1. Who These Terms Apply To

These Hirer Terms apply to hauliers, logistics operators, and other businesses using Drivano to publish HGV shift requirements, review self-employed drivers or driver businesses ("Contractors"), manage timesheets, and track direct Contractor payments. They apply alongside the main Terms of Service, Payment Policy, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Acceptable Use Policy, and each accepted shift contract.

2. Direct Engagement and Hirer Responsibilities

When you confirm a Contractor, you contract directly with that Contractor for the shift. Drivano provides the software and introduction workflow; it does not employ the Contractor, engage the Contractor on your behalf as principal, supply Drivano personnel, or become a party to the driving-services contract. You remain responsible for the real-world operation of each shift, including:

Posting accurate shift details, rates, dates, locations, vehicle details, start times, expected hours, and required licence categories
Maintaining all operator-licence, vehicle, motor fleet, public liability, employer's liability where applicable, and other insurance arrangements required for your business and the shift
Providing safe vehicles, lawful loads, clear instructions, site inductions where needed, and a safe working environment
Complying with driver-hours, tachograph, road transport, health and safety, right-to-work, agency, tax, employment-status, worker-status, PAYE, and National Insurance obligations that apply to the engagement
Reviewing timesheets promptly and raising any dispute with specific written reasons
Paying each approved, undisputed Contractor invoice directly when due, normally the following Friday where the timesheet was submitted by Sunday 19:00 UK time

3. Contractor Checks and Compliance

Drivano may collect, review, display, or store Contractor compliance records. That support does not remove your duty to satisfy yourself that a Contractor is suitable for the specific work, vehicle, site, insurance, and legal context. A Platform status is a record of the checks performed, not a warranty that a person is suitable for every assignment.

You must give Drivano and each applicant complete information about the role, rate, location, hours, experience, qualifications, known health and safety risks, and any legal or professional requirement. You make the final selection decision and must complete any additional site, insurance, licence, endorsement, or specialist checks before work starts.

4. Employment Status and IR35

The Platform is designed for direct engagements with professional self-employed Contractors, but status depends on the actual working arrangement. You remain responsible for assessing employment status, worker status, tax treatment, PAYE, National Insurance, and off-payroll working obligations where applicable.

If off-payroll working rules apply, you are responsible for taking reasonable care and issuing any required Status Determination Statement
Drivano may provide engagement records, acceptance logs, timesheets, and replacement records, but does not make a binding status determination for you
You must not use Drivano to disguise employment, avoid payroll obligations, or contradict the agreed independent-contractor model in practice
You may specify the required result and give lawful vehicle, site, safety, and compliance instructions, but should not control a Contractor as if they were your employee beyond what the law, safety, and assignment reasonably require
You are not required to offer future work and a Contractor is not required to accept it

5. Substitution

A booked Contractor may propose an eligible replacement through the Platform. The proposed substitute must accept the nomination, satisfy the shift's objective compliance requirements, receive your approval, and accept a new direct per-shift contract before the assignment transfers. You may refuse for reasonable safety, qualification, insurance, site-access, availability, or legal reasons and must record the reason. Until the substitute completes contract acceptance, the original Contractor remains assigned.

6. Payments, Fees, and Disputes

Platform subscription, usage, and other expressly agreed software fees, cancellation consequences, and refunds are governed by the Payment Policy and applicable plan terms
Any founder-supported managed pilot must have written scope, responsibilities, pricing, cancellation and payment terms before a live requirement
A Drivano subscription or agreed pilot fee does not pay, credit, guarantee, or reduce any amount you owe a Contractor
You owe approved, undisputed Contractor service fees directly and must pay the Contractor through your normal bank or accounts-payable process when due
You must maintain a direct-payment method and must not require a Contractor to use any optional future integrated payment route
When you record a transfer as sent in Drivano, that is your factual statement only and is not confirmation that the Contractor received it
Timesheet disputes must be genuine, specific, and supported by a clear reason
Repeated failed payments, abusive disputes, or non-payment may result in suspension or termination

7. Payments, VAT, and Tax Records

The Contractor sends its invoice to you directly. Drivano does not deliver the invoice to you, create your bank instruction, receive or transmit the Contractor's money, or advance your payment obligation. Your obligation is discharged only when the Contractor receives the amount due, subject to any lawful set-off, dispute, credit note, or repayment agreed directly with the Contractor.

Drivano's Platform fees are separate from Contractor fees and exclude VAT unless stated otherwise. Contractor rates accepted through the Platform also exclude VAT. A VAT-registered Contractor may add VAT where legally due. You must review the Contractor's invoice and retain any VAT invoice or tax record your business requires.

8. No Circumvention or Authority

You must not represent that a Contractor is employed by or supplied by Drivano, bind Drivano to a transport or labour obligation, or use Drivano branding to imply otherwise. You must not ask Drivano staff to direct day-to-day driving work.

Direct communication is permitted and expected for performing a confirmed shift, sending an invoice, and making direct payment. However, where you first obtained a Contractor's identity, profile, compliance information, or contact details through Drivano, you must record through the Platform any booking, extension, repeat booking, or replacement assignment agreed with that Contractor during your subscription and for 12 months after the first Platform introduction. This restriction does not apply to a relationship you can show existed independently before the Platform introduction. Drivano does not charge an introduction or transfer fee under this clause, but may suspend or terminate access and recover unpaid Platform fees or direct loss caused by deliberate misuse of Platform data, subject to the main Terms.

9. Allocation of Risk

You are responsible for loss, damage, injury, penalties, claims, and regulatory action arising from your vehicles, loads, premises, instructions, operator duties, insurance failures, or breach of the direct Contractor agreement. The liability exclusions and cap in the main Terms apply to Drivano. Nothing limits liability that cannot legally be limited.