EBBON Group, the automotive technology provider, has acquired licence checking specialist, DriverCheck, to clearly position it as the number one in the UK fleet driver compliance market.
DriverCheck now joins Licence Check under the Ebbon Group umbrella and the businesses have more than 3,500 customers responsible for half a million vehicles and perform over 1.1 million licence checks a year.
Like Licence Check, Glasgow-based DriverCheck, which launched in 2005, will continue to be operated as a stand-alone entity with a separate team and brand although while benefitting from substantial investment in new technology.
The two businesses have a similar customer base in both public and private sectors, mainly in major corporates, especially food and non-food retailers, local authorities and logistics providers.
But while Licence Check offers subscribers a self-service model, primarily through its award-winning DAVIS platform which provides customers with online licence checking, and a suite of compliance tools allowing an element of fleet management, DriverCheck offers a managed service.
These include paperless driving licence checking from the DVLA’s Access to Driver Data (ADD) service via a web portal, accessible 24/7, for customers to view driver licence check results online in real time.
DriverCheck also provides grey fleet management services by ensuring that, if employees are using their own vehicles, they are fit for purpose and meet all legal requirements, including MOT, road tax and relevant business insurance.
Robert Pilkington, Ebbon Group Director, said: “We have acquired DriverCheck to grow our fleet market compliance capability, but will continue to operate Licence Check and DriverCheck as separate, stand-alone brands with their own individual identities. We will invest heavily in both with the latest technology to enhance the customer offering.”
One area that is likely to be of particular focus will be the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) based vehicle condition compliance tools via Ebbon Intelligence, the Group’s recently announced AI initiative.
DriverCheck owner and founder, Eddie Eusebi, said: “We are very proud of the business that we have built over the last 15 years, and it was important for us to have stability for the team in Scotland and a secure, long-term future for the business with additional investment.”
