I took another step by biting the bullet and getting myself on birth control, a goal I’ve been procrastinating on since I was 18, that was actually a lot easier to handle than I thought it would be.

After all of that, I was planning to make a trip to Ontario, but that appears to be a non-option now. Once I realized that my trip had become nearly impossible to pursue, I began to feel aimless again. Not having a goal makes my anxiety and depression so much worse. I begin to spiral into my intrusive thoughts telling me I’m useless, I’m not going anywhere, I’ll never be Satisfied. (Oh, Angelica, is this why I love you so much?)

To combat this, I’ve begun looking into jobs in other countries that can be obtained without a bachelor’s degree. Been looking into Teaching English as a Foreign Language jobs as well as USAjobs.gov for civilian, military-related international work. The prospect of living outside of the US in a new and unfamiliar place is exhilarating. Hell, even the long ass plane rides and the idea of packing makes me happy. This idea has me looking up how to make small investments (considering I’ll be sitting on $3k by the end of August) and into details of other countries in Europe and Asia mostly.

My one hang up is my mother. This is the 8th month of this round of cancer, which we were told in November would be terminal and that we should pursue palliative care. Every three weeks since she was diagnosed, aside from a few long stays in the hospital, she has gone in for chemo. Today was the first chemotherapy session where they decided not to do it because they believe the cancer has shrunk enough that immuno-therapy may be all it takes to keep her going. This is excellent news considering her death prediction. But when I first heard the news, I couldn’t get excited. And then it dawned on me. If she gets better and can maintain her health and well-being, then I am free to pursue my dreams of travel. Which is terrifying. Holy shit.

So I’m left with the unresolved emotions of the break up (sadness, anger, grief, overwhelming love and compassion), the joy my lovely boyfriend brings to me, the excitement of realizing my hopes and dreams again, the anxiety of pursuing those dreams, and the depression that seeps in whenever I fail at something or fear that I’m going to fail.

I really need a therapist equipped to advice a polyamory, bisexual, BDSM-loving, agnostic woman.

[dyernews]

Money at 30: Walking Away from 401(k) Matching Funds

Lately there’s been a lot of talk about 401(k)s in the news. While the topic of retirement accounts is nothing new for personal finance sites like this one, it is a bit odd to see so much hubbub about them in mainstream media and, perhaps more importantly, Twitter. In case you don’t know, all of this commotion is about a proposed change that would or would not (depending on who you ask) affect Americans’ retirement savings. So while everyone is freaking out of their 401(k), I thought I’d hit on a retirement account dilemma my wife and I recently experienced as she considered the potential of a new job.

As I’ve written about in the past, one of the best ways to boost your retirement savings is to max out the free money you can earn from employer matching. Of course one of the strings that comes attached to this otherwise awesome arrangement is that there will typically be a vesting period before you can actually call these bonus funds your own. For example some employers offer what’s known as a graded vesting in which you might be entitled to 20% of matching funds after one year of service, 40% after two, etc. Meanwhile others practice cliff vesting where you might not be vested at all until after a few years, at which point you’d go from 0% to 100%.

With that in mind, the question then becomes: when does it make sense to walk away from those matching funds? Here are a few scenarios:

When you’re going to make significantly more money

Perhaps the most obvious reason you might consider leaving one job for another is for more pay — even if it means leaving behind some of your 401k funds. After all, if you’re making more money, you’ll be able to contribute more to your 401(k) and hopefully make up for those forfeited matching funds quickly. To give you a basic idea on if it’s worth it, first consider how much in matching funds you’d be bidding adieu to and how long it would take you replace those funds given your new salary and your contribution percentage. Should you go through with accepting the new position, you might also consider upping your contributions to account for your raise.

When your new employer matching is significantly better

Now we get to the scenario my wife recently faced: she came across a job listing that seemed to offer a lot of the perks we’ve been looking for. Among those benefits was a 401(k) program that offered dollar for dollar matching up to 6%. That’s a huge difference from her current employer’s plan that caps matching at 2% (and only at 50 cents on the dollar).

