Month: March 2023

Employee and nominated driver sat in a car

Don’t Let Nominated Drivers Put your Fleet at Risk

21st March 2023 No Comments Nominated Drivers

Businesses must regularly check their employees’ licences for new endorsements or penalties, as part of their Duty of Care. However, many employers underestimate the risk of nominated drivers – non-employed individuals who also use company-owned cars, such as partners or spouses. Despite not being employed by the company, these drivers still pose the same level of risk, and therefore must be equally monitored alongside employees.

According to Licence Link – the online driving licence, CPC and Tacho card checking service – this is not just best practice, it’s a necessity. Failure to comply could result in serious consequences for Fleet Managers – from incurring fines to being held liable for any damage caused by a nominated driver.

To minimise the risk, Fleet and HR Managers must check both contracted employees and nominated drivers on a regular basis for…
  • Medical conditions
  • Driving licence convictions
  • Endorsements and points
  • Accidents and incident involvement
  • Licence expiries
It’s essential to ensure the HR or Fleet policy includes a routine checking schedule which accounts for nominated drivers, as standard. Failure to do so could result in:
  • The business being held liable for a serious road incident
  • Increased insurance costs (or invalidation) of the group policy
  • Disqualified drivers illegally using a company car
  • Corporate loss of credibility, if drivers are not managed correctly 

To keep costs to a minimum, some fleets still co-ordinate their checking routine in-house. This includes diarising hundreds of checks, gaining approvals, submitting individual driver data online and collating results on an ongoing basis. Without the right tools for support, this can make compliance a huge task for many already stacked HR teams. Licence Link mitigates the stress, hassle and risk involved, simplifying and automating the process.

The built-in features in Licence Link provide a simple and effective way to keep check of nominated drivers. Here’s how:
  • Nominated drivers are linked to the employee record
  • They can approve licence checks remotely by signing an eDeclaration
  • Once approved, licences can be checked for 3 years without any further input 
  • If an employee leaves, any nominated drivers will be automatically deleted from the system
  • Licence Link complies with GDPR 
  • Critical alerts and reports include nominated drivers 
  • Manage contracted employees and nominated drivers simultaneously

Licence Link makes it easy for fleets of any size, in any sector to manage driver risk, costing less that the price of a small high street coffee per check. It’s a no-brainer that fleets can save significantly by using a system like Licence Link to automate the process. In fact, there’s no excuse for getting caught out.

Employee getting into a grey fleet vehicle

Check Your Grey Fleet Or Risk Non-Compliance

14th March 2023 No Comments Grey Fleet

In recent years, factors such as COVID-19, the limited availability of new car registrations, and the cost-of-living crisis, have encouraged many employers to move away from offering company cars. In addition, companies like Deliveroo and Uber have largely embraced this, with the majority of their drivers using their own cars. Now, more privately owned vehicles, or cars funded through cash allowance schemes, are used for work-related journeys instead. Known as the ‘Grey Fleet’, according to the BVLRA, there are roughly 14 million of these vehicles currently on UK roads*.

Despite many employers relinquishing ownership of company cars, they’re still responsible for checking that every driver has a valid licence, and that vehicles used during working hours are fit for purpose. This applies to organisations in both the private and public sectors – some of which rely on thousands of Grey Fleet vehicles.

Whether managing five or five thousand drivers, it’s essential Fleet Managers have the tools to support their team. Otherwise managing compliance can be incredibly risky and time-consuming. Luckily, Licence Link – the digital licence checking solution – automates the job, relieving hours of admin and reducing the risk of missed licence checks.

Many employers still handle licence checking in-house – maintaining spreadsheets, diarising reminders, manually inputting driver details online, and gaining approval for every check. It’s easy to see how a driver could slip beneath the radar. For fleets looking for a faster and more reliable option, Licence Link streamlines the entire process, managing Grey Fleet and company car drivers as one.

Here’s how:
  • Employers can get fast, digital approval from their drivers. It takes just minutes to sign an eDeclaration, can be completed from their phone, and lasts three years.
  • Set auto alerts in advance of upcoming checks.
  • Alter the frequency of checks based on driver risk or vehicle category.
  • Schedule in advance to prevent missed endorsements.
  • Licence Link returns results in real-time – reducing downtime and delays.
  • All previous checks are readily accessible in the reporting suite.

With Grey Fleet vehicles accounting for a significant (and growing) percentage of those used for business travel, it’s important employers don’t overlook licence checking for this category. Failing to do so could result in hefty fines, invalidated insurance or endangering other road users – regardless of whether the business owns the vehicle or not. Licence Link is cost-effective, hassle-free, and user-friendly, so there’s no excuse for non-compliance.

References:

*BVRLA, Grey Fleet, https://www.bvrla.co.uk/industry-campaigns/air-quality/grey-fleet.html#:~:text=There%20are%20an%20estimated%2014,up%20to%20%C2%A35%20billion. [Accessed 10/03/23]

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