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Driver Hire first to run new 'Return to Driving' Driver CPC course, and gets great feedback. You can now regain your Driver CPC Driver Qualification Card (DQC) in just 7 hours with Driver Hire Training's new online course. If you are a professional driver whose Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) has lapsed, new Government rules means you get back on the road faster, with this one day / 7 hour ‘Return to Driving’ course. The tutor-led, online course is designed for drivers whose DQC expired in the past 60 days to 2 years. The course lets you regain your qualification quickly and easily. With over 40 years experience in the industry, Driver Hire Training is the UK’s top provider of CPC training, having delivered over 300,000 training days with a 97.5% satisfaction rate - and, we were the FIRST training provider ever to run this online course in February 2025. The course was fully booked and received fantastic feedback. If you'd like to learn more about this course, visit www.driverhiretraining.co.uk
The team from Driver Hire Leeds West recently held a celebration afternoon tea at Browns in Leeds to mark 20 years of outstanding service from one of their drivers, Brian Morley. “Brian did his first shifts for Driver Hire way back in 2004, long before we were involved in the business,” explain Fiona and Tim Hennah, the current Leeds West franchisees. “We quickly discovered that customers love Brian for his can-do approach and his easy charm. Over the years he’s driven everything from HGVs to vans, coaches and minibuses. But he is so much more than just a driver. When we took over the business three years ago, Brian was just brilliant to us – a source of knowledge when we were finding our feet, always available to help, day or night. It’s no exaggeration to say that the business would not be the success it is today, without Brian.” Brian is now aged 84 and showing no sign of hanging up his keys (he’s still Institute of Advanced Motorists accredited). “I’ve always loved trucks, buses and driving,” says Brian. “My father was a haulier in the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. I spent much of my childhood and teenage years in and around trucks." “Some of my favourite Driver Hire jobs have been with the TV and film companies. I’ve worked with production crews on series like Victoria, Gentleman Jack and All Creatures Great and Small, always good fun. But in the end it all comes down to the people you meet in this line of work. I still enjoy it, and I have some more miles in me yet.”
Driver Hire Southampton & Winchester recently celebrated the retirement of one of its long-time drivers, Chris Ralph, who has dedicated over 25 years to the company. Known for his passion for driving and exceptional customer service, Chris has been a valued team member who will be greatly missed. Ash Mustafa, co-franchise owner of Driver Hire Southampton & Winchester with his wife, Charline, said, “I had the pleasure of meeting Chris to hand-deliver some gifts and to share a heartfelt conversation, where expressed how much he enjoyed working with the team and being a part of the Driver Hire family. Chris has been an incredible colleague — always a friendly face and a true ambassador for Driver Hire. He played a key role in helping me secure new clients and guided me when I purchased the business.” Chris’s impressive tenure with Driver Hire highlights the company’s commitment to its drivers, emphasising that they are integral members of the team rather than just numbers. This dedication to employee well-being and support is a cornerstone of Driver Hire’s success. Ash added, “We all wish Chris a relaxing and well-deserved retirement. He truly deserves recognition for his dedication and hard work for over 25 years with a ‘temp agency’!”
Customers, candidates and staff are all happy to be working with Driver Hire, the UK’s leading specialist logistics recruiter. That’s what the company’s latest ‘Proud’ satisfaction survey has revealed. Now into its tenth year, customers were asked to rate – for instance – the overall service and value for money they receive from Driver Hire; candidates were asked how well they were looked after by Driver Hire and to what extent they were proud to work for the company. Office staff were also asked about their pride in the business. Response rates were excellent; over 400 customers replied and 1,500 candidates – the latter the highest number in the survey’s history. Responses from all three target groups were overwhelmingly positive: 97% of customers responding to the survey rated Driver Hire’s service as either good or excellent; 83% said ‘excellent’ – our best result to date. In tough economic times it was pleasing to see that 87% of customers rate value for money at Driver Hire as excellent/good – another highest ever score. Our candidates delivered an equally positive response,95% said they were proud to work for Driver Hire. They also gave us a 95% rating for being treated with respect. When it comes to why they like working for Driver Hire, variety of work was cited by a third of drivers followed by independence and it being a friendly place to work.