Complicating the equation was the fact that she’d not only have to kiss 60% of the matching funds she’d accrued so far goodbye, but would also have to take a cut to her hourly wage. Even then, it seemed like that 6% matching would actually win out in a mathematical sense. Alas there were other elements that dissuaded her from pursuing the position, but the entire episode did inspire considerable contemplation on the importance of 401(k)s and employer matching when it comes to accepting a job offer.

When you have a better opportunity

Sometimes opportunity and money are only tangentially related. Therefore you may find yourself in a situation where potential long-term gains are worth some short-term sacrifices. Among these sacrifices may be your unvested matching funds. In these instances, everyone’s experience will be different and there’s no “one size fits all” solution. Ultimately you will still need to calculate whether the gamble is worth it, but this time be sure to include the value of opportunity in your calculations as well.

There’s good reason why any perceived threat to person’s 401(k) would be cause for alarm. Afterall, for many Americans, such accounts are an essential tool for their retirement. Similarly many employees rely heavily on their employer’s matching funds to help them reach their savings goals. However, depending on your offered salary, the matching offer of a potential employer boasts, or the overall opportunity presented to you, there may be times when it makes sense to walk away from these unvested matching funds (AKA “free money”). Just be sure to think carefully about your decision and choose the path that makes the most sense for your finances and your happiness.

The post Money at 30: Walking Away from 401(k) Matching Funds appeared first on Dyer News.

[lightningwolf66]

Future Of Truck Washing

New Post has been published on http://app2chart.com/future-of-truck-washing/

Future Of Truck Washing

Future of Truck Washing:

“Fleet washing will always be a needed service I believe,” says Paul Horsley, PWNA President. “Fleet owners cannot afford truck wash prices. Washing their own units always looks good on paper but it seldom works. It might take them a year or so to come to the conclusion that it’s not working. They have a very hard time finding and keeping people to do the work. The equipment seldom works properly and the people using it are not trained correctly. They never expected the high costs of repairs and of chemicals. These workers are usually underpaid and they do not care about the equipment. They usually have a high turnover during the year, especially during winter months. This is why a mobile fleet service usually does well.”

Recently Cleaner Times asked PWNA for insight into the area of mobile fleet washing and the challenges that the industry faces in the coming year. Several PWNA members who count truck washing as part of their business plan were consulted and responded to our request for information. The information begins at the top as PWNA President Paul Horsley, owner of Scott’s Pressure Wash in Calgary, AB, specializes in mobile washing among other things. Michael Hinderliter, another key figure in PWNA, owns Steamaway in Ft. Worth, TX, and also handles a lot of fleet washing. Scott Stone is the owner of A Mind for Detail in Mesa, AZ, and adds fleet washing to his list of services offered. Tom Bickett owns Combines Cleaning in Princeton, IL. And Don Flory is the owner of Envirowash in Baldwin, KS. CT thanks these industry professionals for taking the time to help with the article. The interviews are offered below in question and answer format. How has the increasing in fuel prices affected your business?

Horsley: Fuel prices are definitely affecting our operation; costs have gone up over one hundred percent over the last few years. We have only raised our per unit price ten percent. So, it cuts into the bottom line. We have had increases from our other suppliers also. Most are adding a fuel surcharge of five to ten percent. We have also added a fuel surcharge of five percent to every invoice.

Hinderliter: We have not raised prices in more than five years and in some cases it has been over ten years. Sometimes people think I am crazy when I tell them this but we have been able to do it by growing the business. More location to clean on a route means less travel time and being able to purchase in bigger quantities means lower supply cost. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to take advantage of these saving. Now we are being to micromanage soap, fuel and other supplies.

Bickett: All our vendors and suppliers are tacking on fuel charges and no more free freight. Also anything that is made with petroleum or has petroleum in it, has definitely went up in cost. Stone: Our fuel costs have gone up about thirty percent in the past year.

