Becoming a local Private Hire Chauffeur

Whether you are working for a company providing chauffeur driven cars and/or limousine for hire, if they are licensed for private hire by their local authority, then they can only employ correctly licensed drivers/chauffeurs.

Driver’s licences are only issued by appropriate District Council after the driver has been checked to ensure that he or she:

1. Is a fit and proper person of which includes vetting for criminal convictions, including motoring offences.
2. Has held a full, valid driving licence for a minimum of 12 months.
3. Has passed a medical as laid down by the District Council
4. Has successfully undertaken a knowledge test of the area. (this is not always mandatory)
5. Is fully aware of the conditions and obligations attached to the drivers licence.

All licensed drivers must wear an identification badge, which includes a photograph of the bearer. Some District Councils will issue a ‘dual’ licence that permits a licensed driver to drive a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle. Please note: This is designed as a guide only, whilst the principles will remain the same, some District Councils will intepret the rules differently. In additon, the rules for applying for a PCO (Public Carriage Office) Licence in London will differ.

Cars for Stars is a UK based company operating chauffeur driven cars and limousine. Based in London, it offers national service through an extensive, branch network of franchised offices. All Cars for Stars franchises are fully licensed by their respective local authority, or in the case of London, by the Public Carriage Office (PCO), which means that the chauffeurs will have been subjected to a medical and criminal records bureau check and the chauffeur cars and limousines will be subjected to regular and vigorous tests.

Cars for Stars local offices can be found in the Chauffeur Cars Directory or the Limousine Hire Directory.

So just what does a Chauffeur do?

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.

A Job as a Licensed PCO Chauffeur in London

If you have always wanted to become a Chauffeur or just want a change of direction, then you do a lot worse than consider a job as a Chauffeur working in London. So where do you start?

If you already have a PCO Licence, this is a significant advantage, because the process of applying for one can be quite long, often taking up to 3 months. Without a PCO Licence, you cannot work for a PCO registered company in London. If you have a good knowledge of London and you have worked as a PCO Licensed Driver, then the step to becoming a Chauffeur is a relatively small one.

However, you will almost certainly have to consider working on a casual or part-time basis, before you will be considered for a full-time role. Companies such as Cars for Stars, based in London are always looking for experienced PCO Licensed drivers or Chauffeur's and offer excellent rates of pay. Depending on experience and availability, the company will be able to offer part-time and full-time position, but like many operations offering chauffeur cars and limousine hire, the hours can be unpredictable and, therefore, Chauffeurs have to show a high degree of flexibility.

The same flexibility is needed in terms of the type of vehicle. For example, those Chauffeur's that are as willing to drive stretched limousines, as they are other chauffeur driven cars, will be provided with considerably more work, than those that wish to only drive cars.

If you already have a PCO Licence, which is current and you would like to work as a Chauffeur, you can either visit the Cars for Stars Chauffeur Jobsite or call them on 0845 500 3030. If you do not want to work as a chauffeur but are interested in other types of driving jobs, you could try the website Professional Drivers Jobs.