The lowdown on the UK’s biggest specialist logistics recruiter

Nathan Mayhew, franchise sales manager at Driver Hire Nationwide, answers some key questions about the award-winning recruitment franchise

What is the core business of Driver Hire?

Driver Hire is the UK’s largest specialist logistics recruiter. From our network of over 100 offices, we provide quality-led staffing solutions - mainly providing temporary drivers - to a wide range of clients across many sectors.

There are many reasons why companies require our support, including additional cover for operational peaks, holiday cover and emergency sickness cover.

What’s the secret behind your franchise network’s continued success?

Over the last four years, the average turnover of a Driver Hire office is over £1m. The turnover for our top-performing franchisees is significantly higher.

This success is down to several key factors. Firstly, logistics plays a major role in the UK and the demand for temporary logistics staff is huge.

Driver Hire has nearly four decades of experience in the logistics recruitment sector and we’re a very well known brand - giving clients and candidates excellent reasons to work with us.

The dedication of a franchisee is also important. We have hands-on franchisees who lead their teams and drive their businesses forward. We have a proven system for franchisees to follow and this has worked time and time again.

How did driver hire fair throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?

Driver Hire’s business model has proven rock-solid, even during the tougher times of recessions and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like many businesses, Driver Hire was impacted during the first UK lockdown of spring 2020. During this period, I regularly talked with people who’d enquired about our franchise due to the boom of home deliveries. This is just one of the many sectors we serve.

Our network bounced back strongly, reaching close to pre- COVID levels by the end of summer 2020. Business is now booming and 2021-22 could end up being Driver Hire’s best-ever year.

What are you looking for in a new franchisee?

It’s vitally important the fit is right for both parties - potential buyers need to work out if Driver Hire is right for them, while Driver Hire needs to establish if the potential buyer is the right fit for us. We have a clear process to help both parties work this out.

Clearly, we want franchisees to be successful and will only recruit people with the necessary skills and personal qualities.

Key skills required include customer service, sales, negotiation, managing or supervising staff and office experience, with Driver Hire being an office-based business.

Personal qualities are also important. Working in recruitment, you should enjoy working with people, be highly personable, self-motived and, of course, have the ambition to grow a successful business.

At a glance

Established:

1983

Number of franchised outlets:

93

Location of units:

UK

Investment range:

£70,000-plus

Minimum required capital:

£30,000

Contact:

franchise@driverhire.co.uk