Flory: The increase cost of fuel is very frustrating. It has greatly affected our bottom line. We have toyed with various ways to keep up. We have been passing on rate increases each year and always wonder if they are enough. How has it affected the pricing of other supplies?

Hinderliter: All our soaps have increased in cost as well as many other supplies by twenty to forty percent.

Stone: I have not really noticed a huge increase in supply cost. I am certain I will see it in the near future.

What are you doing to adapt?

Hinderliter: We are trying to run tighter routes with less travel time. And looking for other ways to cut fuel cost such as lighter equipment and high fuel economy.

Stone: One of the things we did was to by a smaller truck for a routine job that did not require a pressure washer. I am contemplating another truck, but am unsure of the associated cost savings. Additionally, I am reducing the mileage that I am driving, trying to use the telephone and other methods to solve as many problems as I can.

Bickett: Tighten up schedules for crews, We limit the use our employees use company vehicles for personal use, running errands or picking up parts. Using a scooter that gets 90 mpg to go do bids and Estimates, instead of SUV. And of course increasing our prices and even charging a fuel charge on every invoice that goes out the door. We have increased some of our prices by 40 % and still are as busy. That being said though we have lost many accounts we’ve had for many years due to customer having to cut their cost and do it themselves for now. I believe the US dollar will continue to get weaker and weaker because of how everything hinges on fuel cost, as fuel goes up, everything else must go up to meet the same profit % or it will go ??? you guessed it DOWN. It is one Big catch 22.

Flory: We are taking hard looks at new contracts and one-time commercial accounts. We are seeing clients offering four-year contracts, bidder beware. How is labor affecting your industry?

Horsley: Finding labor is usually tough considering you need them to work weekends( our busiest time, road power is parked). This is when your going to do the most volume. I have always paid a couple of dollars more than most casual labor(warehouse workers). We have been very successful with offering benefits plus we also have a retention bonus – $1000 per employee per anniversary year. They look forward to the bonus every year. We ask them what are they going to spend their money on!

Bickett: The Labor in the Midwest has become quite difficult with the increases in min. wage. We were always known for starting our janitorial staff out with $ 1.00 or so more than min wage but now with the increases, everywhere is having to pay what we were always at. So it becomes challenging. Flory: We are blessed to have the same work force for a number of years and have not had to get too creative on the hiring front. Are you doing anything to help attract new hires?

Hinderliter: We have been pretty fortunate, most all our new hires are referrals now. We have a pretty good group. Are you doing anything to help attract new hires?

Stone: Craigslist; the last time I had a listing on Craigslist, I had over thirty applicants. They were all English-speaking, had a drivers license and many of them had experience.

Bickett: We are evaluating again, How we can fit in paying for medical insurance again since I believe that is becoming once again a great need for employees, also we are implementing a large marketing program which I believe has a double benefit to it, obviously exposure to getting customers, but also the more attracting we become to potential employees…..

Do you use any special pay structure?

Hinderliter: We pay a based on commission. Then calculate total hours worked to determine any overtime. The intent is to give our labors the incentive to be productive.

Stone: I pay straight hourly. There are too many jobs, with too many variables to pay any other way. There are times, on especially profitable projects, I will offer a bonus for early completion. I also make sure I take the really “sucky” jobs, and let them know it. It seems to breed loyalty, and I actually enjoy getting out and working from time to time.

Bickett: Just a honest wage for a honest day of work. We allowing our techs to up sell on the job and sharing a % of net profit with them and they are receiving more Tips $$ from so many customers. They love it and the company loves it Flory: Employees are paid only for the time they work and usually receive overtime. What about benefit packages?

Hinderliter: We offer a minimal benefits package but because most laborers are so young they are seldom interested in them. I do believe this will change in the near future as I believe the labor market will begin to tighten.

Stone: I have not yet had a need to provide benefits. All of my guys so far have had a spouse that had better benefits than I could ever provide.

Bickett: Right now, Just a lot of perks RE: employee of the month= free gas of car washes, Bonuses, Holidays paid (6) ect. Ect Flory: We offer paid insurance, simple IRAs, and limited ownership to full-timers. What are environmental concerns like in your area? Is there any enforcement?

