Posted: Friday, 07 April 2017
Imagine sending your best driver out on his daily route in full confidence that he will complete the day's work and return to the warehouse safely. A few hours later, you get a phone call. Guess what? Your driver was pulled over and is now in trouble. Apparently, his driving licence expired months ago. Such a scenario could cost both you and him significantly.
Apparently, as many as 2.2 million driving licences in the UK are currently out of date. How many of those licences apply to still living people is unclear, but the number is still unbelievable either way. To know that so many people are unaware of the expiration dates of their licences is surprising.
Drivers should be aware that being caught driving with an out-of-date licence could result in a £1,000 fine. Things could be worse for commercial drivers and their employers depending on the circumstances under which the expired licencewas discovered. If there are liability issues involved, the employer could be held accountable.
We constantly encourage employers to take advantage of real-time licence checks for this very reason. If employees are not paying attention to their expiration dates, employers have to do it for them. That's just the nature of the beast.
It should be noted that the DVLA does send out notices to remind drivers that their licences are soon to expire. Unfortunately, a lot of people miss those notices. So how can they know their expiration dates? Simply by looking at their licences. Every UK driving licence has a 4b date imprinted on it; that date is the expiration date.
According to well-known financial guru Martin Lewis, renewing a soon-to-expire licence is incredibly easy. The cheapest and easiest way is to simply go to the DVLA website, complete the online form, and submit it along with electronic payment. It costs just £14 online.
People uncomfortable with online transactions can do it through the post for £17. Better yet, they can go directly to the Post Office to renew for £21.50. The Post Office will even take a new photo as part of the process. Lewis also recommends going directly to the DVLA website if you want to renew online. Working through a third-party could incur extra fees.
Company owners and fleet managers cannot afford to send drivers out with expired licences. You owe it to yourself and your company to stay abreast of your drivers by taking advantage of real-time licence checks. Regular checks will help you keep track of driving licence expiration dates so that you can help you drivers get things taken care of before they are pulled over.
Remember, commercial drivers are often treated more harshly than others because they are held to a higher standard. As an employer, you are held to that same standard. Make sure none of you drivers ever hits the road with an expired licence.
Source: Express