Driver ID Not Working or Wrong Driver Assigned? How to Fix It Fast
Charles Alexis
If your platform does not know who was driving, your driver behaviour reports, PCN handling and timesheets are all built on guesswork.
Why driver ID matters
- Speeding fines and PCNs need the right driver named.
- Driver behaviour scores need to be on the right person.
- Timesheets and pay depend on who drove when.
- Accident investigations start with who was behind the wheel.
How driver ID usually works
There are a few common methods:
- RFID card or fob: the driver taps a card on a reader in the vehicle.
- iButton or key tag: the driver touches a small key to a reader.
- App check-in: the driver selects the vehicle in an app before driving.
- Fixed assignment: a driver is permanently assigned to a vehicle in the platform.
- Camera-based ID: some AI dash cams recognise the driver.
Each fails in different ways.
Problem 1: no driver on trips
Driver did not identify
The most common reason. They forgot to tap, or the process is not enforced.
Fix: some systems can beep or block the vehicle from starting until the driver identifies. Combined with an immobiliser, no ID can mean no start. See our immobilisers page.
Reader not working
- Check the reader has power and is connected to the tracker.
- Check the tracker is configured to read the reader.
- Check the reader’s light or beep when a card is tapped.
Card not registered
A new driver’s card has not been added to the platform yet. The tap is recorded, but there is no name to show.
Problem 2: wrong driver showing
Cards swapped or shared
Drivers swap vehicles or share cards. The platform shows whoever’s card was tapped, not who actually drove.
Fix: make card sharing a clear policy issue. Dash cam cabin footage can confirm who was driving when it matters.
Fixed assignment out of date
If vehicles are assigned to drivers in the platform but those assignments are not updated when vehicles move around, every trip goes to the wrong person.
Fix: update assignments as part of handover, or switch to tap-on ID.
ID carried over from the last trip
Some systems keep the last driver until someone new identifies. If the next driver forgets, the previous driver gets their trips.
Fix: set the system to clear the driver when the ignition goes off or after a set time.
Problem 3: app check-in issues
- Driver selected the wrong vehicle.
- App not logged in or permissions missing.
- Phone had no signal at check-in.
Grey fleet
For staff using their own vehicles for work, driver ID is usually built into an app. See our grey fleet management page and our guide to grey fleet policy.
Getting driver data right
Traknova supports driver ID through readers, apps and assignments, and links trips, events and footage to the right person. When a PCN arrives, you can see who had the vehicle at that time in seconds.
See our fleet management page and car rental page.
Summary
Missing driver ID is usually drivers not tapping, a reader fault or unregistered cards. Wrong driver ID is usually shared cards, stale assignments or the last driver carrying over. Fix the process as much as the tech.