Hinderliter: Enforcement is spotty and inconsistent. There are over thirty-five municipalities in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area and they all have their own agendas. Fortunately, most all of them follow the same enforcement guidelines – no wash water can leave the property.

Stone: I have not seen any enforcement to speak of. There are two local cities that claim enforcement, but I have only seen it once, about ten years ago.

Bickett: Enforcement? Very little, if any

Does your competition comply?

Hinderliter: Some of our competition complies, but I still find that many, most new to the industry, still do not comply. And they are able to do so because we are washing fleets in the evenings and on weekends when enforcement officials are not on duty. I don’t expect this to last, as I am finding more and more education programs and public outreach by municipalities to encourage the compliance and a watchful eye.

Stone: Fleetwash has all the equipment, of course, and it is all REALLY clean. Other than that, I am the only person I have seen that has any kind of reclaim equipment, and we rarely use it, because we have learned how to contain the water on the property of every location we wash.

Bickett: No Horsley: If you’re considering fleet washing you will need to familiarize yourself with local government regulations. Unfortunately, some of your competition might not be aware (or choose not to) comply with regulations. What people don’t understand is it doesn’t take much to comply. You should find a organization to learn from or a distributor/vendor selling environmental products so you can comply. Each one of our units has a custom made 300 gallon vacuum system on board. You’ll need one.

What do you expect in the near future?

Hinderliter: I expect that as the labor market tightens the demand for truck washing will increase. I also expect that the availability of education and information in the market place will cause a many more new comers to the industry especially if the economy continues into a recession. There is a lot of work out there and a place for many, good honest service providers will always flourish.

Stone: I think with the turn in the economy, that there will be some more new guys. I long ago established a relationship with a lot of accounts that require a set amount of experience, and also full recovery equipment. (of course, it helps that I helped write the contract.) I also think that prices on truck washing are going to have to increase. There are still companies here that are trying to compete with Fleetwash on price. The old pricing of ten years ago. The way I see it, prices are going to have to make a siginificant increase, just so contractors can remain in business.

Horsley: I believe we will have to pay attention to environmental issues as we move into the future, changing weather conditions such as drought/storms ect will effect us. We might have to change the services we offer and locations we works in. I think the biggest threat is being unorganized as a industry. We need to have one voice!

Stone: I am constantly exploring new services and markets to see if I can expand our sphere of influence, and to satisfy my ADD personality, that requires something different all the time. Plus, I firmly believe that I need to hit my competition where they are not. Once I get established in an area, it is a lot harder for them to come in and take the account, even on price.

Flory: It seems we are at a time in which management is becoming even more critical and a time which may separate the, “Men from the Boys!”

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Future Of Truck Washing

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Future Of Truck Washing

Future of Truck Washing:

“Fleet washing will always be a needed service I believe,” says Paul Horsley, PWNA President. “Fleet owners cannot afford truck wash prices. Washing their own units always looks good on paper but it seldom works. It might take them a year or so to come to the conclusion that it’s not working. They have a very hard time finding and keeping people to do the work. The equipment seldom works properly and the people using it are not trained correctly. They never expected the high costs of repairs and of chemicals. These workers are usually underpaid and they do not care about the equipment. They usually have a high turnover during the year, especially during winter months. This is why a mobile fleet service usually does well.”

Recently Cleaner Times asked PWNA for insight into the area of mobile fleet washing and the challenges that the industry faces in the coming year. Several PWNA members who count truck washing as part of their business plan were consulted and responded to our request for information. The information begins at the top as PWNA President Paul Horsley, owner of Scott’s Pressure Wash in Calgary, AB, specializes in mobile washing among other things. Michael Hinderliter, another key figure in PWNA, owns Steamaway in Ft. Worth, TX, and also handles a lot of fleet washing. Scott Stone is the owner of A Mind for Detail in Mesa, AZ, and adds fleet washing to his list of services offered. Tom Bickett owns Combines Cleaning in Princeton, IL. And Don Flory is the owner of Envirowash in Baldwin, KS. CT thanks these industry professionals for taking the time to help with the article. The interviews are offered below in question and answer format. How has the increasing in fuel prices affected your business?

