One of the UK’s largest recruitment agencies, Pertemps, is using Jaama’s electronic driver entitlement checking service (EDECS) to verify the licences of 1,000 employees and thousands of agency drivers, including HGV Class 1 drivers.

A long-established user of Jaama’s online Key2 vehicle management software system, almost two years ago Pertemps replaced a previously laborious manual driving licence checking process with EDECS to verify licences.

Pertemps’ group fleet manager Adrian Harris said: “We receive reports by exception within 24 hours.

“The Jaama system is very robust and efficient and provides Pertemps with a clear audit trail which flags up any issues that need to be tackled. We have reviewed other driver licence checking systems, but Jaama’s EDECS came out massively on top.”

The Jaama driver licence checking service starts with a signed three-year mandate being completed by the employee giving permission for the checks to be carried out.

Once the on-line checks are completed, EDECS provides alerts to fleet decision-makers on all licence issues that are uncovered.

The licence check data is then held against the driver record in the customers’ Jaama system along with other risk-related information such as accidents and training history.

Since introducing EDECS, which links to the DVLA’s database, Pertemps has discovered invalid driving licences were being used by about a dozen people.

One employee was dismissed after it was uncovered he had previously had his driving licence revoked by the DVLA.

Typically most other occurrences are caused by an innocent oversight by the driver such as a change of address or failing to surrender their licence within 28 days after receiving an endorsement. These have resulted in the check revealing a revoked licence.

Harris said: “If an employee has told Pertemps about their change of address or declared their endorsement, but has not surrendered their driving licence to the DVLA we have quickly been able to resolve the issue of the licence appearing revoked satisfactorily.”

Critically, Mr Harris says that having a robust driving licence validation system in place deters most people with something to hide - apart from those who think that can cheat the system and attempt to drive for work without valid documentation.

He explained: “Our employees know that we have a system in place that works very well so do not attempt to cheat. Dubious drivers who walk into our branches looking for temporary work typically walk out when they are asked to sign a mandate.”

Pertemps undertakes annual checks on all ‘at-work drivers’ licences, although staff with six points undergo six-monthly checks and those with nine points have quarterly checks.

Harris said: “We receive reports by exception within 24 hours. If any issues are highlighted we immediately remove an employees’ right to drive until the matter is resolved.”
 

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