The Inside Scoop on Digital Driving Licenses

Anyone who works in the busy delivery industry knows the importance of moving with the times and embracing new technologies. For drivers, one of the basics when entering the industry is passing and receiving your driving licence – and often a HGV version is required.

After passing your driving test in order to be permitted to do courier work, you’ll want to be getting out on the roads as soon as possible, but waiting for your physical piece of plastic to arrive can be frustrating. However, there is now another option.

A digital version can mean that instead of waiting around, you can start your courier worksooner than you may have thought. This type of identification can be stored on your mobile phone or another portable device such as a tablet, and is a much more convenient way to carry identification.

Not only does it mean having fewer cards to worry about in your wallet, but there is also a host of other benefits to securing a digital licence in place of a physical one.

Getting Instant Updates

Normally after taking your test you would need to wait for a new licence to be issued, but with the digital option this is not the case. You could be allowed to drive a HGV just moments after passing your test as your details can be updated almost instantly.

Environmentally Friendly

The production of plastic licences is not very environmentally friendly, so opting for a digital one can be an ideal way for everyone doing courier work to play a part and do their bit towards creating a greener future.

Financial Benefit

The truth is that this new concept will eventually become the norm and the plastic version will be phased out. The cost to produce them (in terms of both time and money) is quite significant, and switching to digital will reduce that enormously.

Protecting Against Fraud

This new type of identification is a great way to protect yourself against theft or fraud because if it’s lost or stolen you can simply log in and cancel it. They are also much more difficult to fake than a physical one and, when it’s checked, authorities use multiple real time systems.  

Working in Translation

Should any of your courier work take you to a location abroad, this electronic identification is definitely the way forward. In the future, services may provide an instant translation service that can translate your identification into the language of whichever country you are in. This may even mean that international driving permits will no longer be required.

This kind of new technology has a number of benefits for you as a driver. From saving money to doing your bit for the environment, this is a great way to move with the times and make everything go a little smoother in your day-to-day working life.

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Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier work in the express freight exchange industry. Over 5,400 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.