Leading by example – Driver Require sets a new benchmark for gold-standard industry compliance

Specialist driver recruitment agency, Driver Require, achieved the unique status of becoming the first UK agency to be REC Audited, a signed FCSA Supply Chain Partner and achieve the Logistics UK Driver Agency Excellence award.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Driver Require deliberately set out a strategy to achieve accreditation of best practice and compliance across all aspects of their business. Last week, they received REC Audited status, the third of three formal recognitions they’ve been working towards to show the agency’s compliance across recruitment, payroll and specialist haulage sector compliance factors.

Driver Require CEO, Kieran Smith commented, “We’ve always prided ourselves on operating transparently and above the line, but we wanted the qualifications and third-party accreditations to offer proof that we are true to our values and deliver real compliance.”

With impending IR35 reforms and market turbulence as a result of both Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, the focus on compliance within the haulage sector is increasing. The next few months will undoubtedly see a levelling of the playing field, with greater pressures on margins across the sector.

Smith predicts that this commercial stress on hauliers and suppliers will, unfortunately, mean non-compliance could proliferate as companies resort to illicit practices to maintain margins: “Compliant, ethical hauliers are most exposed. We’ve already started to see a growing demand not only for suppliers offering the best value for money but for suppliers with a reputation for honest, above-board practices, along with quality assurance through both accredited compliance and operational excellence.”

The three qualifications Driver Require has now attained are:

REC Audited: Recruitment Compliance

This is the most comprehensive regulatory audit of its kind, covering compliance as well as the REC Code of Professional Practice. Driver Require is fully conversant and compliant with the recruitment agency Conduct Regulations, Agency Worker Regulations (AWR), and the Matthew Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices.

A signed FCSA Supply Chain Partner: Payroll Compliance

By signing up to the charter, Driver Require undertakes that they and all their Umbrella partners pay all taxes and statutory payments on behalf of their agency workers. They strive to prevent tax avoidance, evasion and fraud. The partnership also provides assurance that all of Driver Require’s Umbrella partners are FCSA accredited.

Logistics UK Driver Agency Excellence: Haulage Sector Specialist Compliance

The logistics UK Driver Agency award of Excellence offers assurance that Driver Require are experts in and fully compliant with the haulage sector regulations, including tachograph regulations, and the Road Transport Worker WTR.

Commenting on their achievement, Smith added “Unfortunately, we’re working in a market where it’s all too easy to say the right things but not follow through. We want to lead by example and provide reassurance that when our haulage partners choose Driver Require, they know they’re getting a partner invested in ethical, gold-standard compliance,” Smith explained.

“My hope is that we can set a precedent and expectation for ethical and transparent operations across the sector, especially as we brace ourselves for the imminent changes we’ll face in the next few months.”

Read the full article in UK Haulier