A driver was needed, the employer had a budget. A few people recommended drivers, and one of them was willing to work for considerably less than the others. The employer thought, “Why pay more when this person can drive?” The driver had a licence, experience, and knew Lagos. And most importantly, he was cheap. So the employer hired him. At first, everything seemed fine. Then the problems started.
He began arriving late. Sometimes he would disappear for longer than expected. There were complaints about the way he handled the car. Fuel seemed to finish faster than expected. He became increasingly comfortable using the vehicle for things that had not been authorised. And whenever there was traffic, his attitude changed completely. Eventually, the employer realised that the money saved on the driver's salary was not really being saved.
This is one of the problems with hiring a driver based mainly on price. The cheapest driver may be cheaper at the point of hiring. That does not necessarily mean he will be cheaper to employ. For someone hiring a personal driver, the person is not simply being paid to move a steering wheel. The driver may be responsible for an expensive vehicle. He may transport children, drive an employer's family, take an executive to meetings, know the family's daily movements and routines, have access to the vehicle for several hours every day.
That requires a certain level of trust and responsibility. And these things are difficult to measure by asking only, “How much is your salary?” There is nothing wrong with looking for value. Every employer has a budget but there is a difference between finding a driver who offers good value and simply hiring whoever asks for the lowest amount. A driver who constantly arrives late can affect an entire day's schedule, handles a vehicle carelessly can increase maintenance costs, uses the car without permission can create unnecessary risks, who becomes aggressive in traffic can put passengers and other road users in danger, who does not communicate properly can create problems when plans change.
And when the driver eventually has to be replaced, the employer has to go through the hiring process all over again. So the real cost is not necessarily the salary. It is the total cost of the driver's performance. Consider a business executive who has an important meeting at 8:00 a.m. The driver is supposed to arrive early. Instead, he arrives late. The executive gets into traffic later than planned and misses part of the meeting.
The driver's salary may have been ₦50,000 less than what another professional driver requested. But what did that lateness cost the employer? Now consider a company vehicle. A driver is responsible for it every day. If he drives carelessly and the vehicle develops avoidable problems, the business eventually pays for repairs, the vehicle is unavailable for several days, there may also be a loss of productivity.
Suddenly, the salary difference that looked significant at the beginning doesn't look so significant anymore. This is why experience alone should not be the only thing an employer checks. Someone can say they have ten years of driving experience. Fine, but what kind of experience? Have they worked as a personal driver before? Have they driven executives? Have they handled long-distance trips?
How do they behave under pressure? How do they respond to instructions? What do previous employers say about them? Do they respect boundaries? Are they punctual? Do they understand basic vehicle care? Are they honest about their previous employment? These questions matter. A driving licence confirms that someone is legally permitted to drive. It does not automatically tell you whether the person is punctual, responsible, respectful, careful with vehicles or suitable for your particular household or business.
The same thing applies to recommendations. “Don't worry, I know him.” That sentence has helped many Nigerians hire people they later regretted hiring. A recommendation can be useful, but an employer still needs to assess the person properly. The driver's personality and working habits matter. This is particularly important for live-in drivers or drivers who spend a significant amount of time around their employers.
The relationship can become too informal. Boundaries can disappear. The driver may begin treating the employer's vehicle like his own. The employer may also start giving the driver responsibilities that were never part of the original agreement. Eventually, both sides become frustrated. Another problem is that some employers focus so much on reducing salary that they don't think about retention.
A professional driver who knows his value may not stay long if he feels that the employer simply wants the cheapest labour available. The employer then hires another person. And another. Every replacement comes with another search, another interview, another period of adjustment and another question of trust. So what should an employer actually look for? Professionalism, reliability, driving ability, good judgement, communication, respect for boundaries, vehicle care, relevant experience, and references that can actually be verified.
Salary should still be considered. Nobody is saying employers should pay unreasonable amounts. But the objective should be to find the right driver for the job, not simply the person who agrees to the lowest amount. There is also another option for people who don't want to personally handle every stage of finding, screening and managing a driver. Professional driver hiring and management companies can help employers source suitable drivers and manage the relationship according to the required arrangement.
For some employers, that extra layer of structure is worth considering, especially when the driver is responsible for an expensive vehicle, a busy executive or a family. At the end of the day, a driver is part of the cost of operating a vehicle. The question is whether you are paying only for someone to drive or paying for someone who can actually do the job properly. Sometimes, the cheapest option is genuinely the best option.
But sometimes, the amount you saved at the beginning is exactly what you end up spending later on repairs, delays, replacements and stress. So let's hear from both employers and drivers. Have you ever hired someone because they were cheaper and later regretted it? And for drivers, do you think employers sometimes focus too much on salary and not enough on experience, responsibility and professionalism? What has been your experience?
