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Checking your drivers’ licences is an essential fleet management practice.

I think we can all appreciate that as fleet managers, we need to ensure anyone operating a company vehicle is entitled to do so.

But how robust are your licence checking procedures?

Are you aware that taking a photocopy of a driver’s licence is not adequate?

Are you aware that seeing just the photocard part of a driver’s licence has limitations?

Photocards do not show you if the driver has points or endorsements on their licence, you’ll need to see the paper section of their licence for that.

Ways to Effectively Check Your Drivers’ Licences

There are three main methods fleet operators use to check their employee’s driving licences on a regular basis:

Use a Third-Party Company

There are third-party companies that will handle checking your employee’s licences for you. This is best suited to small companies without the infrastructure to manage it themselves.

Manage Licence Checking Manually In-House

You can check a driver’s licence using the Gov.uk site. However, this is time-consuming and requires some back and forth in obtaining Check Codes.

This method is really only suitable if you have a small number of drivers in your fleet.

Using Software Like FleetCheck LicenceAssured

The most effective and robust way to manage all of your driver’s licences is using software designed to manage like FleetCheck LicenceAssured.

Using FleetCheck LicenceAssured you’ll save time and money, and you can be sure your processes are robust and compliant with GDPR.

Things to Be Aware of When Checking Licences

Understanding Categories and Codes

As a fleet manager or operator, it’s also important that you understand what the categories and codes mean on your employee’s driving licences.

For example, if a driver has an ‘01’ code on their licence, this tells you that they need some form of eyesight correction to be able to drive.

Checking Expiry Dates

A driver’s licence, photocard, and the individual categories can have expiry dates. You also need to be aware of a driver’s age and if they’re due a medical declaration.

Points and Endorsements

Points and endorsements are a good way of identifying higher-risk drivers. The higher risk a driver is, the more often you should check their licence.

For example, as a general guide, the frequency you check a driver’s licence based on how many points they have could be:

  • 0-3 points - check their licence every 6 months
  • 4-6 points - check their licence every 4 months
  • 6+ points - check their licence even more frequently

It’s also a good idea to check with your insurance company if there is a limit to the number of points a driver can have on their licence as still be covered by your insurance.

If you would like any more information or have a simple conversation about driver licence checking or even book a demo of FleetCheck LicenceAssured, please feel free to get in touch with a member of our team by using this form or calling our office on 01666 575900.

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