Small Fleet Operator

Key factors

  1. Informal in-house licence checking system
  2. Foreign Licence Holders

Solution

1. Informal in-house licence checking system

The Directors employ 15 drivers all of whom drive company vehicles. A system of keeping track of fixed penalty notices led the Directors to believe that they would be aware of all endorseable infringements incurred and could therefore be confident that their drivers were low risk. No FP Notices had been received for over a year.

Copy licences were requested each year and 14 of 15 drivers complied, the only errant driver always had plausible excuses for non-compliance and was never followed up.

Solution
This particular client enrolled with the Licence Bureau after the errant driver was stopped driving his company vehicle over the Christmas Holiday Period. At this time he was found to be already disqualified for a Drink/Drive offence. He had been arrested originally driving a private vehicle and had not disclosed his offence and disqualification to the Company.

A combination of factors had led to this man being allowed to slip through the net. The Directors felt they knew and could trust all the drivers and the demands on the resources of the small business were such that the Directors did not prioritise licence checking and delegated responsibility to an administrator, who was unaware of the potential liability.

The MD was notified he would be prosecuted for offences under S.87(2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Once your drivers are enrolled with the Licence Bureau our system will automatically generate the appropriate re-checks in a timely manner leaving the small fleet operator to focus on core issues with running their fleet and their business.

2. Foreign Licence Holders

This client needed to employ a replacement driver and was approached by a Polish National. The client had no means of knowing if the licence was valid or genuine.

Solution
The Licence Bureau is in touch with countries around the world to verify the status of drivers.

We will advise clients on what they can and cannot expect and steps we can take to validate that persons entitlement to drive in not only their own country but in the UK as well.