Tag: fleet management

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]

Festive checks - winter driving conditions

Don’t let your responsibilities slip this festive season

13th December 2022 No Comments Advice for HR Teams, Driver Compliance

With the festive rush in full swing, it’s tempting for fleets to cut corners, especially with extra orders to fulfil and deliveries to be scheduled ahead of Christmas. Many fleets will be feeling the pressure – whether distributing parcels, delivering pizzas, or managing public transport routes. It’s vital that Fleet Managers stay on top of licence checking to avoid costly consequences, keeping their business sleighing ahead into the New Year.

Many fleets still coordinate driver checks in-house or use inadequate solutions, leaving their (already stacked) HR team to handle hundreds of checks and approvals. Adopting a system like Licence Link – with automated alerts, digital approvals, and real-time results – is a fast-track way to prevent missed endorsements, unexpected downtime, and skyrocketing stress levels. Here’s how…

Prevent your HR team from getting snowed under with excess paperwork

Fleets using the free online checking service (aimed at individual drivers) will spend hours inputting driver details and liaising with their team to manually approve checks. Licence Link helps avoid the associated bottlenecks and delays, whilst eliminating the need to gain approval each time.

Fleet Managers can automate alerts for every driver, so there’s no need to keep a manual record of upcoming checks. Whether you have 20 or 200 drivers, this is a significant time-saver, preventing the risk of missed endorsements. In addition, the HR team can ask drivers to sign a digital declaration straight from their phone – taking seconds. Approval lasts for three years, allowing the business to carry out unlimited checks, without continuously chasing for approval.

Protect the safety of other road users this Winter

As the weather turns, wet and icy driving conditions inevitably lead to an increase in road traffic accidents. Be sure all your team has a valid licence to minimise risk to other road users! Systems like Licence Link provide real-time results on driver checks. Another key factor is the maximum points covered by insurance providers. It’s essential to monitor any drivers at risk of exceeding this threshold, or fleets could unknowingly invalidate their policy. With Licence Link, HR teams can increase the frequency of checks for drivers in the high-risk zone. Ensure new points are quickly identified, and appropriate actions are taken.

Avoid unanticipated downtime impacting busy delivery schedules

With many fleets facing a spike in demand over the holiday, it’s key they have enough drivers to manage delivery schedules. An unexpected disqualification or exclusion due to excess points could be detrimental during the seasonal demand surge – leading to disgruntled customers, complaints, and excess stress on the remaining team. Licence Link provides Fleet Managers with complete visibility, enabling them to mitigate this risk. They can instantly access driver data at every branch. This enables them to determine which team members are nearing the threshold, allocating schedules accordingly. Alternatively, they can arrange a plan B or ensure extra drivers are on standby to minimise disruption.

Be sure your fleet complies and ace the festive rush

To get ahead and avoid disruption, businesses that coordinate licence checking in-house should re-evaluate. For a small fee per check Fleet Managers can mitigate disruption, save time, and ensure their schedules run efficiently. So, if your HR team is under pressure during this festive period, get ahead by adopting an automated solution, like Licence Link.

Get in touch today at: www.licencelink.co.uk

Car dealership staff member working on vehicle

Dealer Groups Save Hours with Real-Time Checks

3rd May 2022 No Comments Automotive, Real-time licence checking

Car dealer groups, often employing up to 100 employees per branch, must regularly check their employees’ driving licences. With a large percentage of dealership staff required to test-drive or manoeuvre stock, deliver courtesy vehicles, or even re-fuel, they must have a valid licence.

With the current chip crisis affecting new vehicle supply (and sales), it’s critical that automotive groups minimise hassle, cost, and delays elsewhere, in order to operate as efficiently as possible. Using an automated licence checking tool like Licence Link is a significant time-saver – enabling dealers to get staff to get behind the wheel quickly and safely. Will Blackshaw, Managing Director at Blackshaws explains –

“As a dealership, Licence Link really helps us. We’ve got many staff members who drive – especially in a workshop environment, with multiple technicians driving customers’ cars. It’s absolutely paramount that they are being driven legally and within our insurance parameters.