Horsley: Fuel prices are definitely affecting our operation; costs have gone up over one hundred percent over the last few years. We have only raised our per unit price ten percent. So, it cuts into the bottom line. We have had increases from our other suppliers also. Most are adding a fuel surcharge of five to ten percent. We have also added a fuel surcharge of five percent to every invoice.

Hinderliter: We have not raised prices in more than five years and in some cases it has been over ten years. Sometimes people think I am crazy when I tell them this but we have been able to do it by growing the business. More location to clean on a route means less travel time and being able to purchase in bigger quantities means lower supply cost. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to take advantage of these saving. Now we are being to micromanage soap, fuel and other supplies.

Bickett: All our vendors and suppliers are tacking on fuel charges and no more free freight. Also anything that is made with petroleum or has petroleum in it, has definitely went up in cost. Stone: Our fuel costs have gone up about thirty percent in the past year.

Flory: The increase cost of fuel is very frustrating. It has greatly affected our bottom line. We have toyed with various ways to keep up. We have been passing on rate increases each year and always wonder if they are enough. How has it affected the pricing of other supplies?

Hinderliter: All our soaps have increased in cost as well as many other supplies by twenty to forty percent.

Stone: I have not really noticed a huge increase in supply cost. I am certain I will see it in the near future.

What are you doing to adapt?

Hinderliter: We are trying to run tighter routes with less travel time. And looking for other ways to cut fuel cost such as lighter equipment and high fuel economy.

Stone: One of the things we did was to by a smaller truck for a routine job that did not require a pressure washer. I am contemplating another truck, but am unsure of the associated cost savings. Additionally, I am reducing the mileage that I am driving, trying to use the telephone and other methods to solve as many problems as I can.

Bickett: Tighten up schedules for crews, We limit the use our employees use company vehicles for personal use, running errands or picking up parts. Using a scooter that gets 90 mpg to go do bids and Estimates, instead of SUV. And of course increasing our prices and even charging a fuel charge on every invoice that goes out the door. We have increased some of our prices by 40 % and still are as busy. That being said though we have lost many accounts we’ve had for many years due to customer having to cut their cost and do it themselves for now. I believe the US dollar will continue to get weaker and weaker because of how everything hinges on fuel cost, as fuel goes up, everything else must go up to meet the same profit % or it will go ??? you guessed it DOWN. It is one Big catch 22.

Flory: We are taking hard looks at new contracts and one-time commercial accounts. We are seeing clients offering four-year contracts, bidder beware. How is labor affecting your industry?

Horsley: Finding labor is usually tough considering you need them to work weekends( our busiest time, road power is parked). This is when your going to do the most volume. I have always paid a couple of dollars more than most casual labor(warehouse workers). We have been very successful with offering benefits plus we also have a retention bonus – $1000 per employee per anniversary year. They look forward to the bonus every year. We ask them what are they going to spend their money on!

Bickett: The Labor in the Midwest has become quite difficult with the increases in min. wage. We were always known for starting our janitorial staff out with $ 1.00 or so more than min wage but now with the increases, everywhere is having to pay what we were always at. So it becomes challenging. Flory: We are blessed to have the same work force for a number of years and have not had to get too creative on the hiring front. Are you doing anything to help attract new hires?

Hinderliter: We have been pretty fortunate, most all our new hires are referrals now. We have a pretty good group. Are you doing anything to help attract new hires?

Stone: Craigslist; the last time I had a listing on Craigslist, I had over thirty applicants. They were all English-speaking, had a drivers license and many of them had experience.

Bickett: We are evaluating again, How we can fit in paying for medical insurance again since I believe that is becoming once again a great need for employees, also we are implementing a large marketing program which I believe has a double benefit to it, obviously exposure to getting customers, but also the more attracting we become to potential employees…..

