Logistics
Driver documentation
Licences, mandatory training and fitness: what expires per person, not per vehicle.
Fleet documentation is nearly always controlled per vehicle: insurance, roadworthiness test, maintenance. The one that causes most trouble is the other kind, the one that goes with the person, because it expires on different dates for each and nobody sees it until a driver cannot go out.
What expires per driver
| Document | Typical frequency | What happens if it lapses |
|---|---|---|
| Driving licence of the relevant category | By category and age | They cannot drive that vehicle |
| Mandatory professional training | Periodic | They cannot carry out professional transport |
| Medical or fitness certification | Periodic, more frequent with age | Same, and with liability for the company |
| Cargo-specific training | By type of load | They cannot carry that particular cargo |
Important
The fourth row slips most because it does not apply to everyone: only to whoever carries that cargo type. When a route has to be covered by whoever is free, it is easy to assign someone who can drive the lorry but not that load.
How to control it without a spreadsheet
- 1
One file per driver, with their due dates
Separate from the vehicle, because it travels with the person, not the lorry.
- 2
Warnings with enough margin to renew
Months, not days: renewing a medical takes time and depends on third parties.
- 3
Check before assigning, not after
Especially when covering absence or a peak.
- 4
And the same for partners' drivers
Their documentation matters to you just as much, even though they are not yours.
Watch out
Beware the long-serving driver. Whoever has been with the company fifteen years is exactly whose expiry nobody checks, because "he's got everything". That profile produces the most surprises.
What gets asked in a roadside check
All three are answered from a phone if the driver's file is current. And all three are the company's responsibility, not only the driver's.
Worth knowing
It applies equally to in-house fleets not in the transport business: sales staff, service engineers, site vehicles. Which documents apply changes; that they expire per person does not.
›Can we keep a copy of their licence?
With a justified purpose and appropriate retention, yes; it is employment documentation.
›What about seasonal drivers?
Same check, and it is where the rush is greatest: a fast lane helps.
›Is warning the driver enough?
Necessary but not sufficient: checking before assigning is the company's job.
A real case
The situation
A company covers an urgent route with whoever is free and the driver is stopped en route.
What you do
- Builds a per-driver file with due dates and warnings
- Checks before assigning, not after
What you get
Stops assigning routes to drivers who cannot carry that specific cargo.
The situation
A driver goes out with expired training.
What you do
- Checks per person before assigning the job
What you get
The job does not go out with a gap.
The situation
A licence is renewed and nobody updates the file.
What you do
- Records the renewal on receipt
What you get
The file reflects reality.
The situation
A new driver joins on the day of the job.
What you do
- Checks what they are missing before assigning them
What you get
Onboarding is resolved before departure.
The situation
The documentation sits on the traffic manager's phone.
What you do
- Stores it in the driver's file
What you get
It stops depending on one person.
The situation
A client asks for the documentation of the driver who delivered.
What you do
- Checks that person's file
What you get
It is provided without searching.
This article answers
- driver licence control for a fleet
- driver cpc expiry
- mandatory training for professional drivers
- driver medical fitness