While the abolition of the paper counterpart may be causing short term disruption for some, having the ability to automatically and routinely check drivers licence details against the DVLA records online should be welcomed as an opportunity to not only ensure compliance, but also to improve overall customer experience and increase operational efficiency. This is being born out by a recent audit of over 12,000 drivers’ licenses. The audit, conducted via Descartes’ SmartLicence Software as a Service, identified that 2.5% of drivers had an expired licence or nine or more points and 15% had speed limit offences. In total, over 3,000 offences were identified in the audit. This audit is indicative of the risks to which operators would otherwise, unknowingly, have been exposed. With the documented shortage of qualified HGV drivers Transport Operators need to manage the risk. With up to date, accurate information from DVLA, an operator can rapidly assess the level of risk it is carrying if a driver lost their licence and the impact on insurance for all driving offences. With SmartLicence, drivers with points and therefore a greater risk profile can be checked more frequently and this can be instigated automatically, ensuring compliance is maintained at all times and the risk can be managed proactively.