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.
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Driver Hire - Available Franchises Territories
“I love being a Driver Hire franchisee” | Harriette Wood, Driver Hire, Stockport
Flexibility – along with a desire to improve her financial security – was one of the primary reasons behind Harriette Wood’s decision to buy a Driver Hire franchise.
“My son Luca was only 6 months old when I bought the Driver Hire Stockport business. With the high costs of childcare, I needed something that had long-term potential in terms of earnings growth. I also wanted to be in the driving seat of my own life,” says Harriette.
Growth potential
“I was drawn to Driver Hire because of its strong reputation,” says Harriette. “It has a proven business model, and I could see the growth potential. I learned that the logistics sector employs over 300,000 people and contributes £13.5bn to the UK economy. And franchising appealed to me because I can use the support and resources of an established network, combining that with my entrepreneurial drive. Growth is driven by hard work and quality service.”
Recent data from the BFA (British Franchise Association) shows that women now make up 40% of all UK franchise owners – a sharp increase on the 2005 figure of 20%. Of new franchise buyers in 2024, 34% were women, more than double the figure in 2005. This reflects a general trend which is seeing more women turning to self-employment. In 2007, women made up 27% of the UK’s self-employment workforce; today the figure is 37%.
Delivering on the promise
Whilst Harriette took over what was an already successful franchise – she’s taken it to new heights. Turnover has doubled, and her business achieved a very impressive £2.3m turnover in 2024/25. She finished in the Top Ten of Driver Hire’s performance league table and was presented with Driver Hire’s ‘Franchisee of the Year’ award at the company’s 2025 annual conference.
“When I started, I only had one member of staff. I’d no local family support – they live overseas. Flexibility was minimal due to the needs of the business and the size of my team. I often worked 60 hours per week, so it meant long nursery days and then school clubs for Luca. As the business grew, I eventually was able to recruit an additional member of staff which made life somewhat easier.”
Before starting a family, Harriette had worked in the property sales and lettings sector, which had given her a good understanding of customer service. However, recruitment and road transport were completely new to her. “My initial challenge was understanding the industry. I had to learn quickly, developing an understanding of what clients and drivers needed most. Recruitment and logistics are both highly regulated, so I also had to meet industry compliance standards.
Balancing work with family life
The luxury of two members of staff didn’t last long. During Covid, Harriette was back to one member of staff. She worked from home, balancing work with parenting her son. When they went out for the permitted daily walks, Harriette would still have to take business calls. “I’ve been there for Luca throughout,” says Harriette. “I’ve attended parents’ evenings and sports days – only missing out on a handful of occasions. It did mean answering calls whilst there, but it helped me run my business and not miss important milestones. Now he’s at school, I’m able to pick him up every day. Luca has become an unofficial member of the Driver Hire Stockport team. Over the years he’s been a regular visitor to the office – allowing me to work and spend time with him.”
On average, Harriette and her four-person team find work for 70 drivers every week, supplying a large and well-spread customer base of around 85, including several blue-chip clients.
“Over the years I’ve developed a team who provide excellent operational support – meaning they can handle the majority of client and candidate tasks. But it’s still hard work,” Harriette continues. “I can’t always plan the hours I work, but I am in greater control of my life. Franchising has delivered the flexibility I needed to manage work time and family time. For instance, I’m able to collect Luca from school.
“He’s now nine years old and has grown up alongside my business,” Harriette reflects as she looks back on her life since 2017. “I love being a Driver Hire franchisee. There’s a real franchise family with other offices always ready to help me out – as I am ready to help them. And it’s now delivering financial stability for us both, and other rewards too. Looking back, Driver Hire was entirely the right decision.”
If you see yourself in Harriette, why not click the button below and get in touch to see if Driver Hire is the right fit for you?
I just love the business. I could see the potential and the idea of making it mine was an exciting one. I still feel the same. The big difference I’ve noticed is that, as your own boss, you really cherish success.
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.
Driver Hire Interview | Franchise Expo London 2023
Find Out More About the Driver Hire Franchise