Our insurance company like to see the reports, it helps reduce our premium – everyone enjoys a reduction in their premiums! And obviously, we need to have the confidence that our drivers are compliant and legal.”

Why Must Dealers Check their Team Members’ Licences?

Dealers that fail to check their employees’ licences risk severe consequences – from legal action to fines to invalidated insurance policies. If staff are caught with excess endorsements or disqualifications, it could cost the business thousands.

For a small cost per check (less than a high-street cappuccino), dealers can be certain that every driver in their business complies. Even in a small or family-owned business, employers should not rely solely on the trust and discretion of their staff. Even a loyal employee may unknowingly attain points, resulting in the employer being held liable. It’s quick, easy, and secure to run checks with a tool like Licence Link, and all data is quickly accessible via their handy reporting suite.

“Licence Link is very easy to use. Frighteningly, it identified quite a few concerns and issues that staff weren’t aware of, with licence expiries coming up. For any new driver, we put their information in the system and get a check done. In seconds, we know what their status is from a driving compliance point of view. It works really well and it’s so simple” – explains Blackshaw.

Benefits of Regular Licence Checks

Following the pandemic, most dealers have digitalised their processes. As a result, they were able to reduce paperwork, increase data security, and boost convenience. Licence Link falls perfectly in line with these new standards, offering a fully digital permissions process. Dealers gain digital approval to check their team’s licences via a simple email link, with permission that lasts three years. This streamlines the outdated manual process to alleviate delays, and consequently save hours for HR teams.

Multi-site groups can easily manage driver transfers with Licence Link. Similarly, systems that offer multi-branch reporting provide an overview of every driver and branch, so management can maintain complete control when handling compliance.

In short, dealer groups see substantial benefits when using an automated licence checking tool, freeing up time and providing assurance. To find out more about the benefits of licence checking, get in touch today.

Licence Link Website Launch

Licence Link Launches New Website

7th March 2022 No Comments Fleet Businesses

Licence Link has launched their new website, packed with helpful advice for fleets, informative articles, and tips on how to reduce the risk of driver compliance.

With over a decade of experience in providing driving licence, CPC and Tacho checks, the knowledgeable Birmingham-based team has built up a strong customer base, spanning almost every industry. Whether it’s Pizza Hut, City Councils, or international courier businesses, Licence Link has streamlined processes and reduced the risk of non-compliance for hundreds of HR teams across the UK.

The importance of driver compliance should not be overlooked – with severe consequences for employers that fail to comply. Licence Link’s new website outlines the risks, challenges, and consequences, along with providing advice for businesses about how to save valuable hours when keeping check of their drivers.

Many employers are yet to use an automated licence checking tool like Licence Link. Instead, they allocate hours of time to check every driver manually. With potentially hundreds of drivers, it quickly adds up. With manual checking, there’s also the risk of mistakes when inputting driver data, which could delay the return of check results.

Licence Link’s new website makes it easy to understand the benefits of a secure and approved system. This ranges from reducing the risk of missed checks, winning back valuable hours, and getting results in real-time. Visitors can watch informative videos explaining the benefits of the digital tools in the system, and browse testimonials, to see exactly why employers favour Licence Link over manual checking.

Supported by their parent company – leading global automotive system provider, Pinewood Technologies – Licence Link has proven valuable for their vehicle retail customers. By applying their expertise in the motor trade, Licence Link has been able to offer dealers a time-saving, reliable solution for checking licences across their businesses.

This is explained by Will Blackshaw, Dealer Principal of Blackshaws Garage:

“Before we started using Licence Link, I would have to chase over 50 staff for copies of their licences, in order to check them with the DVLA. We’d often find errors, whilst spending periods concerned about any potential unknown issues.

I can now relax knowing that everything is checked on a regular basis. This has removed a big admin task and given the business better protection for a very small cost. Licence Link really is an investment, and I would recommend any business of any size, with drivers, to utilise this system.”

The benefits of using an automated licence checking provider are significant – especially for larger companies or sizeable fleets. Licence Link’s new website offers valuable knowledge and advice to businesses that still check licences manually, or which seek advice on how to reduce the risk of missed checks.

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!

Scroll to top