Category: COVID-19

Take check of your drivers, or your fleet could end up in hot water

9th July 2021 No Comments COVID-19

With the lifting of coronavirus restrictions fast approaching, business owners should be prepared. According to Licence Link, the return to ‘normality’ could see a spike in driver endorsements – following the imminent reopening of nightlife and the return of commuters. Now it’s time to take stock of your drivers’ licence points or risk serious consequences.

According to figures released by DVLA, 92,000 UK drivers already have between 9 and 11 points on their driving licence, making them a high risk to employers. * This figure is only set to rise too – with motorists having racked up a hefty 1.5 million points during the first half of 2020 alone, amidst a full lockdown. **

With these figures in mind, it’s crucial to consider how your business may be affected if your staff were to incur points – whether they’re employed as a driver, have access to a grey fleet vehicle, or are insured on your fleet policy. For example, being convicted of drink driving, speeding, or using a mobile behind the wheel – even out of working hours – could result in anything from 3 points to a driving ban. From invalidating your insurance to rendering your business temporarily driverless, this could have a serious impact.

What’s more, if the employee fails to disclose this information, your business could be held liable for fines (or worse), so it’s imperative to always keep check of drivers. With Licence Link’s real-time licence checking tool, Fleet Managers can set automated checks for their workforce – reducing the risk of missed or undeclared points. They can flag high-risk drivers to check more frequently too, providing peace of mind that new endorsements will be identified quickly.

Melvin Jeffers, Sales and Customer Relations Leader at Licence Link explains:

“With thousands of employees still awaiting a return to the workplace, its inevitable HR teams will be overrun in preparation. Using Licence Link is a significant time-saver, safeguarding against the risk of missed checks. It’s so easy to make mistakes when tracking results manually, often for hundreds of drivers. For less than a few pounds per check, you can be sure your staff have a valid licence and pose no risk to your business. Your HR team can focus on other priorities, with no hassle of managing compliance.”

With the lifting of restrictions just weeks away, now’s the time for businesses to prepare – identifying high-risk drivers, checking the terms of insurance, and scheduling regular driver checks. All this can be managed seamlessly with a provider like Licence Link.

References for figures:

*  THISISMONEY.co.uk, 2021, ‘On the brink of a driving ban: Britain has 92,000 motorists with between 9 and 11 points on their licence – and are just one offence away from losing it.’, [online]. Available from: https://bit.ly/3hmjoGy [Accessed: 08/07/21]

** TTC Protecting people on the move, 2020, ‘Motorist speeding offences soar during lockdown’, [online]. Available from: https://bit.ly/2TEjboZ [Accessed: 08/07/21]

Team back from furlough? Don’t forget to check their licences

7th May 2021 No Comments Advice for HR Teams, COVID-19

More employees are returning to the workplace – some for the first time in months, as the UK lockdown continues to ease. Licence Link urges employers to take precautions before returning team members to the road again – a simple licence check can save getting stung.

During the furlough period, many businesses temporarily paused their routine licence checks for absent team members. It’s important to be aware of any driving convictions incurred, affecting their licence, before staff return. Failure to check could result in devastating consequences for a business.

From clocking points for a speeding ticket to more serious convictions, if an employee fails to disclose a change to their licence, their employer could face penalties. This includes insurance exemptions (above a certain level of points), driver downtime (loss of licence) or even breaking the law. Failure to check can result in hefty fines, or worse.

Over 2.8 million motoring offences were issued in 2018 and 2019* alone. Although the pandemic will have affected this volume for 2020/1, it clearly shows that motoring offences are not a rarity – so they should be anticipated. Employers are naive if they fail to take precautions as part of their duty of care, they must ensure the safety of other road users and essentially cover their backs.

Melvin Jeffers, Sales and Customer Relations Leader at Licence Link explains:

“As a business, your staff are your responsibility – why risk it? With Licence Link, each check costs less than a cup of coffee. We return the results in real-time, so there’s no delay when it comes to getting your team back on the road. It couldn’t be easier.”

For businesses with drivers yet-to-return from furlough, don’t forget to check licences before employees take to the wheel – it could save your business thousands.

NHS driver checks

Licence Link API gets key workers on the road quicker

15th March 2021 No Comments COVID-19

Licence Link has assisted the NHS throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Coinciding with the early stages of the pandemic, the Birmingham-based driving licence checking firm introduced a new API for NHS Fleet Solutions, speeding up the driving licence checking process for employees.

A representative of NHS Fleet Solutions shared how the API has been beneficial:

“During COVID-19, our NHS teams and key workers have worked tirelessly around the clock. Licence Link made it simple for us to check and manage the driving licences from public sector employees applying for lease cars.”

With increased pressure on the emergency services, the API was introduced at the ideal time, vastly speeding up the process to check licences for key workers. Many public sector staff get their lease cars through NHS Fleet Solutions, so the API made the process much faster for all, eliminating rekeying between systems. Admin staff now only have to input licence data once – returning results quickly and seamlessly.

With Licence Link, key workers can authorise checks to their licence electronically.

