When hiring a family driver, confirm the relevant driving licence, experience with your vehicle, previous work and availability for your actual routes. Discuss pickup instructions, waiting periods, rest and extra journeys. A supervised assessment and clear communication routine are more useful than assuming every experienced driver fits every household.
Describe the full travel day
Write down the regular journeys before searching for a driver. Include the first pickup, school or activity collections, office drop-offs and the last expected journey. Record gaps and waiting periods as well as driving time. A role with split hours should be described as such rather than advertised as a simple daytime job.
For a family travelling between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, list both sides of the route. The point is not to predict an exact journey time from a website. It is to help the candidate assess familiarity, timing and whether the routine is workable. Explain how often the schedule changes and who is authorised to request an extra journey.
Vehicle and experience questions
- Have you driven this type of vehicle recently, including its transmission?
- What similar family or household duties have you handled?
- Which of our usual pickup areas and routes do you know?
- What licence do you hold, and how can its validity be checked through the issuing authority?
- How do you report a vehicle problem before a journey?
- How do you communicate a delay while avoiding phone use during driving?
- Can a previous employer discuss your punctuality and responsibilities?
- Are the stated start time, finish time and working days practical for you?
Check documents without making assumptions
Ask to see the relevant driving licence and discuss how to verify it with the issuing authority. A photograph or statement of experience alone does not establish validity. Identity documentation, work references and the driving licence should be considered separately; they do not replace one another.
Do not collect or circulate more personal information than is needed for the hiring and any applicable registration process. Keep original documents with their owner. If an agency says a check has been completed, ask which check it means and whether any step is still pending. Our verification guide links to official local resources rather than treating a commercial checklist as an official certificate.
Make a supervised driving assessment useful
After checking the relevant documents, discuss a supervised assessment appropriate to the vehicle and role. Agree the route, duration, supervision and any payment in advance. Introduce unfamiliar vehicle controls before beginning. The assessment should help you observe handling, communication and attentiveness, without pressuring the candidate to demonstrate speed or risky manoeuvres.
If you are not comfortable assessing driving competence, consider involving an appropriately qualified person. A short drive cannot prove every aspect of future conduct. Combine the observation with references, a clear brief and ongoing communication. Do not infer childcare skills, security training or mechanical qualifications simply because the candidate is applying for a household driving role.
Create a pickup and handover routine
For school or activity collections, tell the driver exactly who may be collected, the agreed meeting point and which household adult handles changes. Follow the institution’s own collection and authorisation procedures. A change should come through the agreed contact rather than an unverified message from someone unfamiliar.
Explain how to report delays or route changes without using a phone while driving. Agree where the vehicle waits and how the family confirms that a journey is complete. Keep instructions concise and consistent. These arrangements reduce confusion even when the route itself is familiar.
Agree the non-driving duties
| Duty | Question to settle |
|---|---|
| Vehicle tidiness | Which basic cleaning tasks are included? |
| Fuel | Who approves purchases and checks receipts? |
| Maintenance | Who books servicing and authorises costs? |
| Waiting time | Where does it fall within the work schedule? |
| Evening or weekend trips | How are changes agreed in advance? |
| Outstation travel | Is it excluded or covered by a separate arrangement? |
Finalise the role and review it early
Agree salary, hours, weekly rest, leave, notice and any live-in accommodation before the driver starts. If the family’s normal journeys change, review the brief. A new school route or regular late finish can materially alter the job even if the title remains “family driver.”
Domestic Staff Provider takes family driver enquiries for Islamabad and Rawalpindi on 0334 1041114. Share your vehicle type, area and daily schedule. Our agency fee is equal to one month of the agreed salary, charged once, with six-month replacement support under the written terms. Ask about current candidate availability rather than relying on a general promise of immediate joining.
Questions about this guide
Can the driver also look after children?
Do not assume childcare is included in a driving role. Define transport and handover duties clearly and arrange suitable childcare separately where needed.
Are airport and outstation trips included?
Only if agreed. Discuss timing, travel, overnight requirements and any additional terms before treating them as part of the normal role.