Foo - How should I bill my time?

Today was a peculiar day at work. I had to do some running around with a coworker in a U-Haul truck. So I met my coworker at a bus station at 7:00AM. We drove to U-Haul, picked up the truck, did our business, and drove to the company building. We then drove back to the U-haul facility, and he dropped me off at the bus station (where my car was parked).

So first all, mileage: A typical commute is 10 miles for me. I had to do 15 miles to get to the bus station, so should I bill them for the additional 8 miles plus 1.50 in toll (which I would not have paid during my normal commute)?

And lastly, time: I was planning on calling my start time 7:00AM, because that is when I arrived and met my coworker. But it's end time which I am unsure of. Should I call it a day at 5:15, when I left the building with my coworker (en route to the bus station). Or, should I call it a day at 5:45, when I actually arrived at the bus station?

Yea charge them for the extra miles, I would.

I would also say 5:45 because you were not free from work until that time.

I agree, but I thought I should check to make sure I am being fair.

My billing starts when I leave the front door and stops when I come back through it.

Depends if the pickup and running around with your co-worker was company business or not. If it was bill it if not you really can't. Also if you look at the IRS rules you cannot consider your commute time to work as a business expense and actually they require you to subtract that time/distance if you go directly to a client for your first trip of the day. I don't think anyone really follows those rules but that is what they say, at least they did when I was doing sales a few years ago.

But a lot depends on your company rules and if you are independent contractor and your office is your home none of this applies.

You should bill for the mileage difference between what you normally drive & what you drove, and the time from when you arrived to pick up the truck until you returned it.

If this wuill be an ongoing sort of thing, PLEASE talk to your supervisor about exactly what the procedure is - many companies actually have time/expense sheets for employees to fill out!

I wouldn't leave anything on the table, and bill it all, as a general guideline.

Your milage math is off. If you drive 10 miles to work that's 20 rt. You said you drove 15 to the bus station so that is 30 rt. The difference should be 10 miles. Adn yes you should include the cost of the toll.

My suggestion is that you should ask your supervisor or the person at your company who knows the reimbursement policy, as they may have very well defined rules. But in general, you should claim anything that is in excess of your normal mileage along with any tolls and parking fees (if any).

don't unless you want to get fired

My billing starts when I leave the front door and stops when I come back through it.

Same here. Otherwise known as "portal to portal".