What is Driver Agency Excellence?

Driver Agency Excellence is a voluntary initiative which has been developed alongside operators and driver agencies. It aims to recognise, encourage and promote best practice within the sector. Driver Agency Excellence is managed by FTA and steered by a Governance Group, made up of specialist driver agencies.

To support agencies, FTA has developed a standardised knowledge-check assessment for drivers and a course for agency staff, to ensure that the office team putting drivers on assignment are also kept up to date with transport legislation.

Within the recently launched DVSA Earned Recognition scheme, there is a requirement for operators who use driver agencies, to not only have a formal contract, but also audit their agencies. Driver Agency Excellence satisfies that requirement and is referenced within the DVSA standard.

  • Understand the importance of the operator’s licence and how to help your client stay compliant
  • Understand the requirements of transport legislation
  • Appreciate the necessity of terms and conditions in your business
  • Understand the responsibilities for reporting accidents and incidents

The vital and temporary requirement for an agency driver means compliance risk can be introduced into a transport operation. The Driver Agency Excellence scheme is a way for operators to mitigate the risk within their supply chain.

 

https://fta.co.uk/services/excellence-schemes/driver-agency/driver-agency-scheme-certified-agencies

 

Benefits for Operators

Assists in demonstrating ‘due diligence’ for the DVSA Earned Recognition scheme

Free to specify the scheme – include in your approved supplier requirements

Raising the standard of the driver agencies within your supply chain

Mitigates risk by auditing your agency against core business standards, driver recruitment standards, driver management standards

 

Customers of accredited driver agencies can pursue complaints beyond the agency in question directly through the excellence scheme website. These complaints will be investigated by FTA and the findings considered by the scheme’s governance group which is made up of founding driver agencies and considers applications, audit performance, feedback results, complaints and any other detrimental information. It has the power to grant membership of the scheme, outline remedial action and timescales for standards to be met, refuse applications or revoke membership. The Governance Group is accountable to a Standards Committee which is made up of vehicle operators. The Standards Committee is the guardian of the accreditation standards and also acts as an appeals body for decisions made by the governance group in relation to membership or complaints