Specialist People Services Group

What Specialist People Services Group does

Specialist People Services Group (SPS) is a Bradford-headquartered, privately held holding company for specialist transport and logistics workforce solutions businesses, founded in 1983 with the opening of the first Driver Hire recruitment office in West Yorkshire. Operating exclusively through a franchise-led model for Driver Hire UK (over 100 mainly franchisee-owned offices supplying temporary and permanent drivers, warehouse staff, and managers to hauliers, supermarkets, parcel delivery firms, manufacturers, construction companies, and public sector clients), the Group placed approximately 4,500 temporary workers on any given day and is described as the UK's largest specialist provider in its vertical.

The Group's second core pillar is Driver Risk Management, which bundles Driver Hire Training (statutory Driver Certificate of Professional Competence training delivered through classroom and online/virtual classroom modules — over 250,000 training days since 2010), the dh Licence Check subscription service (automated DVLA-integrated driver licence verification for fleet operators), and the DriveWise portfolio (ongoing safety and compliance skills assessment and training). The third pillar, Driver Hire Australia, was launched in Perth in January 2012 and operates a nine-office network across Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, and Ararat, replicating the UK franchise-style recruitment model locally.

SPS monetizes through three revenue streams: staffing margins and placement fees from temporary and permanent placements (transaction-fee revenue), per-course fees from Driver CPC and DriveWise training (transaction-fee revenue), and recurring subscription revenue from dh Licence Check. Ownership has transitioned through three PE-backed phases since 2004 — Aberdeen Asset Management MBO (2004), LDC secondary buyout (2011–2022), and Pricoa Private Capital (from April 2022), with PGIM remaining as an investor after a June 2026 £25m refinancing led by Virgin Money. An earlier diversification into rail infrastructure via the 2013 acquisition of ISS Labour was reversed via an MBO divestiture in 2022, refocusing the Group on transport, logistics recruitment, training, and Australian operations.

Name

Specialist People Services Group

Legal name

Specialist People Services Group Ltd

Website

https://spsgroup.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Specialist People Services Group is the UK holding company for Driver Hire, the country's largest specialist transport and logistics recruitment franchise network (100+ offices), Driver Risk Management (Driver CPC training and DVLA-integrated licence checking), and Driver Hire Australia (nine offices), serving hauliers, supermarkets, parcel delivery firms, manufacturers, construction firms, and the public sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Logistics Staffing & Workforce Compliance Services

NAICS

Temporary Help Services (56132)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Transportation (Drivers/Fleet) Staffing (BPACAEAE)

Keywords

• Logistics recruitment services
• Driver staffing solutions
• Transport recruitment agency
• Driver CPC training
• Fleet compliance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Temporary Driver and Logistics Staffing: Supply of temporary drivers and logistics staff on a temporary or permanent basis to businesses and public sector organisations. Revenue generated from staffing margins and placement fees.
2. Driver CPC Training Services: Mandatory Driver Certificate of Professional Competence training. Over 250,000 driver training days delivered since 2010. Online virtual classroom and in-person courses.
3. Licence Verification Services (dh Licence Check): Subscription-based online tool for automatic driver licence checking with DVLA integration. Administrative burden reduction for fleet operators.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Specialist People Services Group supplies temporary and permanent drivers and logistics staff to UK businesses and public sector organisations through a network of over 100 mainly franchisee-owned offices under the Driver Hire brand, alongside statutory Driver CPC training, DVLA-integrated driver licence verification (dh Licence Check), ongoing skills assessment (DriveWise), and a directly operated nine-office recruitment network in Australia.

