billing for travel time
billing for travel time
(OP)
Normally, my business model involves working long-distance with fixed price quotes; however, I'm currently doing a project which is based on hourly rate with a local company. The company wants me to travel with them by car for a trip that will take one day (leave probably 6 am return 6 - 8 pm). Is it expected (in US) that for a contract worker scenario such as this that the travel time is billed as work time and at the nomimal rate?
Thanks
Thanks
www.probasci.com -
Implantable FEA for medical device manufacturers
RE: billing for travel time
RE: billing for travel time
I'm starting to re-think the whole "travel time" issue. I'm not sure where I'll end up on it, but it is much more grey than it was a year ago. Disputed charges are never a good thing.
David
RE: billing for travel time
Your situation is a little different. This should have been worked out before you took the job. Now that you have it, I guess you need to negotiate with your client/boss.
RE: billing for travel time
I have an hourly and a daily rate (equates to 10 hours). In case like yours I would bill my customer the daily rate, so I would end up being paid for 10 hours. So if I was at site for 4 hours travelling 4 hours each direction I would actually be paid for the majority of the travel time.
Mark
RE: billing for travel time
RE: billing for travel time
I have a related humorous story:
My supervisor said that our company received a bill from a corporate lawyer for "services". They called up the lawyer to find out specifically what the bill was for. It turned out to be in error and the charges were cancelled. The company then received another bill charging for the time needed to correct the previous, erroneous bill!
As far as charging for travel time, I do charge it since I normally work in an office. Going to meetings or site visits are the minor part of my job. If it was the major, I don't think that it would be chargable.
RE: billing for travel time
RE: billing for travel time
RE: billing for travel time
The people I've worked with on this have so far are been reasonable and fair, so I'm not expecting any difficulties. I will make sure to orally bring up the point before the meeting is finalized to make sure there are no misunderstandings a priori.
www.probasci.com -
Implantable FEA for medical device manufacturers
RE: billing for travel time
SC
RE: billing for travel time
RE: billing for travel time
Our lawyer recently pulled a fast one on us for reviewing a contract. Said it would take two hours, we gave him a $500 retainer and he charges $150/hr. He charged us for 6 hours and we only visited with the crook for 2 hours. He claims the other time was spent typing up the changes (which we never asked him to do). I intend to contact him and dispute the charges. However, I don't think its going to help much. How can lawyers arbitrarily charge more for services and expect to be paid and us engineers can not? Is there anything to be done from the legal perspective (other than hiring another lawyer to file suit)? Anyone ever taken a lawyer to small claims court?
Will probably just chalk this up as a lesson learned and bad mouth this particular lawyer as much as I can (will see after I talk to him).
RE: billing for travel time
The typing is typically done by office staff, but charged at a lawyer's rate. I have no idea to keep these crooks under control, certainly not paying one $5000 to dispute a $4500 overcharge. I noticed a book in a bookstore once about the "lawyer problem" in this country (USA)...maybe I will take the time to find it and buy it.
RE: billing for travel time
Will probably just chalk this up as a lesson learned and bad mouth this particular lawyer as much as I can (will see after I talk to him). "
We need to start voting ourselves and our profession into law making positions. Once we straighten out the laws, they will be so straight forward, black and white, that many lawyers won't be needed. Also we won't be sued over stupid stuff anymore and worry about losing. :)
RE: billing for travel time