Hey guys, I’m new to this whole trucking thing. I’ve had my licence for a few years but only recently properly started using it in the past 9 or so months, so got a proper noobie question for all you pro’s out there.
I’m having trouble with my work when it come to having my meals out on road. There are time’s when I have to work late past dinner time and I need to buy my meal out on road because I don’t get advanced warning about any overtime usually, and I don’t have the means to cook a meal in my rig. So lack of better a option I have to buy a meal from service stations. When I ask my bosses to be paid back for the dinner they say ‘that’s not an expense and they don’t pay for my dinner unless I do an overnighter’. When this happens my hours are 07:00 till after 20:00. I found some stuff on the HMRC where it sayes in this case I’m should get £15 (EIM05231). Also on the HMRC website there are guides for a Mid day meal allowance, £2 tax free a day which I aslo don’t get (EIM66140).
My question is, is there any rights as a driver to get reimbursed for my dinners from a legal stand point ? I know my bosses can bully me at times but to withhold money I’m due seem’s hard to believe.
When this happens my hours are 07:00 till after 20:00.
I wouldn’t worry about food until I’d got the EU drivers regs sorted. What you have stated above is clearly illegal - so meals just don’t come into it.
Ok. That’s obviously not good. What is wrong with the 07:00 till after 20:00 ? I’m taking my breaks and its usually a little past 20:00 like 20:10 usually.
Surely its only illegal if all that time is behind the wheel. WTD allows for 15hr days, so if the op is putting 2hrs 15 min in as other work he’s within his hours.
No thats not all behind the wheel as you can only drive a maximin of 10 hours a day. The rest of the time is unloading cargo and collections.
Back to topic tho. When I am required to work past my dinner time, should I be reimbursed for my dinner through expenses or do I have to pay that myself ?
I cant give you a definitive answer about the expenses but my gut feeling is that you have no legal entitlement.
But I can tell you that you have to have 11 hours rest within a 24 hour period which can be reduced to 9 hours on 3 occasions in the week. So the absolute maximum you can be “at work” is 15 hours and will often be 13 hours. So anything over 15 hours is illegal.
AFAIK there is no legal incumberence placed upon an employer to pay a meal allowance. Ther are tax breaks available, for self employed persons, for when meals gave to be taken away from base.
Hey guys, thanks for the responses. First things first, I know working more than 15 hours is illegal but I never knew about that you can only work 15 hours 3 times a week and the rest should be 13 so thank you Peter Smythe for pointing this one out. I’ll keep this one in mind.
About the meals. Thanks for the feedback. My contract does state that I get expenses paid, even though I find accepted expenses on the HMRC website it doesn’t mean my company has to pay them. Even though my contract would suggest otherwise.
I’ll just go on the basis that my employers aren’t aware that they can treat my late evening meals as an expense. So I’ll let them know it is an accepted expense and hopefully they will be happy to reimburse. If not then I’ll just not do late days like that again. Costs me a fare bit in service station foods.
I’ll let you guys know how it goes after Monday. I’m sure this will be a useful example to use.
Hey guys, right. So on Monday had another discussion with the bosses saying I found on the HMRC website that what I’m asking for is a ‘Late evening meal’ and that should be covered by expenses. They disagreed and didn’t even check the HMRC website. They then said its not theor decision anymore and I was to call HR. They couldn’t give me a phone tho. This was near 5pm so guess they didn’t wanna stick around too long. So Tuesday lunch break I searched on the internet for the companys call centre and contacted HR. They said the resonable thing to ask for is to let my bosses know that it was never explained that late evening meals is not considered as an expense and to be refunded the money I’ve paid for food and to let my bosses know I can’t do anymore overtime unless they let me know in advance so I can prepare my own dinner (not gonna happen, I want a hot dinner not anothersandwich) or to ask not to work past my contracted hours. Tell ya this for free
My bosses aren’t gonna like either option. :-/ Shall keep you updated when more happens.
Think your are mixing up what can be claimed for via hmrc and whay the company will pay for according to your contract.
So unless your contract says eat for free, you pay!
You are mixing apples and oranges, you think that what the HMRC allows as an expense should be your right, uhhh, they allow you to depreciate a private jet over 5 years also, does that mean you are now entitled to one■■? I had better go shopping for a Gulfstream and put the 80 Mn on expenses next Friday…
So you have to have a hotmeal at a set time during the day, it is time to start looking for a different career, you won’t survive in ours for more than a few weeks.
Hey guys. Thats for all the input. I’m getting a great look on the situation. Firstly to all those people who think I feel I ‘have’ to be paid thee fee’s clearly didn’t ready the title to the thread.That EXACTLY what I’m trying to find out. Secondly I get paid travel expenses. This is stated in my contract. Eating out on the road due to working overtime (because the company wanted me to do a task that will mean me not getting back in time to eat the food in my fridge) is a travel expense in my opinion. Looks like its not everyones thinking tho.
Thanks for all the feedback. No matter how negitive.
wheelnutt:
You are mixing apples and oranges, you think that what the HMRC allows as an expense should be your right, uhhh, they allow you to depreciate a private jet over 5 years also, does that mean you are now entitled to one■■? I had better go shopping for a Gulfstream and put the 80 Mn on expenses next Friday…
So you have to have a hotmeal at a set time during the day, it is time to start looking for a different career, you won’t survive in ours for more than a few weeks.
Kids nowadays.
Been 9 months and seem to be thriving mate. Thanks for the msg. Made me laugh.
You can claim food and stuff back like said at yr end from hmrc if you want to.
If it was me id just smile enjoy the food and wouldnt cause a fuss over it. Its one of those things that happens some companies do allow cash for grub others dont. If your employed and earning a good wage then dont rock the apple cart as we all no there are hundreds of drivers out of work.
I work nights and always stop for grub as the lunch my mrs feeds me is crap and only good for rabbits iv never once asked for dosh and wouldnt as im happy with my wages
did you ever ask them to