Already celebrating its 40th anniversary year, Driver Hire has another reason to celebrate. It’s just been reaccredited by the leading independent business culture assessment organisation, ‘Investors in People’ (IIP). Driver Hire was first IIP accredited in 1995 and has maintained its marque ever since – for just short of 30 years. IIP was launched in 1991 with the aim of ‘making work better’. Driver Hire was one of its early adopters. ‘Investors in People’ look at nine separate activities within a business, covering leadership, support and continuous improvement. Click through to the news article to watch a short video where Claire (HR Manager, Driver Hire Group Services) explains what it means to us and how Driver Hire’s IIP benchmark scores compare to the industry average.
Driver Hire has won ‘Franchisor of the Year' Silver at this year’s bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards. Held at the VOX Conference Centre, Birmingham, the awards are the franchise industry’s Oscars, highlighting excellence in the franchise world. Commenting on Driver Hire’s achievement, Chief Executive Chris Chidley said: “This result continues our remarkable success in these awards. We were outright winners in 2019 and have now taken silver in both 2022 and 2023. We believe that this is unprecedented in the industry, confirming our position as one of the UK’s leading franchises.” The judges were impressed firstly by Driver Hire’s record-breaking trading performance in 2022/23. But even more so that a business that has been running for 40 years is still looking to the future. Chris Chidley added: “They also commented on our drive to access the untapped potential in our network through digital recruitment and expansion into previously under-developed areas. At the same time, the ongoing, outstanding support offered by the Driver Hire Group Services team remains something that really does set us apart from many other franchising organisations.” The overall winner of the bfa HSBC ‘Franchisor of the Year’ award was ‘Agency Express’. Also nominated for an award, in the ‘Franchisee of the Year – Next Generation’ category, was Connor Ferguson franchisee at Driver Hire Plymouth and Cornwall.
Driver Hire, the UK’s leading supplier of staff to the road transport & logistics industry, is celebrating 40 years in business. From a single office in Shipley, West Yorkshire, its network now extends across the whole of the UK and Northern Ireland. Driver Hire also has an international presence following the establishment of Driver Hire Australia in 2012. Annually, its army of temps fills over half a million shifts for a wide variety of transport operators and other organisations.
Hero Matt does the decent thing! Cat C driver, Matt Boden, was on shift for Driver Hire Plymouth & Cornwall when he witnessed a terrible road accident unfold in front of him. On the B3254, on his way back to ‘N&C Tiles and Bathrooms’ depot in Plymouth, Matt was on a fast section of road doing around 50mph with two vehicles in front. One of them was a minibus. It suddenly veered sharply to the left, hit a wall and went aireborne before landing on two wheels on the wrong side of the road. Its occupants were all wheelchair-users. It was Matt's quick thinking that prevented the bad situation turning into an awful one.
ON BOARD FOR NATIONAL LORRY WEEK: National Lorry Week (October 23-29th) celebrates its ninth year in 2023. Once again, Driver Hire is an associate sponsor in this key annual event which is organised by the Road Haulage Association (RHA). “It’s a celebration of the industry and a great way to raise its profile to the wider general public,” says Richard Owen-Hughes, Driver Hire’s Group Marketing Director. “And, of course, it’s a way of saying “Thank you” to all the people who work so hard, day and night, all the year round. As we’re the UK’s largest specialist supplier of staff to the transport and logistics industry we’re delighted to be core sponsors of the event.” Following a launch at the RHA’s Peterborough HQ, the theme for this year’s event is all about the future of this dynamic, fast moving and innovative industry. The week will be marked by a roadshow, travelling to all four nations of the UK. Along the way, the National Lorry Week branded DAF truck will visit RHA members, industry partners, further education colleges and Government officials to highlight the importance of the road transport industry.
Thanks to investment in new technology, drivers wanting to sign-up for agency work with Driver Hire can now be checked, interviewed and hired virtually, without the need for physical checks or an in-person meeting. Following government legislative changes, relating to the checking of Right to Work documents, Driver Hire have developed a new virtual recruitment platform. Checks are carried out using a legally compliant facial recognition system. This is combined with a one-to-one video interview with one of our recruiters. Although Driver Hire already have the most extensive nationwide network, with over 100 offices covering the UK, there were still some areas where potential candidates were put off by the travel time to their nearest office. Online interviews can improve the recruitment experience for candidates.
