Compliance checks on drivers and warehouse staff
What we check before a driver or operative starts work, how each check is done and what we ask you to have ready.
Every operator has to know that the person in the cab or on the truck is legal, qualified and fit to do the job. These are the checks we run before a first shift. They follow the rules set by the DVLA, the DVSA, the Home Office, HSE and the forklift training bodies, and we describe them in plain terms so you can see what has been done.
The law also puts duties on an employment business. Before we supply a worker we have to obtain confirmation of their identity and of the experience, training, qualifications and any authorisation the client considers necessary or the law requires, and we pass that information to the client when we put the worker forward. The checks below are how we meet those duties for drivers and warehouse staff.
The checks happen before a driver starts. They do not replace your own site induction or your own rules on who may drive your vehicles.
What we check
DVLA licence check
Every driver gives us their licence details before a first booking. We check them on the GOV.UK licence check service. The driver creates a check code in their own DVLA account and gives it to us with their permission, along with the last 8 characters of the licence number. The check shows the vehicles the driver can drive, any penalty points and any disqualifications.
The code is valid for 21 days and can only be used once, so we ask for a fresh one each time we check. Obtaining someone’s licence information without their permission is a criminal offence, so we only check with the driver’s consent.
Driver CPC card
A lorry driver whose main job is driving needs the Driver CPC, which means 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years. The Driver Qualification Card shows it, and the driver has to carry it while driving professionally. It is illegal to drive professionally once the training deadline has passed without the training done.
We ask to see the card and check the training record on the GOV.UK service, which shows an employer the record when the driver gives them a temporary password. The Driver CPC covers lorry, bus and coach drivers, so van drivers do not need it.
Digital tachograph card
A driver needs a digital tachograph driver card for any vehicle that has a digital or smart tachograph. The card is the driver’s own, issued to them by the licensing authority, and it goes from vehicle to vehicle with them. We ask to see it at registration and check that it is in date and in the driver’s name.
A driver has to tell the DVLA immediately if the card is lost, stolen, damaged or not working, and has to apply for a replacement within 7 days. We hold a booking until a replacement is in hand.
Right to work
Before anyone starts, we check their right to work in the UK in line with Home Office guidance. A worker can give us a share code, which lets us check online, or show original documents. British and Irish citizens cannot get an online share code, so for them we check the original documents.
For a document check we see the originals with the worker present, make and keep copies and record the date of the check. The copies are kept during the work and for 2 years after the worker stops working for us.
References
We ask for references that cover recent driving, warehouse or office work, and put the same questions to each referee: dates, duties, licence history, attendance and whether they would employ the person again. A gap in work history is something we ask about, and we do not assume anything from it.
Assessment drive or induction
Some clients want to see a driver handle their own vehicle, or want an induction on site before the first shift. When a client asks, we arrange it and pass on the client’s result. The client sets the standard, and we do not.
Drivers’ hours awareness
The limits on driving time and rest belong to the driver, whichever employer the hours were worked for. Before we book a driver we ask what they have driven and when they last had a full rest, so that the booking can run inside the rules. The limits are set out on each driving role page, with the GOV.UK source.
Forklift certificates
HSE says there is no such thing as a lift-truck licence. What a driver holds is a training certificate from an accredited provider, and HSE encourages its use as evidence that training has been given. We ask to see it, check that it names the type of truck the job needs, and check that it comes from a provider working to a recognised standard such as AITT, ITSSAR, NPORS or RTITB.
Training on one type of truck does not cover another, so a counterbalance certificate does not cover a reach truck. Where a site has its own truck, the site may also run a familiarisation before the first shift.
ADR card
Carrying dangerous goods by road needs an ADR card. It shows which dangerous goods the driver is allowed to carry, and its expiry date is printed on it. The qualification lasts 5 years, and a driver takes refresher training and exams to stay qualified. If a card has expired, the driver has to take the training and tests again.
We check that the card covers the job, that it is in date and that the driver holds the Driver CPC as well. Drivers who load petroleum products at fuel terminals also need a Petroleum Driver Passport, so we ask about that for fuel work.
Sources: GOV.UK on licence checks, Driver CPC, digital tachograph cards, right to work checks and ADR; HSE on lift trucks; Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, regulations 19 and 21 (checked 1 October 2026).
Which checks apply to which role
The checks that apply depend on the role. This is the usual pattern, and a client can ask for more.
- Lorry drivers
- Class 1, Class 2 and 7.5 tonne: licence check, Driver CPC, tacho card, right to work, references and hours awareness.
- Van drivers
- Licence check, right to work, references and hours awareness. No Driver CPC for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes.
- Tipper and tanker
- The lorry checks, plus the ADR card where the load needs it and any site card the client names.
- Shunters
- Licence check for the category the site needs, right to work, references and the site induction.
- Forklift and warehouse
- Right to work, references and, for truck drivers, the forklift certificate for the truck type.
- Transport office
- Right to work and references, plus any qualification the role names.
What we ask of you
Tell us everything that affects a check at registration: points on your licence, a card that has been lost or is about to run out, a gap in your work history. The checks show most of it anyway, and they go faster when you tell us first.
Keep your contact details up to date with the office. A licence check or a CPC record can change between bookings, and we check again when we need to.
Questions about checks
- What does the DVLA check code show?
The vehicles the driver can drive, any penalty points and any disqualifications. The driver creates the code in their own DVLA account and passes it on with the last 8 characters of the licence number. It lasts 21 days and works once.
- Do you keep copies of my documents?
We keep a record of each check. For right to work checks done on documents, we keep copies during the work and for 2 years after it ends. The privacy notice sets out what else we keep and for how long.
- What if my Driver CPC is about to run out?
Tell us. It is illegal to drive professionally once the training deadline has passed without the training done, so we cannot book you until the periodic training is complete.
- Who checks the vehicle before a shift?
The driver does, with a walkaround check before the vehicle goes out, and reports any defect. Your transport office decides what happens to a vehicle with a defect.
- Can a client ask for a check you do not run?
A client can ask for an assessment drive, a site induction or a named card. We arrange what the client asks for and pass on the result.
Book a driver or register for work
Give us the vehicle, the licence category and the start time, or send your licence and card details. The checks begin from there.