Off road shunting,then,same shift,on road driving

ASK THE EXPERTS SAFETY, LAW AND WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE FORUM (INTE
21

I have related question. (New job situation for me so new problems).

I working, say, two days a week driving for the agency. At the other time I am interpreting and translating.
Ups, I see it will be even quite a big bunch of questions. I know, it may seem silly for you, but I am really wonder what should I do, so if you know the answer please let me know.

So:

  1. Do I need to keep record of my time working for all days I am not driving?
  2. Do I need to have proper breaks? (Say, I finished my work at 6pm. I then have a phone call at 1 am from the police and they ask me to translate few sentences over the phone (I am paid for minimum 20 minutes)). Then I am off to bed and I am up at 9 o’clock. This way I had no full 11 hours break - I had 7 hours, then I worked for 5 minutes (paid for 20) and then I had 8 hours of sleep… Is this an offence?
  3. I have to travel to my interpreting jobs, its Scotlandwide. I am paid for travel time and mileage allowance. Is that considered as a work? I am driving my own car, is that considered as driving? And do I have to take my 45’ breaks after 4.5 hours of driving? And my breaks after 6 hours of work? And what about my 5 minutes breaks after every half an hour of interpreting in court? Can I count them as any of my breaks?
  4. I am sitting at home and translating some text. As you can easilly see, I am not doing that at once, but seeking inspiration I am wasting my time asking stupid question on trucknet, then I translate few sentences, then I am going to chat with some friend on IRC, then I am making myself a tea, then I am going to my local shop to buy some snack, then I am translating again, then I am playing with my cat, then I am tranlating again and so on… Should I stick my Driver Time Guard to the computer screen and pushing the buttons everytime I am changing my activity? And (this is now not too serious, so I will put that in italics) if I am looking into the ceiling seeking for inspiration to come, is that work, or POA? And what if I am swithing between tranlation (paid job) and writing articles for the Polish community mag (voluntary job) - if I am not writing it “for hire or reward” is that still a job?
  5. I am driving a lorry and I have my 45’ break. I have a phone call asking me to translate few sentences. It’s paid - will that be an offence? ( I guess answer is “yes”, during my break I should sit behind the wheel and staring through the windscreen or read two months old “Sun” or “Daily Mirror” I found behind the sit. (or, according to some of members of that forum, due to my nationality, I should stick my bum outside the window and make a juicy ■■■ into the lay by famous for British sterilness))
  6. Aren’t this problems ridicoulous? Doesn’t it makes my life a hassle only becouse I like to drive a lorry from time to time?

I just imagined a person, a gentle trucker with a soft soul, who is a poet. And he’s publishing his poems and he’s earning money that way. I would like to see his time sheets :smiley:

22

orys:
I have related question. (New job situation for me so new problems).

I working, say, two days a week driving for the agency. At the other time I am interpreting and translating.
Ups, I see it will be even quite a big bunch of questions. I know, it may seem silly for you, but I am really wonder what should I do, so if you know the answer please let me know.

So:

  1. Do I need to keep record of my time working for all days I am not driving?

In a week when you do drive, yes. Just a chart with your name, the date, start and finish times will do.

orys:
2. Do I need to have proper breaks? (Say, I finished my work at 6pm. I then have a phone call at 1 am from the police and they ask me to translate few sentences over the phone (I am paid for minimum 20 minutes)). Then I am off to bed and I am up at 9 o’clock. This way I had no full 11 hours break - I had 7 hours, then I worked for 5 minutes (paid for 20) and then I had 8 hours of sleep… Is this an offence?

No, you only need to observe breaks and rest periods on the days you actually drive. You will also need to observe weekly rest periods for those weeks in which you drive under EU rules.

orys:
3. I have to travel to my interpreting jobs, its Scotlandwide. I am paid for travel time and mileage allowance. Is that considered as a work? I am driving my own car, is that considered as driving? And do I have to take my 45’ breaks after 4.5 hours of driving? And my breaks after 6 hours of work? And what about my 5 minutes breaks after every half an hour of interpreting in court? Can I count them as any of my breaks?

That travelling time is not considered driving. No breaks required for tacho rules and as that work does not count as work for the WTD for mobile workers then you don’t need to observe breaks for that. I have no idea if your work comes under the regular peoples WTD.

orys:
4. I am sitting at home and translating some text. As you can easilly see, I am not doing that at once, but seeking inspiration I am wasting my time asking stupid question on trucknet, then I translate few sentences, then I am going to chat with some friend on IRC, then I am making myself a tea, then I am going to my local shop to buy some snack, then I am translating again, then I am playing with my cat, then I am tranlating again and so on… Should I stick my Driver Time Guard to the computer screen and pushing the buttons everytime I am changing my activity? And (this is now not too serious, so I will put that in italics) if I am looking into the ceiling seeking for inspiration to come, is that work, or POA? And what if I am swithing between tranlation (paid job) and writing articles for the Polish community mag (voluntary job) - if I am not writing it “for hire or reward” is that still a job?

No need to record your separate activities. If you wish to stick 100% to the letter of the law then just a record showing you are working with the details as answer 1 above, but I think that is being over keen if you are just doing a bit of translating in amongst all that other stuff at home…

orys:
5. I am driving a lorry and I have my 45’ break. I have a phone call asking me to translate few sentences. It’s paid - will that be an offence?
[/quote]
Technically it would be working but who would know?
> orys:
> 6. Aren’t this problems ridicoulous? Doesn’t it makes my life a hassle only becouse I like to drive a lorry from time to time?
Yes and yes.
> orys:
> I just imagined a person, a gentle trucker with a soft soul, who is a poet. And he’s publishing his poems and he’s earning money that way. I would like to see his time sheets :smiley:
Poet or whatever, all truckers are artists of one kind or another. :wink: :stuck_out_tongue: :laughing:

23

Coffeeholic:

  1. Do I need to keep record of my time working for all days I am not driving?

In a week when you do drive, yes. Just a chart with your name, the date, start and finish times will do.

Thanks for your great answer. I have only one more question: do I need to record it on the tacho charts, or can I just keep track of my work in the spread sheet on my PC (as I do anyway) and just print it and take with me everytime when I am away to drive a lorry?

24

orys:

Coffeeholic:

  1. Do I need to keep record of my time working for all days I am not driving?

In a week when you do drive, yes. Just a chart with your name, the date, start and finish times will do.

Thanks for your great answer. I have only one more question: do I need to record it on the tacho charts, or can I just keep track of my work in the spread sheet on my PC (as I do anyway) and just print it and take with me everytime when I am away to drive a lorry?

Tacho chart, printout or manual entry option on a digi tacho are your options. the chart is the easiest one of those I think.