The first hurdle is age, because, whilst there is no issue with ageism within the chauffeur industry, insurance can be an issue. Typically, to secure the position of a chauffeur you will need to be over 25, some companies will only employ chauffeur over the age of 30 because of insurance issues.
If you have no experience, then you would be better prepared and, more likely to succeed in securing work as a chauffeur if you have already attended and passed a training course, such as the one run by the British Chauffeurs Guild. In addition, any other qualifications such as a PCV or LGV licence would be advantageous, as would the passing of a test operated by the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Typically, no insurance company and therefore for chauffeur companies, will accept you if you have in excess of 6 points on your licence and even then, they must be for minor infractions.
Other driving qualifications will provide evidence of past experience with larger, or passenger carrying vehicles and of course, completing the training operated by the British Chauffeurs Guild will suggest that you know the theory. Nonetheless, neither provides a guarantee that you will make a good chauffeur, nor that you will have the necessary ‘people skills’.
The best way to get accepted into this industry is to start at the bottom and seek a company that is willing to employ you on a part-time or casual basis, in order that you can ‘train on the job’. There are some “free to register and use” sites such as Changing Lanes, which advertise poitions for chauffeurs as well as other professional drivers. You could also try some of the larger chauffeur companies or those that operate nationally such as Cars for Stars to maximise your chance of success in securing the opportunity to start as a chauffeur. Another useful resource for finding local chauffeur companies would be either the Yellow Pages or a specialist Chauffeur Cars Directory.
But before you can step into a chauffeur driven car, you will have to be licensed, for a chauffeur car hire business this will normally be a Private Hire Licence, or in the case of London, a PCO Licence issued by the Public Carriage Office, part of Transport for London.
In order to apply for a Private Hire Licence, you will need to find a local company that would be willing to employ you, and then you can apply for a Private Hire Licence for the local authority that has issued the chauffeur company with their Private Hire Licence. In London, you will have to apply to the Public Carriage Office, currently you do not normally have to be ‘attached’ to a chauffeur company, but this may well change. In both cases, you will be required, at the very least to pass a medical and a Criminal Records Bureau check. The latter can take anything up to 4 months and you will not be issued your Licence without it. So, in this industry, patience really is a virtue, but this will hold you in good stead should you go on to become a chauffeur.
To maximise your chance of securing a job as a chauffeur, you should also consider approaching limousine hire companies, many of whom operate under a Private Hire Licence or a Bus Operators Licence. In addition, if they only operate stretched limousines, the nature of their business is such, that they will typically employ chauffeurs on a casual and/or part-time basis to cater for the peak periods (evenings and weekends). This may type of arrangement may be more appropriate if you are just looking to earn additional income through your job as a chauffeur, or indeed, you just want to see how you fit before you make the plunge!
The job of a chauffeur can be very enjoyable, but it can also be very tiring, subject to unsocial hours, need personal flexibility and require a great deal of just sitting around. The novelty of driving around in a shiny, top of the range car, will soon wear off if you are not prepared to accept the working conditions.
