Couriers urged to introduce rigorous licence checks for temporary Christmas drivers

Date: Thursday, September 28, 2017   |  

Maycock ' ensure a safe and merry Christmas'

Driver licence checking company Licence Bureau has issued a five-point guide to ensure temporary drivers remain safe.

The launch of the plan comes as delivery firms are preparing to take on seasonal drivers to cater for a spike in online shopping orders in the run up to Christmas.

According to the firm, if couriers stick to the approach, new drivers should be able to keep compliant during the period.

The guide consists of the following advice:

  • Always check a driver’s licence and take special care if the driver is a non-UK licence holder to ensure they are qualified to drive the vehicle.
  • Reinforce to the driver the number of hours they are entitled to work while driving a specific vehicle. And if the vehicle does not have a tachograph inform them of the ratio of driving to rest they are advised to take each day.
  • Make sure a driver is familiar with UK roads – test their knowledge of the Highway Code and if necessary get them to take you for a drive round the block to be sure you ‘know your driver’ before they undertake work on your behalf.
  • Be very clear about your zero-tolerance drink drive and drug drive policy
  • Stress that vehicles will be spot checked by the company on a regular basis and that daily checks must take place on all key safety items such as tyres, brakes and lights, and that servicing and MOTs should always be in place while the vehicle is in use.

“Just because companies are only employing new drivers for an 8-10-week period over Christmas doesn’t mean they should be tempted to drop their recruitment standards,” said Malcolm Maycock, managing director of Licence Bureau. “This should be used as a check list as it covers off all eventualities when employing a new driver, whether they are driving your vehicle or their own.”

He added: “Companies should have in the back of their mind the problems when things go wrong, such as the recent crash on the M1 where the driver allegedly had a revoked licence but was still driving a company vehicle. Stick to the plan and ensure that everybody has both a safe and Merry Christmas.”



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