Product overview

SPS Group is a logistics-focused recruitment and training services company operating three complementary business lines. Driver Hire Nationwide, founded in 1983, is the UK's largest specialist transport and logistics recruitment company with over 100 franchise offices supplying temporary and permanent drivers and logistics staff nationwide. Driver Risk Management provides statutory Driver CPC training through Driver Hire Training (with 20 modules and 250,000+ training days delivered), the DVLA-integrated dh Licence Check service for automated licence verification, and the DriveWise compliance and skills assessment portfolio. The International division, Driver Hire Australia, mirrors the UK model across nine offices in Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Ararat. The group helps customers maximise workforce productivity through recruitment services, classroom-based and online training, and people management services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Driver Hire Training: Market-leading provider of mandatory Driver CPC training with 20 different training modules, having delivered over 250,000 driver training days since 2010.
• dh Licence Check
• DriveWise

Products and services

• Driver Hire Nationwide (UK Recruitment) UK's largest specialist transport and logistics recruitment company, supplying temporary and permanent drivers and logistics staff to businesses (hauliers, supermarkets, parcel delivery, manufacturing, construction) and public sector organisations nationwide through 100+ franchise offices, with approximately 4,500 temps on assignment on any given day.
• Driver Hire Training (Driver CPC Training) Market-leading provider of mandatory Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) training offering 20 different training modules, delivered via classroom and online virtual classroom courses, with 250,000+ driver training days delivered since 2010 and 97% trainee satisfaction.
• dh Licence Check Online driver licence checking service with a direct, secure link to the DVLA that automatically carries out required licence checks according to a chosen schedule and provides at-a-glance updates on an entire workforce, reducing the administrative burden of fleet licence verification.
• DriveWise DriveWise portfolio of ongoing skills assessment and training services that help transport customers improve safety and compliance, complementing the Driver CPC training offering.
• Driver Hire Australia International arm of the Driver Hire brand offering transport and logistics recruitment services in Australia through a nine-office direct-operated network spanning Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Ararat.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% customer satisfaction rating (Excellent or Good), with 80% Excellent
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Sentio PartnerssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 June 2026Sentio Partners acted as lead advisor on the refinancing transaction, converting the strength of the SPS business into improved financing terms. Provided corporate finance and debt advisory services.
• Squire Patton BoggssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 June 2026Legal advisory firm providing legal advice to the borrower (SPS Group) during the refinancing transaction.
• Walker MorrissupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 June 2026Legal advisory firm providing legal advice to the lender (Virgin Money) during the refinancing transaction.
• BDOsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 June 2026Financial due diligence provider for the refinancing transaction.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Hays:

Broad incumbents

• Gi Group: Global staffing firm with UK operations covering driving, industrial, logistics and warehouse staffing. Comparable broad incumbent and increasingly relevant competitor to Driver Hire in the UK temp driving and logistics segment.
• Blue Arrow: UK generalist staffing provider covering driving, industrial, clerical and customer service roles. Comparable as a UK-wide recruiter competing for the same temporary driver/logistics placements from a multi-vertical platform.
• Reed: One of the UK's largest generalist recruitment firms covering driving, industrial, commercial and professional roles. Comparable broad incumbent competing with Driver Hire for SME and enterprise driver/logistics placements across the UK.
• ManpowerGroup: Global workforce solutions provider with a UK operation offering temporary, permanent and contract staffing across industrial and logistics verticals. Comparable broad incumbent at scale competing for large enterprise logistics customers.
• Randstad: Global staffing firm with UK operations spanning driving, industrial, logistics and professional recruitment. Comparable broad incumbent providing multinational logistics customers an alternative to Driver Hire's specialist offering.
• Adecco: Global staffing group with UK coverage of industrial, driving and logistics temporary staffing. Comparable broad incumbent competing on volume contracts with hauliers, supermarkets and parcel delivery firms that SPS also serves.

Direct peers

• McGinley Human Resources: UK specialist staffing firm focused on transport, infrastructure and rail labour supply. Highly comparable to Driver Hire UK as a vertical specialist recruiter serving similar transport/infrastructure customers with temporary and contract labour. SPS's own CFO previously served as Finance Director at McGinley Human Resources.
• Acorn Recruitment: UK recruitment group providing temporary and permanent staffing across industrial, driving, technical and office sectors. Comparable as a UK-based multi-vertical staffing operator with a dedicated driving/logistics desk competing in the same customer segment.
• ATA Recruitment: UK-based specialist recruiter for industrial, technical and driving/logistics roles. Direct competitor for temporary driver placements and contract logistics staff in the UK mid-market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DriverHire
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DriverHireNationwide
• Facebookfacebook.com/DriverHireUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specialist-people-services-group-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Specialist People Services Group