How to Hire a Company Driver

If you're in a line of business wherein you deliver goods and services to clients, transport important stuff from one office location to another or simply need to have someone picked up regularly and you have no luxury of time to do those things yourself or any other people in your company, it may be helpful if you have a dedicated company driver. Here are some guidelines in hiring a company driver and these are based on what I would personally consider and from what I have observed in some of the companies I've worked for.

Setting the requirements can be a daunting task or an easy one. It really depends on what you want. You may ask for a couple of years experience or have previously worked in another reputable company as their company driver. Paperwork is also essential but you have to be sure they're authentic. Remember, you will be entrusting delivery of your products and services to that person or the safety of someone.

It is imperative that you do at least a background check on the applicant or someone you're already considering for the position. Request for police clearance or something that could prove that the person has a clear record. I also would consider someone with a previous record such as minor offenses. It would probably be fine and it's just fair to give them a chance.

You can do skills assessment if you'd like. Go on a drive and see how the applicant drives. Observe not only the driving skills but how the applicant behaves him or herself while driving. If you have multiple company vehicles, a driver who can handle different types of vehicles such as manual, automatic, 10-wheelers, cars, and vans and so on is valuable. But most importantly, it's a definite advantage of the applicant has enough knowledge in basic car repair and maintenance.

Knowledge in routes where you need to deliver the products or services is another advantage. If the applicant is familiar with the area, he/she may have the ability to find shorter routes or alternative ways just in case some roads get closed. This will save you fuel and most especially, time.

Probably the hardest attribute to find out from an applicant is his/her behavior and attitude. You'd have to do an extensive interview or possibly try to engage in a casual conversation to loosen them up and let them behave naturally.

In the end, it comes to who you think will be able to contribute to you and your company. You basically just have to come up with a good screening process which usually includes most of what I have mentioned and use your best judgment in choosing which applicant qualifies for the position.