Drivers & hours
What is other work?
Other work is time a driver spends working that is not driving — loading, unloading, vehicle checks, paperwork. It counts towards working time and must be recorded on the tachograph.
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<img src="https://fleetoptix.co.uk/glossary/other-work/diagram.svg" alt="other work — diagram from FleetOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
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<a href="https://fleetoptix.co.uk/glossary/other-work">What is other work?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://fleetoptix.co.uk">FleetOptix</a>
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</figure>It is the mode drivers most often fail to record, usually because it happens before the card goes in or after it comes out. The walkaround check is other work, and a record that starts when the engine does understates the day.
Manual entries exist to capture it, and a driver who never makes one is producing a record that begins and ends with driving.
It matters because working time limits are separate from driving limits, and an operation that is comfortable on driving time can breach working time without anyone noticing.
What goes wrong in practice
- Walkaround checks and loading never recorded as other work.
- Manual entries never made at start or end of a shift.
- Working time not monitored at all because driving time looks comfortable.