Starting at the beginning, Chauffeur is the French word for driver. It originally came from the verb "chauffeur" which meant 'to heat' or 'he who heats', this is because early steam powered cars required the drivers to keep the engine hot.
A Chauffeur is someone who drives a luxury car or limousine for a living, as opposed to someone that drives a non-luxury cars who would tend to be described as a driver. In the past many Chauffeurs were employed full-time by wealthy families or large businesses. Today, most people and businesses prefer to 'outsource' their chauffeur driven car requirements to a professional chauffeur services company. Some people also employ Chauffeurs to drive their own cars on a casual basis and as a consequence there is a large pool of self-employed chauffeurs available for hire.
Most chauffeurs have to undertake some professional training for which they receive a diploma or accreditation. Training typically includes advanced driver training and chauffeur etiquette. In most countries, including the UK, Chauffeurs who work for a professional chauffeur services company are required to be licensed to operate a private hire vehicle, the chauffeur services company must also be licensed as a private hire operator. To gain a private hire licence, the chauffeur will be required to attend and pass a medical, as well as being subjected to a criminal records bureau check.
In addition to driving chauffeur driven cars, many chauffeurs are also employed drive stretched limousines, which are used mostly for private hires, functions and events, as opposed to business use for which standard cars and sedans are used.
A chauffeurs uniform is usually a dark suit, white shirt and a conservative tie (often black). Shoes must be black and highly polished. Though less common today, a chauffeurs uniform would also include a cap and gloves, but most people business and private consider the latter to be too ostentatious.
