Not happy with instructor

I took an assessment drive for C+E at a well-known Teesside training firm on 1/9/18, and I was extremely pleased with the instructor who I took it with, as I had successfully completed my ADR course with him back in April. So, I decided to book the course with them and have the same bloke with me throughout that time, and they promised that I would be having my actual test at their yard. I thought this ought to be a breeze.

However, last Tuesday, I had a phone call from their gaffer stating that the instructor that I was originally promised was now carrying out a CPC course this week, and another instructor would be covering my course. So, I had two options: do this week with the replacement instructor, or do a later week with the original one. I chose the former and find out what this one is like.

I think that I made a BIG mistake by choosing the first option, because on the Monday, me and several other people going on other courses (Cat C and B+E) were gathered in a classroom for about an hour and half, going over the basics of driving a lorry. In one way or another, I could only describe his method of teaching as quite patronising and I thought that he was a bit of a self-important d**khead.

But once we were out of the classroom and in the motor, his attitude actually changed for the better, and me (plus another lad) had quite a relaxing remainder of the day, getting used to the artic and just generally bumbling about Teesside.

However, today, it all changed again. We started off well with the uncoupling and recoupling exercise (which went very well), and then the reverse. It was during this time that he started to revert back to his former behaviour and show his true colours. During my first couple of reverses, which I was struggling to get a line with, his tone of giving instructions was quite aggressive, and since I’m autistic, my way of processing instructions takes a bit longer than a “normal” person.

After spending some time in the yard practising the exercises, we hit the road and drove to Darlington to have a run over some of the test routes with the other lad driving first. When I took over the wheel, still feeling tense after the reversing practice, I put it into gear (semi-auto Scania) and about to move off when he said, in an arsey tone “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you do first before setting off?” Also, he let the other lad spend more time in the driving seat than me.

So, from that point onwards, I’m thinking either about ditching that course and firm (missing the test on Friday) and have a couple of more assessments at other training firms (thinking about Tockwith as one of them) or biting the bullet and carrying on suffering the warth of that particular instructor and not really ready for test day.

(Also, the test venue was changed at the very last minute to Darlington, and they charged me £200 for the assessment drive).

See the boss of the school and see what comes of that

You agreed the change of instructor so, to a point, there’s no comeback there. Apart from having a word with the boss as ROG has suggested. In the unlikely event that the instructor is registered, you have recourse through the appropriate register as a matter of professionalism.

But the change of test centre I would see as a material change to the original contract and I don’t see why you have to accept this. Once again, a word with the boss is needed.

I definitely wouldn’t ditch the course. Just work hard and try to rise above this guy’s attitude.

Chin up, work hard and get the test passed.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

Tell the instructor you don’t like his attitude.

I would complain in very strong terms. You are the customer and are paying for the service. If it is not up to your expectations tell them why and how you want it changing. You did agree to a change in instructor but it is reasonable to expect one of a suitable standard which this one does not appear to be.

If its the company im thinking of have a word with kirk… top bloke

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I had similar experience with my instructor ( although not a change as only 1 did the artics ) but certainly his attitude towards me was different with the other lad who also had more time at the wheel ( yep I did time it ) but for me I said nowt so don’t be shy go see the boss take up your grievance with him / her before you make any decision also speak about the change of address for the test

If you are not happy then you won’t be ready or in the right frame of mind

Well, after a disastrous rest of this week, and feeling downtrodden, (despite talking to the gaffer of the firm,) I decided to try to get a couple of more assessment drives. First one, which is based in Billingham, wanted to charge me £200 (like the last one) just for a sodding assessment :smiling_imp:. Also, they don’t have their own off-road area to practice reversing, so I decided not to bother with them.

The other firm on the other hand was a totally different kettle of fish! A renown training company on the A59, just outside York. The rig, a 64-plate Volvo FM420 was immaculate both inside and outside, still looking brand new! The assessment drive just consisted of a blindside reverse and then a circuit around Rufforth and the outskirts of York. I was extremely impressed with their instructor. Also,all their trucks have just two seats (driver and one passenger) instead of the typical three-abreast arrangement you usually find with most trainers, so all their courses are just 1-to-1. The best part of this afternoon was when we returned after the assessment drive, the instructor mention that I would only need TWO days of training to get me up to test standard.

Even though this company is a good hour’s drive from home, I think I now have my heart set on them. All I have to do now is select two dates from the list written on the back of the card they gave me.

You are allowed to name the companies :smiley:

Deffinately worth an hours drive to get to the right trainer.

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Maybe, sometimes the instructor (like the one I had) will “teach” you in a crap manner, or give you a full five day course unnecessarily so the school can rake in the profits in retest fees, etc.

Name and shame so others can benefit.

Yes please do name and shame. I’m guessing the Teesside one has to be either Teesside LGV or TTT, and the York one was Tockwith ?

adam277:
Name and shame so others can benefit.

Zac_A:
Yes please do name and shame.

Sorry chaps, we don’t do ‘name and shame’ on TN, because I’d end up having to take potentially defamatory posts down.

Apparently, there are other social media sites where this seems to be allowed.

Even if something is truly crap, we’d only ever get one side of the story (= an allegation,) followed by our legal Team having to field a complaint from the victim’s solicitors.