Do you use any special pay structure?

Hinderliter: We pay a based on commission. Then calculate total hours worked to determine any overtime. The intent is to give our labors the incentive to be productive.

Stone: I pay straight hourly. There are too many jobs, with too many variables to pay any other way. There are times, on especially profitable projects, I will offer a bonus for early completion. I also make sure I take the really “sucky” jobs, and let them know it. It seems to breed loyalty, and I actually enjoy getting out and working from time to time.

Bickett: Just a honest wage for a honest day of work. We allowing our techs to up sell on the job and sharing a % of net profit with them and they are receiving more Tips $$ from so many customers. They love it and the company loves it Flory: Employees are paid only for the time they work and usually receive overtime. What about benefit packages?

Hinderliter: We offer a minimal benefits package but because most laborers are so young they are seldom interested in them. I do believe this will change in the near future as I believe the labor market will begin to tighten.

Stone: I have not yet had a need to provide benefits. All of my guys so far have had a spouse that had better benefits than I could ever provide.

Bickett: Right now, Just a lot of perks RE: employee of the month= free gas of car washes, Bonuses, Holidays paid (6) ect. Ect Flory: We offer paid insurance, simple IRAs, and limited ownership to full-timers. What are environmental concerns like in your area? Is there any enforcement?

Hinderliter: Enforcement is spotty and inconsistent. There are over thirty-five municipalities in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area and they all have their own agendas. Fortunately, most all of them follow the same enforcement guidelines – no wash water can leave the property.

Stone: I have not seen any enforcement to speak of. There are two local cities that claim enforcement, but I have only seen it once, about ten years ago.

Bickett: Enforcement? Very little, if any

Does your competition comply?

Hinderliter: Some of our competition complies, but I still find that many, most new to the industry, still do not comply. And they are able to do so because we are washing fleets in the evenings and on weekends when enforcement officials are not on duty. I don’t expect this to last, as I am finding more and more education programs and public outreach by municipalities to encourage the compliance and a watchful eye.

Stone: Fleetwash has all the equipment, of course, and it is all REALLY clean. Other than that, I am the only person I have seen that has any kind of reclaim equipment, and we rarely use it, because we have learned how to contain the water on the property of every location we wash.

Bickett: No Horsley: If you’re considering fleet washing you will need to familiarize yourself with local government regulations. Unfortunately, some of your competition might not be aware (or choose not to) comply with regulations. What people don’t understand is it doesn’t take much to comply. You should find a organization to learn from or a distributor/vendor selling environmental products so you can comply. Each one of our units has a custom made 300 gallon vacuum system on board. You’ll need one.

What do you expect in the near future?

Hinderliter: I expect that as the labor market tightens the demand for truck washing will increase. I also expect that the availability of education and information in the market place will cause a many more new comers to the industry especially if the economy continues into a recession. There is a lot of work out there and a place for many, good honest service providers will always flourish.

Stone: I think with the turn in the economy, that there will be some more new guys. I long ago established a relationship with a lot of accounts that require a set amount of experience, and also full recovery equipment. (of course, it helps that I helped write the contract.) I also think that prices on truck washing are going to have to increase. There are still companies here that are trying to compete with Fleetwash on price. The old pricing of ten years ago. The way I see it, prices are going to have to make a siginificant increase, just so contractors can remain in business.

Horsley: I believe we will have to pay attention to environmental issues as we move into the future, changing weather conditions such as drought/storms ect will effect us. We might have to change the services we offer and locations we works in. I think the biggest threat is being unorganized as a industry. We need to have one voice!

Stone: I am constantly exploring new services and markets to see if I can expand our sphere of influence, and to satisfy my ADD personality, that requires something different all the time. Plus, I firmly believe that I need to hit my competition where they are not. Once I get established in an area, it is a lot harder for them to come in and take the account, even on price.

Flory: It seems we are at a time in which management is becoming even more critical and a time which may separate the, “Men from the Boys!”

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