Licence Link’s API will continue to provide value and speed up the process for key workers to lease a vehicle through NHS Fleet Solutions.

Free checks keep fleets compliant during COVID pandemic

17th February 2021 No Comments COVID-19, CPC and Tacho Checks

With the UK amidst its third national lockdown, new factors and costs are constantly arising so it’s easy for driver compliancy to slip. To protect road users and prevent breaking the law, businesses must prioritise compliance – ensuring key workers meet requirements.

Licence Link have made the process easier and more feasible to manage – offering free CPC and Tacho card checks to all customers when checking their entitlement to drive.

Those responsible, usually Fleet and HR Managers, can feel at ease knowing their drivers have received the correct training (holding a valid Certificate of Professional Competence) whilst also monitoring hours worked in the driving seat, to ensure they comply with the law.

Melvin Jeffers, Licence Link Team Leader explains:

“Giving our customers free CPC and Tacho checks has been a great help. Licence Link has saved our customers hours, manually organising checks. Freeing up extra time and funds means they can focus on running their business without worry. From delivery drivers to doctors, Licence Link has helped keep key workers on the road.”

Checks are accessible in real-time, with minimal contact. Licence Link’s eDec (electronic declaration) feature allows drivers to provide approval by eSignature – the entire process taking just moments. This has been a huge benefit, as employers strive to restrict contact throughout the pandemic.

The consequences of driver downtime, missed checks or failure to notice and rectify non-compliance could lead to detrimental consequences. Using a trusted provider such as Licence Link can substantially reduce the risk and hassle for your team.

Licence Link takes the hassle out of handling licence renewals

5th November 2020 No Comments Benefits, COVID-19

Keeping on top of licence checking is a time consuming yet critical task for fleet businesses, ensuring that every driver they employ is in possession of a full, valid driving licence to comply with the DVLA and the law.

The issues surrounding COVID-19 meant that the DVLA provided an 11-month extension period on driving licences due to expire between 1st February and 31st December 2020. This has complicated the tracking of expiry dates for potentially hundreds of employers, fleets that track records manually or where systems don’t account for the extension.

Licence Link removes the hassle and confusion of keeping check of driver data across the fleet – automating the entire process and saving hours of admin time. Automated reminders can be set up easily to flag upcoming licence renewals via the DVLA for company drivers.

Once a driver has been added to the Licence Link system and they’ve electronically signed to approve checks, the employer will be notified when each licence is due for renewal. Working closely with the DVLA, Licence Link accounts for the 11-month extension period, enabling the admin team to notify drivers in advance of the correct renewal date.

In addition to reminders, businesses can schedule automatic alerts – triggering frequent licence checks on an ongoing basis, to keep on top of any penalties, fines or disqualifications employees may acquire. This eases the risk of businesses unknowingly allowing employees to drive with an invalid licence, and the associated consequences.

Get in touch to see how Licence Link can help reduce risk and save time for your fleet!

Contactless licence checking

Contactless licence checks prevent COVID spread

6th October 2020 No Comments COVID-19, Features

As COVID-19 restrictions tighten, businesses are being urged to further implement precautionary measures, minimising risk in the workplace. Licence Link provides a contactless driver licence checking service, enabling Fleet Managers/ HR to safely check drivers’ records for penalties or disqualifications, removing the need to handle any paperwork which could potentially carry the virus. Licence Link can also be used to check CPC and digital tachograph cards, all in line with DVLA standards.

“It’s easy, an electronic declaration can be sent straight to the driver to digitally sign and approve their licence check. There’s no need for a physical signature, avoiding any unnecessary interaction. Since GDPR was introduced, it’s vital to get approval to look up a licence with the DVLA and we wanted to make sure that Licence Link does all of the hard work for you.” Says Melvin Jeffers, Sales & Customer Relations Leader for Licence Link.

Upon gaining approval, Licence Link returns the drivers’ record to the Fleet Manager in real-time, providing a fast and effective digital response. By switching to paperless permission, the entire process is quicker than ever before, so drivers can get out on the road with minimal disruption, whilst Fleet Managers/ HR can ensure drivers are compliant.

Licence Link user Andy Bealing, Fleet Manager at Exeter City Council explains how adopting a digital process has been essential during lockdown:

“Here at Exeter City Council, we have a large fleet of drivers that have been working throughout the COVID crisis, including Civil Enforcement Officers who’ve been delivering welfare packages to the vulnerable in our community. Thanks to Licence Link, we can keep on top of all driver licences, CPC and Digital Tachograph Cards. Their digital checking service allows us to provide a safe and efficient service to our community, making sure we are compliant with the DVLA at all times. Licence Link has removed a number of administrative duties which has allowed more time for other tasks to be carried out.”

Licence Link are an ADLV member (Association for Driving Licence Verification), and all data is held securely and compliant with the strictest ISO 27001 guidelines which constantly protects businesses and their drivers.

With restrictions only likely to heighten and the festive season likely to see increased demand for deliveries, now is the ideal time for businesses to prepare, ensuring their drivers are compliant and ready to go with Licence Link!

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