Having been associated with the software industry for nearly fifteen years, the first thing which comes to my mind on hearing ‘driver verification’ is checking whether a particular software driver comes from the genuine vendor! But here, we are referring to the real world ‘drivers’, the ones who ferry us from our homes to work places and back, to shopping malls, to nearby destinations for chores and to faraway exotic touristy places.
They are great folks – think of the trouble we would have if we had to drive everywhere on our own. But occasionally some of these great folks fall victim to greed or other such human weaknesses! A case in example is the recent story in The Times of India where the driver of a security agency took off with around Rs 42 lakhs! Also, on a lighter note, I think that ‘The White Tiger‘ authored by Aravind Adiga, may have created a bit of concern in the minds of those who have drivers.
As the mutual fund disclaimers say ‘Past performance is not an indicator of future performance’, a similar maxim can apply in the world of verification ‘Absence of criminal history is not an indicator of future honesty’. Still, it makes sense to be as sure as possible. Here are five top tips for driver verification:
- Verify the address and ID proofs of your driver and retain a photocopy for your records.
- Visit the current address and confirm the residence. Ask the local neighbours too.
- Inspect the driving license. Ensure that it is valid for the current period and vehicle category (for example, Light Motor Vehicle). Retain a photocopy for your records.
- Verify the driving license credentials with the issuing RTO.
- Ask for previous employer references even if the driver is coming through word of mouth referral. Call the previous employers and ask questions to confirm and learn more.
These steps should give you a basic idea about the driver and also present partial deterrence against any future criminal intentions. You can also check out our ‘Driver Verification‘ service if you are hard-pressed for time and cannot work on these five top tips yourself.
