Managing a fleet is a complex task and involves a number of aspects. One task involves checking the driving licences of employees to ensure that they are eligible to drive. Most fleet operating companies employ a fleet manager, who is entrusted with the responsibility of checking driving licences of employees.
When the driving licence counterpart was abolished in June 2015, people were confused in regards to where and what to do next. The DVLA introduced a view my driving licence service and third parties like ourselves were reached out for some guidance and what route to go down.
A number of companies started using the view my driving licence service but came to us a short time after due to administrative burdens and drivers not completing the process in time. (Remember, the code you have to share with your employer has to be used within 3 weeks and can't be reused if the deadline is missed).
Now our online portal has over 1,000 customers and it's still growing at a rapid rate.
The DVLA service and our Licence Checking service - What are the differences?
There are a number of differences in regards to the DVLA and our Licence Check Service. These are as follows:
- The DVLA service is a one off check. In our system, once the driver grants consent, you can check them as many times you like within a 3 year period, until the consent is renewed.
- There is no reporting provided in the DVLA service. We provide reports for individual records as well as your whole fleet. We also provide notifications for when you've completed a check in the system.
- The DVLA service isn't ISO Security Standard certified. Our licence check service is ISO27001:2013 certified, as well as holding cyber essentials and IASME security certification.
- If a driver comes back as disqualified, revoked, expired or they hold a foreign licence, we will give you a call notifying you of the situation and what to do next. The DVLA won't do this.
Checking the driving licence photo-card is up to date
While checking driving licences, it is important to make sure that your employees provide you with their most up to date driving licence photo-card. It's essentials that drivers keep these up to date, as if they are caught with an out of date photo-card, they can be fined up to £1,000.
Checking the vehicle category for which the licence is valid
During a driving licence check, it is advisable to make sure that the driver holds the correct entitlement for the vehicle he drives for your organisation. For example, if an employee is required to drive a lorry between 3,500kg and 7,500kg then they will need to hold a full and valid C1 entitlement on their driving licence. The rules make it illegal for a driver to drive a vehicle for which he does not possess a valid driving licence or the valid entitlement.
Checking points and endorsements
Driving may attract penalties and driving offenses. Every driving offense has fixed fines and results in points being added to the licence. A driving ban, which may be valid for a period ranging between three to four years, is imposed once the driver accumulates 12 points on his licence. While checking driving licences, it is important to consider this aspect.
Checking specific driving conditions
It is also recommended to check the specific conditions like the minimum eyesight requirements under which the driver may be allowed to operate. For businesses involved in fleet operations, it is important that regular driving licence checks are conducted to ensure their validity. This can help the business to run smoothly.
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