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Licence Check shares advice for fleets operating during coronavirus
Date: 02 April 2020 | Author: Illya Verpraet
Fleet safety and compliance firm Licence Check is offering some advice for fleets that are still operating.
As it's currently difficult or impossible for drivers to complete additional training, the Department for Transport (DfT) is allowing drivers with a CPC card or driver qualification card (DQC) that expires between 1 March and 30 September, to continue driving on the expired card until October.
Terry Hiles, general manager at Licence Check, warns however: "The new relaxation of the DQC rules does not excuse the obligation to check driving licences to ensure drivers remain entitled to drive the class of vehicle they are using. The same applies to new drivers who are about to drive for the business for the first time."
When hiring new drivers, social distancing guidelines should be followed, and licence checks can usually be done remotely, either through the DVLA's own service, or through a third-party system. If a face-to-face onboarding process is nevertheless needed, Licence Check recommends laminating documents, so they can be wiped down after each use.
If a lot of activities have been suspended, the downtime might be an opportunity to take care of things like a driver audit, reviewing permissions and cleaning the records of drivers who no longer work for the company.
Finally, if drivers are furloughed, they should not provide services or make money for the company. However, they can use their time for training, through e-learning.
