Driver Hire is the UK’s largest specialist logistics recruiter, supplying customers in a wide range of sectors nationwide.Established in 1983, The Driver Hire network consists of 104 offices across the UK, all focused on supplying thousands of satisfied customers each year.
RUN YOUR OWN £1M+ FRANCHISE WITHIN THE AWARD-WINNING DRIVER HIRE NETWORK
Who is Driver Hire?
Driver Hire is also one of the UK’s most successful and highly respected franchise brands:
- BFA HSBC Franchisor of the Year Silver Winner in 2022 & 2023, and Gold Winner in 2019
- Elite Franchise Franchisor of the Year 2023
- Regular Finalist (16 out of the last 19 years) and an eight-times award winner in the bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year awards
Driver Hire's excellent reputation is based on the quality of service to both customers who need to find excellent staff and candidates who are looking for work. 98% of customers rated our service as Good or Excellent in our 2023 survey and 95% of candidates said they were proud to work for Driver Hire. In a highly regulated industry, this reflects the high standards of professionalism from our franchisees and throughout our business.
What Does Driver Hire do?
Since 1983, our 100+ franchisees have been supplying businesses and firms across the country with temporary drivers, as well as non-driving staff, for all sorts of needs; we are now the UK’s largest specialist logistics recruiter, and proud to be a franchised business.
Our near 40 years of experience have made us one of the top companies for finding different businesses the staff they need for permanent positions (we work on a no-success, no fee basis), long-term contracts or simply drivers for one-off jobs.
We don’t focus purely on drivers; we regularly help find people for non-driving roles that come with haulage links, such as warehouse staff and managers.
With all of this comes our robust central support system that provides both new and established franchisees with the training and support they need to succeed. This starts with identifying people who are suitable for running a Driver Hire recruitment business, to providing a comprehensive training programme, before then providing a level of operational support which is unrivalled in the industry.
Who is Driver Hire looking for?
Driver Hire franchisees come from all walks of life but there are personal traits that they all have in common; they are:
- Personable
- Driven
- Can-do attitude
- Confident relationship builder
- Tenacious
- Good communicator
- Consistency
- Effective people manager
Relevant industry experience is not necessary as we provide you with all the training you will need, however we do find that the following backgrounds can be beneficial:
- Sales or Business Development
- Operations Management
- Experience of supervising staff
- Any other role where winning business was a requirement, e.g. self-employed contractor who has to pitch to win work or develop relationships to win future business.
See what some of our existing franchisees think HERE
Why Choose Driver Hire?
Driver Hire is one of the UK’s leading specialist recruiters, providing logistics staff to the private and public sectors. For the financial year 2023/24, the performance of the franchised businesses was as follows:
- Net profit for a franchised business (single office) in 2023/24 was between 10% and 15% of turnover. Average turnover was £1.2m, and top offices generated over £3m turnover.
- 75% of Driver Hire franchises achieved sales of over £750,000
- 55% of Driver Hire franchises achieved sales of over £1million
- 11% of Driver Hire franchises achieved sales of over £2million
Additional reasons for considering Driver Hire include:
- BFA HSBC Franchisor of the Year Silver Winner in 2022 & 2023, and Gold Winner in 2019
- We are full members of the British Franchise Association (bfa)
- Regular Finalist (16 out of the last 19 years) and an eight-times award winner in the bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year awards
- One of the leading logistics recruiters, so you can have every confidence in the service you are selling. Plus, you are providing a service for which there is a clear and growing demand
- We have over 70 head office support staff when you need them, so you will never be alone in your business
- You will also have access to National Accounts, which deliver 24% of network revenue and our bespoke IT systems which have been developed to support the needs of a Driver Hire business, giving you the best possible tools to succeed.
How Much Do I Need to Invest?
The Driver Hire franchise fee for a new start-up is just £32,000 however there are only a few remaining start-up areas available. If you are looking to invest in an established territory re-sale these start from £50,000. The minimum investment required is £60,000 and your minimum liquid capital amount should be at least £25,000.
Click HERE for more information on our available territories
Are you looking to join a proven business?
Find out everything you need to know about how you could join one of the UK’s most successful franchises.
Your Next Steps
The Driver Hire brand provides you with a huge advantage over the competition and is supported by a wealth of support from over 70 head office staff across several important departments. So if you can see yourself owning and running a Driver Hire office we want to hear from you today – we have a specialist in-house Franchise Sales team ready to help you learn more.
