Having a driver for your car is a common requirement in Indian homes. While some choose full time drivers, others opt for drivers on call on a temporary basis, according to their needs. However, finding a reliable driver is not an easy task.

Here are a few things to consider while choosing your driver:

Verify past experience

While choosing a driver, ensure he has had ample experience as a driver in the past. Also, ensure that he has experience driving the kind of vehicle you own. These days automatic cars are also very popular. Ensure that the candidates are comfortable driving both manual and automatic.

Do a background check

Background check is a mandate, especially while choosing a full time driver. Since you going to be closely interacting with this person, ensure that they do not have any criminal background, or cases of rash or drunken driving. Verify their driving license and its expiry to avoid any documentation issues in the future.

It would also be great if you can get referrals about the candidate. Make sure you call the candidates previous employer to discuss driving comfort, regularity, reliability etc. 

Take the driver on a trial drive

To confirm if the driver drives comfortably, ask him to take you on a drive before you finalize on the candidate. This will also give you an insight into whether the candidate is a fast driver, his steering control, if he has road rash etc. While this step might not be fool proof is getting to know the driver’s skills, at least a rough idea can be gathered from this.

Get copies of id proof

If you have decided to go ahead with a candidate, get copies of his ID proof and driving license in case of any dispute. This should also include an address proof and photo id. This becomes critical in case of any mishaps in the future as police authorities would require these proofs.

Discuss salary and timings

Discuss the salary and timings for the job in advance to avoid confusions later on. If the job involves night driving, or long distance trips please specify this as well. Also, discuss if the job is a full time one or if required only on call.

Driving each vehicle is different. If the experience is in driving buses, hiring this candidate for driving cars is not advisable. If you are choosing a driver through an online portal, read reviews and look for the candidate’s ratings before finalizing on one. These online portals now simplify the task of finding a reliable driver for you!