New Driver Onboarding: What to Expect

Before your onboarding begins, you’ll need to have your documents in order. To become a private hire driver in London with Addison Lee, you’ll need:

• Your TfL PCO licence
• Your UK driving licence
• Proof of right to work in the UK
• Your vehicle documents: insurance certificate, MOT and V5C
• Bank details for payment setup
• Proof of address

If you’re using an Addison Lee vehicle rather than your own, you won’t need to worry about the vehicle documents. Your hire vehicle is arranged as part of the onboarding process, with the first eight weeks completely free for new drivers (subject to drivers meeting the required job targets).

Once everything is confirmed, your account is set up and you’re ready to begin.

The first week is about getting comfortable. You know the system, you have your vehicle, and live support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If anything comes up, whether it’s a question about a job, an issue on the road or a technical query, there’s always a real person at the other end of the line.

As driver Samantha puts it: “There’s a team, there are people on the phone you can speak to, and they know exactly where you are. I felt an immense sense of security knowing there are people there if you need them.”

A few things to focus on in your first week:

Learn the peak windows

Morning airport runs, corporate rush hours and Friday and Saturday evenings are where the highest-value jobs concentrate. Identifying these early and building your schedule around them makes a significant difference to your weekly earnings.

Get familiar with the areas you cover

The more comfortable you are across different parts of London, the more confident you’ll feel taking a wider range of jobs.

Track your earnings and costs from day one

Fuel, any rental costs and other expenses are worth recording from the start. Good habits early make managing your income much easier as you settle in.

Most new drivers see their earnings increase steadily through weeks two and three as their routine develops and their confidence builds.

Becoming a private hire driver in London for the first time can feel like a lot to take on. The licensing process, the new systems, learning the city’s rhythms. What makes Addison Lee’s onboarding different is that you’re not doing any of it alone.

The drivers who settle in quickest are the ones who lean on the support available, ask questions early and use their first week to build habits rather than just get through it. The structure is there. The team is there. The rest is yours to build.