- Net profit for a franchised business (single office) in 2023/24 was between 10% and 15% of turnover.
- Average turnover was £1.2m, and top offices generated over £3m turnover.
- 75% of Driver Hire franchises achieved sales of over £750,000.
- 55% of Driver Hire franchises achieved sales of over £1million.
- 11% of Driver Hire franchises achieved sales of over £2million.
As you’d expect, profit levels will reflect your hard work, correct application of the franchise system, commercial skills, judgement, and market conditions. For example: at a £1m annual turnover, net profits should be in the region of 10% to 15% (i.e. £100k to £150k).
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The Driver Hire franchise fee for a new start-up is just £32,000 however there are only a few remaining start-up areas available. If you are looking to invest in an established territory re-sale these start from £50,000. The minimum investment required is £60,000 and your minimum liquid capital amount should be at least £25,000.
Funding of up to 70% is typically available from high street banks.
Technology Driven Expansion for Driver Hire Franchisees
“As the UK’s leading logistics recruitment specialist, we already have the most extensive network, with over 100 offices covering the whole of the country. Even so, it can be harder to get close to our customers. Equally, potential candidates are put off by the travel time to their nearest Driver Hire office,” says Jeremy Neale, Driver Hire’s Managing Director, UK.
“Following government legislative changes, relating to the checking of Right to Work documents, Driver Hire has developed a new virtual recruitment platform. This has increased the pool of quality candidates franchisees are able to offer clients, which means we can meet ever-growing demand for our services.”
The online registration platform allows candidates to be checked, interviewed and hired virtually, without the need for physical checks or an in-person meeting. Checks are carried out using a legally compliant facial recognition system, and this is combined with a one-to-one video interview with a Driver Hire recruiter. It can improve the recruitment experience for candidates and increases productivity for our staff.
With a wider pool of local candidates, Driver Hire offices are now able to expand their highly rated, personal customer service* to cover new areas. The first three offices to take advantage of this were Crewe, Milton Keynes and Southampton who, respectively, now have offices covering Congleton, Buckingham and Winchester.
“We were already supplying drivers and other staff to a number of local businesses and national companies who have depots in Congleton,” says Lee Statham, owner of Driver Hire Crewe. “Following the recent developments, we can deliver the local, personalised service we pride ourselves on right across the Congleton territory. We’re looking forward to meeting the staffing needs of other local businesses and organisations in the area.”
Driver Hire – which marks its 40th year in business — provides temporary and permanent drivers and other logistics staff to local and national organisations in both the public and private sector. If they’re short of staff – perhaps because of illness, holidays, or seasonal demand – Driver Hire will supply them with a suitable replacement. It’s currently heading for an all-time record trading year.
*In Driver Hire’s 2022 annual customer survey, 98% of respondents rated Driver Hire’s customer service as excellent or good – 79% chose ‘excellent’. Survey results from 444 customers.
Whilst the financial side is key, I just enjoy running a Driver Hire franchise. We’ve taken people who were unemployed on to our books and found them full-time jobs. That’s an amazing feeling. I love hearing a client say to me: “He’s perfect for the job, can I keep him?
I cannot recommend and thank Driver Hire enough for providing me with such an opportunity for a dream career and lifestyle. The support during the process, advise as well as guidance throughout my years with Driver Hire has been a key element to a great working partnership. They have the personable touch, yet a solid national brand that is associated with quality and expertise. Thank you to all at Driver Hire and to anyone thinking about it, don`t miss the opportunity!
Buying my franchise was the best career move I have ever made. I love the systems, quality control and high standards that Driver Hire embraces - follow the model, and it will work. I am very proud to be a Driver Hire Franchisee and delighted to have been able to renew my franchise agreement for another 5 years.
Operating at the £1m turnover mark, naturally I’m looking to grow the business even further to maximise its future sale price. The business has changed my life and my family life considerably compared to being employed. The business affords a good lifestyle, but you must put the work in at the start and have a good team around you to achieve this. It’s been a great move and I love what I do.
Becoming a Driver Hire franchisee has absolutely changed our lives! I’ve gained all the benefits of being self-employed: the opportunity to run and grow our business, the freedom it can bring and the ability to make decisions for ourselves. It’s certainly given me things I wouldn’t have had if I’d stayed employed.