As a fleet manager, ensuring that every driver in your fleet management company behind the vehicle’s wheels is eligible to drive responsibly is imperative. One of the contributing factors to confirming their accountability is a driver’s license.
If a fleet management company fails to check the driver’s license of each driver, it can lead to hefty fines and severe consequences involving life and death. Sometimes, drivers have points on their licenses that they refuse to disclose to fleet managers, especially without being asked about.
However, conducting proper research about driver’s licenses will help you avoid losses and ensure road safety. So read the article till the end to save your fleet management company from potential backlashes.
Driver License Checklist For Fleet Management – 7 Things to Know!
Here are seven vital points for every fleet management company when conducting a driver’s license check.
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Allowing a Driver to Get Behind The Wheels Without a Driver’s License is a Criminal Offence.
Most people are aware of the fact that driving without a license is a criminal offense. While this can lead to trouble in the individual’s life, as a fleet manager, you will be held responsible if your company’s driver is caught violating the traffic rules.
Under the Road Safety Act, the federal government states that it is the responsibility of the employer to conduct a thorough check of the driver licenses of all the fleet drivers working for their company.
Failure to do so can lead to severe penalties and hefty fines for the fleet management company and the drivers. In addition, the driver must possess a valid driver’s license which is not expired or canceled under any circumstances.
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Do Not Forget to Ask For The Driver’s Permission Before Checking Their License.
Several employers use the insurance documents and information of the driver to verify the license details. While you must ensure your fleet has legal and responsible drivers, you cannot breach their permission right.
Before hosting any security checks, you must seek the drivers’ consent in your fleet to access their driver’s licenses. Not following the protocol will break state and federal laws, causing additional trouble for your fleet management company.
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You Can Conduct Driver’s license Checks Online.
To make your job easier as a fleet manager, you can take help from the government website in the US. The federal government has websites and webpages that help you check your employees’ driver’s licenses, ensuring they have valid licenses and permits required to work as fleet driver.
However, always be careful when verifying any driver’s license details. However, the employers must seek permission from the driver, checking their license under the Data Protection Laws.
If an employer fails to do so, it is considered a breach of the Data Protection Act, which can lead to further complications in your company.
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Using a Fleet Management Solution For Bulk Driver License Checking
While online government websites and webpages are created to help you verify driver licenses in your fleet, checking several licenses at once can become cumbersome. In such situations, fleet management software can help you conduct bulk research and verify all the driver licenses of the current and new employees in the company.
This will help you save time as you will not have to go through the entire license-checking process every single time. Additionally, fleet management software shows accurate data, ruling out any possibility of euros or mistakes.
Nevertheless, the best part about using a fleet management solution for license checking is you will have to ask the driver’s permission every three years instead of every time you want to run a security check.
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You Must Perform Regular Driver’s License Checks.
While confirming that any new driver in your fleet has a valid driver’s license is essential, you must remember to watch the existing employees regularly. Possessing a driving license is not enough for a fleet driver to avoid hefty fines and penalties.
You must also check if the driver has any points or tickets on their driving license which are uncleared from their side. A driver’s license points accumulate rapidly, and they can lose their eligibility and right to drive on the road anytime.
Hence, each driver’s license should be checked at least once a year to avoid legal issues or troubles for your fleet management company. Even if the driver’s license has some minor fines, the frequent occurrence of these incidents can lead to huge losses in your fleet management.
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Incorporating a Robust license Checking System Alleviates Liability
As a fleet management owner, you always wish the best for your company. However, some critical times might occur when things take an unexpected turn. For example, if a driver is caught driving without a valid license or no license, your company must bear some hefty penalties and punishments along with the driver.
Additionally, suppose a driver from your company meets with an accident and does not have a valid license. In that case, your fleet and the driver will be eligible to face the legal consequences. These situations might cause crippling business losses in your company.
However, hosting regular driver’s license checks and implementing a robust system can help you build a solid legal defense in such critical circumstances.
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The Driver’s License Checking Data Can Form an Efficient Risk Management Strategy.
Not only does driver’s license research help you learn about your fleet drivers’ eligibility, but it can also be a substantial contributing factor in planning risk management strategies. The driver’s license checking data can significantly help evaluate risk and reduce road accidents and disasters.
This further will benefit your fleet management company by lowering financial losses due to fines and penalties. Based on the data you receive from driver’s license checking, you must identify the driver with the most points, accidents, tickets, etc.
Now depending on the metrics present in your company’s telematics databases, which include age, experience, license history, driving behaviors, etc., you can compare the category of the driver causing most accidents and negligent conduct.
In addition, looking into factors like fuel economy, behavior scores, mileage, etc., can help you derive a risk score for each driver in your fleet management company, which can be added to their profile.
Wrapping Up!
To sum up, driver’s license checking ensures no legal fines or penalties and helps you establish safety and responsibility in your fleet management company. Not to mention the losses can be narrowed down to a negligible amount.
While driving license checking is a must, specific criteria must be met. And to ensure you do not make any mistakes, you can always opt for a fleet management solution.
With the correct fleet management solution, you never have to worry about your driver going on the road without a valid license. However, the capabilities of a fleet management company are much more than license checking, which can escalate your fleet growth drastically.
So if you are looking for an efficient fleet management tracking solution to meet your company’s requirements, contact us today!
