I am new to the forum, just looking for some advice. I have passed my class 2 a while ago, and I have been doing stand in multi drop for the company I work for, I want to do my class 1 and as the title suggestes I’m thinking of training at the Eddie stobart school?. My question is, is it any better/worse than any one else?
I know there is an interview upon passing the course with stobart, which is by no means a nailed on job! its the same price for the C+E upgrade to my licence as it is at any of my local schools, but I’d have to get a hotel if I where to attend the stobart school…
Any advice/experience on this would be a major help!!
Yes, free accommodation if more than 70 miles from NG17 3FW. Choice of drawbar or full size artic. We have our own private test centre (the first in the UK) and a purpose built training centre. You also get 10% discount as a Trucknet user. Alternatively, pay the full price of £1550 + accommodation and you can claim £1000 finance, interest free, no questions asked. £100 per month over 10 months.
As Blue said try Peter Smythe for training,you will get a more personal friendly service than you will will stobarts,all stobarts want is bums on seats get you in and out soon as.
Ok it’s the same price but would be PSST every time if it was me.
I’m doing my class 1 at PSTT end of February and im in dorset, had a good experience at the place that did my class 2 at but it’s an 1 hrs 20 mins away and itll be easier to do at PSTT even with the distance and think I will be more fresh and ready at 7 in the morning if I haven’t had to drive miles every morning to get there.
I doubt Stobarts is the best but not the worst either. They have an image and visible profile to maintain so it wouldn’t be in their best interests to totally ■■■■.
I would avoid stobarts training at the moment simply due to delays that they are experiencing. I am half way through the training (passed class 2 start 1 in feb) but there has been a delay of over 6 weeks between passing class 2 and starting class 1.
The delay is due to the fact that they had a big sale in January and are over subscribed at the moment. They are in the process of opening another driving school, but have not increased the amount of training staff or a new examiner so there are also delays on retests etc. I was at Appleton and speaking to the employees there last week and they have said they should be caught up soon. Decent training, just long delays.
I can highly recommend pstt. I did the class 1&2 with a local driving school and i did an artic course with pete. There was no pressure because there was no test, just top quality training and it gave me the confidence to take a shunter job which i wouldn’t have taken otherwise
Do I understand that Eddie Stobart Training is like any other training school or do they tie you into work.
I know Pertemps at Crick do offer the training without cost but expect you to work for them after for a term (not sure at a reduced rate). Now this may be a good thing if work is scarce and they guarantee a newbie with work.
If its open market training then all I have ever hear about Peter and his team is positive feedback.
I went with a local firm in Leicester for my Class 2 and can’t say it blew my mind with going through 3 trucks over the week with 1 which the examiner preferred!!
Class 1 training was with Scania with a good trainer and a brand new truck with less than 1000 on the clock…I wish I did both with them but did not hear of them till later…
Stobarts are like other training firms but with a slight difference. They offer a guaranteed interview on completion and their examiner is in house. Although you are not forced to work to stobarts after completing training, there is an expectation that you will drive for them, this is how they manage to have an in house examiner. After training you can go your own way, but when you are doing the training if you make it clear that you have no intention of working for them then they will not let you take tour test with the in house examiner (happened on my class 2 course)
boltonboy:
I went with a local firm in Leicester for my Class 2 and can’t say it blew my mind with going through 3 trucks over the week with 1 which the examiner preferred!!
That sounds like the company needs a big ALERT for others to avoid
Would not want to name and shame them as I did pass my test and it was almost 2 years ago.
Now you can spot a tidy looking learner vehicle and one that looks a bit dirty/neglected…do you steer away from the latter on first impressions… I think I would now as once you have paid up I can’t imagine a refund would be quite easy especially when the test is booked after 4.5 days of training.
andywilliams1187:
Stobarts are like other training firms but with a slight difference. They offer a guaranteed interview on completion and their examiner is in house. Although you are not forced to work to stobarts after completing training, there is an expectation that you will drive for them, this is how they manage to have an in house examiner. After training you can go your own way, but when you are doing the training if you make it clear that you have no intention of working for them then they will not let you take tour test with the in house examiner (happened on my class 2 course)
Can someone explain this “in house examiner” scenario?
The correct term is “delegated examiner”. These folks have exactly the same training as any other examiner and are subject to quality checks in the same way from DVSA. The major differences are that they are employed by the vehicle operator, in this case Stobart, and that they are only permitted to test candidates who they employ or are going to employ. This has been the situation with larger bus operators for many years but it’s relatively new to the goods vehicle industry. That is the abbreviated version but is probably enough to answer the question.