That seems fair enough to me, but Rog did say folk were allowed to name the companies, and he is a moderator.

Zac_A:
That seems fair enough to me, but Rog did say folk were allowed to name the companies, and he is a moderator.

Posting something such as the instructor at ROGs LGV training school in Leicester was not very nice and I would not recommend anyone to train with them is OK but to go any further into specifics needs to be taken to PMs

Zac_A:
That seems fair enough to me, but Rog did say folk were allowed to name the companies, and he is a moderator.

Yes Zac_A, ROG is a Moderator.

What ROG said needs a little clarification, which I’m happy to provide…

Something like… the instructor at company X was late and left me in the rain for an hour is OK.

It’s when people start on with more serious stuff that we have to keep it off TN.
This is things like the difference between a bit of banter being confused with abuse.
TN cannot facilitate this or be any kind of referee in a dispute.
Even if we had the whole of both sides of a story, TN is not a court of law (the TN owners’ own words.)

The law on defamation is what’s driving this, so it’s not about whether we agree/disagree with something.
ROG’s previous answer which amounted to ‘go and have a word with the boss,’ is also good because that’s exactly the right thing to do.

I’m not commenting on the topic under current discussion, so speaking very generally…

Let’s not forget that it’s sometimes a candidate’s own fault that something went ■■■■-eyed, such as the result of their driving test, then add that some of them are ‘modern youth’ that expect to gain the qualification without putting in the necessary effort. Then it’s a short step to start slagging the instructor or the school and made easier by the opportunity for a platform that TN offers.

I’m not commenting on anybody’s motivation for wanting to know what went on, but there are some people who just like to stir the pot, or simply have nothing better else to do.

If anybody thinks they need to know, there’s always the PM facility where people can say what they like without company owners or their lawyers seeing what’s being said. :wink:

My last point on this is to say that I’ve forgotten the number of times that I’ve had to take posts down or remove certain defamatory content following an email received to my TN works email from a company’s solicitors.

Waayyyyy back in 1995 when you could go straight for a class 1 licence, i went for an assessment with a well known training firm and the instructor i got was a wee scrawny guy who ended up being a prick …

he told me the brakes on the truck were a bit sensitive so be careful and i told him iv’e never driven a truck, in fact the largest vehicle i had driven was a VW Beetle, but he said yea yea whatever lets go…

so we went out and i hit a few kerbs and ■■■■ me those brakes were sensitive, every time i tapped them, he theatrically threw himself at the dash which really annoyed me…

we got back to the yard and he told me to blindside reverse it between two cones and i reminded him that i have never done it before but it fell on deaf ears and low and behold i made a total mess of it so he told me to park it up and he bluntly said that i would never make it as a driver and go find another career…

this destroyed my confidence and for a couple of weeks i didn’t know what to do but i decided to try again with another training firm…

when i got there for my assessment i was given an instructor who was an ex army drill instructor and looked like he just came off the movie Full Metal Jacket and i thought oh no here we go again…

but he ended up being the nicest guy and his attitude was brilliant, he was calm and kept saying don’t worry about that every time i hit a kerb etc as he knew i hadn’t done it before and at the end he didn’t even bother with a reverse as he knew i wouldn’t be able to do it…

he told me that it was a decent drive for a newbie and it would take 4 days of training and a test on the 5th for me to pass and in the end he was right :smiley: ( so much for the scrawny prick saying i wouldn’t make it as a driver )

so yea having an instructor with the wrong attitude does make a difference :laughing:

I’m cool with not naming people, I was just hoping for extra input before splashing my cash, but my mind has been swayed by more basic considerations:

As it happens, Company A, who are just along the road from me, have not managed to respond to an enquiry about cost and availability after three days, whereas Company B, who are not close to hand, but have other things in their favour which had already gotten my attention, got straight on it.

Garbo2018:
Well, after a disastrous rest of this week, and feeling downtrodden, (despite talking to the gaffer of the firm,) I decided to try to get a couple of more assessment drives. First one, which is based in Billingham, wanted to charge me £200 (like the last one) just for a sodding assessment :smiling_imp:. Also, they don’t have their own off-road area to practice reversing, so I decided not to bother with them.

The other firm on the other hand was a totally different kettle of fish! A renown training company on the A59, just outside York. The rig, a 64-plate Volvo FM420 was immaculate both inside and outside, still looking brand new! The assessment drive just consisted of a blindside reverse and then a circuit around Rufforth and the outskirts of York. I was extremely impressed with their instructor. Also,all their trucks have just two seats (driver and one passenger) instead of the typical three-abreast arrangement you usually find with most trainers, so all their courses are just 1-to-1. The best part of this afternoon was when we returned after the assessment drive, the instructor mention that I would only need TWO days of training to get me up to test standard.

Even though this company is a good hour’s drive from home, I think I now have my heart set on them. All I have to do now is select two dates from the list written on the back of the card they gave me.

Yes Tockwith training is fantastic. I did my class 1 and 2 with them recently and couldnt be happier. It is well worth the 1 hrs drive for anyone. They have one of the highest pass rates in the country and the instructors are so professional. Good luck!!