This is my first post under this name. I used to post sometimes under another but I can’t have access to my old password and my old email address is unavailable.
Anyway,
I’m currently working under Domestic Driving rules. In fact, I’ve been working everyday this week which I believe is fine as long as no more than 11 hours work is done per day; 10 hours driving. In fact, I’m working up until and including Sunday. Than off for 3 days…Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I work for an agency and I’m collecting milk from farms.
Next week, I’ve been given 4 days work from Thursday to Sunday. Another agency telephoned me today offering me work on Wednesday which would be under EU Drivers regulations. I think I can do this. But how does it work exactly? Any help much appreciated.
On days that you drive in-scope of EU regulations you should comply with the EU daily rest requirement.
If you work in-scope of EU regulations at any time in a week you should comply with the weekly rest requirement.
You will be starting the week with a weekly rest period on Monday and Tuesday, as you will be in-scope of EU regulations on Wednesday you should have a daily rest period (9 or 11 hours) before starting on domestic regulations on Thursday.
All driving on domestic regulations counts as other work for the EU regulations, so the weeks driving won’t be a problem because most of it will be on domestic regulations.
When you’re on domestic regulations the driving you’ve done in-scope of EU regulations counts as driving for the domestic regulations.
For the most part this wont matter but there are a couple of points you’ll need to look out for, on domestic regulations the daily driving limit is 10 hours in a 24 hour period, it is an actual period of 24 hours and does not reset after a daily rest period the way it does on EU regulations.
For instance, if you start driving at 10:00 Thursday you can only do 10 hours driving before 10:00 Friday, I doubt that this will affect you on Wednesday/Thursday when you switch from EU regulations to domestic regulations but be aware of the driving limit in the period of 24 hours when you go onto domestic regulations on Thursday.
Likewise the duty limit on domestic regulations is 11 hours in the period of 24 hours, again it’s actually 24 hours and does not reset after a rest period.
Thank you very much.
What would happen for example if I worked on domestic rules for the first 4 days and then I was offered work under EU rules on the fifth day? I hope it’s not a stupid question.
Mooping:
What would happen for example if I worked on domestic rules for the first 4 days and then I was offered work under EU rules on the fifth day? I hope it’s not a stupid question.
It wouldn’t make any difference to you, the time on domestic regulations would count as other work for the EU regulations, so you would need to start a weekly rest period no later than 144 hours from when you started on domestic regulations.
However nothings that simple is it 
All work including driving on domestic regulations counts as other work for the EU regulations, so you could do 40 hours driving on domestic regulations then and start on EU regulations with a clean sheet as far as driving is concerned, none of the 40 hours driving on domestic regulations would count towards the maximum 56 hours weekly driving limit for the EU regulations.
If you work on domestic regulations Monday to Sunday you could then start driving in-scope of EU regulations on the Monday, the six 24 hours periods (144 hours) would begin when you start work on EU regulations on the Monday.
So you could literally work on domestic regulations Monday to Sunday, have a daily rest period of 9/11 hours then work Monday to Saturday on EU regulations.
(This is because you don’t need a weekly rest period in a week that you don’t drive in-scope of EU regulations)
It’s all about safety you see 
Thank you. I’m tired as I’ve been working six days already. 2 more to go. I’ll look and think about it when I’ve finished my week. Hasn’t quite sunk in. Maybe I’m making it more complicated than it should be. Cheers.