Right first post so hi & thanks to everyone for making a great forum, I work for a large national builders merchant as a branch assistant & was asked after christmas if I’d like to take lessons locally to train as a class 2 driver to cover on the 6 wheeler flatbed & the little 7.5 ton curtain sider as the fella who covers at the moment is turning 65 & wants to hang up his keys. I jumped at the chance & have since signed a two year contract, had my medical, gained my provisional, passed my theory/hazard perception & CPC case studies. I then went back to my manager who told me that I he’d had a email from transport saying that they want me to do an intensive course on the mainland (I live in Shetland) & today I received a letter from a company called Easy as HGV! They don’t realise I"ve done the above as they’ve sent me the application for my licence & for a tachograph card!
Now a couple of questions, as I live in Shetland & a tachograph is not required here do need to have a card to drive the learner truck on the mainland?
Has anyone here used Easy as HGV?
And is the contract I signed worth the paper its printed on? (Not that I’m planing on leaving the company)
Thanks
Roger
I stand to be corrected but I think easy as Hgv are just a broker and not an actual training company.
Easy as HGV are a training broker, that means they take your money and then arrange for your training with a proper training company, they don’t do the training themselves and you have no say in which training company they put you with.
Most people on this board would advise you to go straight to a training company and bypass brokers, there are a few tales of whoa on this board from people who have had the misfortune to deal with brokers 
Lug Nut:
I live in Shetland & a tachograph is not required here do need to have a card to drive the learner truck on the mainland?
You do not need to use a driver card while training.
Easy as HGV is a broker. You don’t need a tacho when undertaking driver training. There are arguments to say that such contracts are not valid; I don’t know.
I would suggest you ask your employer to find a trainer direct. It will save them time, money and hassle.
All the best with it, Pete 
Roger do yourself a favour mate and listen to Ken and Pete, brokers are a no no. They are just out for your money - wether your paying for it or your manager, it won’t guarantee quality training and you’ll just get mugged off 
Cheers
Dan
Plenty trainers in the north of Scotland without having to go way down south where the brokers will send you. M D Fiddes or Tomish Training in Inverness, McPhersons in Elgin, Whytes Training in Aberdeen to name a few. You will get more time for your money (or your employers money) by avoiding the brokers and going direct.
Right I spoke to my manager & he said that its company policy to use Easy as HGV for all training. So I phoned them & the lass said that my test will be in Inverness & once she’s received copies of my theory/hazard certificates etc then she’ll get it booked (Hopefully in the next month). So I’ll hopefully hear when my training starts this week.
I found it strange though that the company I work for didn’t organise doing my Hiab ticket as part of the training package with Easy as HGV but she said she would contact them to see if they want it added on to the package.
Now its just a waiting game!
Does your company get a backhander or commision from easy as HGV to send you there? If so,it seems a bit unfair that you are technically paying your company for your hgv.
Or am I not understanding the set up? (Its been a long day so Im willing to accept I may be way off base! 
)
I’m guessing “A large national builders merchant” would be using a broker because it would save either someone at head office, or individual branch managers having to research local trainers (and possibly cocking up doing so), unlike for an individual, the associated administration and research has an associated cost, which makes them paying a premium for a broker’s service more attractive in a business sense.
The-Snowman:
Does your company get a backhander or commision from easy as HGV to send you there? If so,it seems a bit unfair that you are technically paying your company for your hgv.
Or am I not understanding the set up? (Its been a long day so Im willing to accept I may be way off base! )
No Snowman the company are paying for it all. I jumped the gun a bit as I was under the impression that my training would be done locally as our main driver did a couple of years ago, so I booked medical/hazard/theory/case studies all of which Easy as HGV sort out for you as part of the package. I’ve submitted a claim form for these though & will get the money back in my next pay packet.
BeardedBlunder:
I’m guessing “A large national builders merchant” would be using a broker because it would save either someone at head office, or individual branch managers having to research local trainers (and possibly cocking up doing so), unlike for an individual, the associated administration and research has an associated cost, which makes them paying a premium for a broker’s service more attractive in a business sense.
I think thats the idea BeardedBlunder! Lots of this sort of thing goes on with them like licence checks, even people checking to make sure your who you say you are & that you can legally work etc!
Lug Nut:
… the company are paying for it all. I jumped the gun a bit as I was under the impression that my training would be done locally as our main driver did a couple of years ago, so I booked medical/hazard/theory/case studies all of which Easy as HGV sort out for you as part of the package. I’ve submitted a claim form for these though & will get the money back in my next pay packet.
Hi Lug Nut,
Whilst honest brokers aren’t breaking any laws, they aren’t doing you any favours either!
Most mainstream (= non-broker) training schools would do what you’re calling ‘the package’ for free.
Most mainstream (= non-broker) training schools would charge less for the actual LGV tuition than whatever you/your company are about to pay.
Most mainstream (= non-broker) training schools would offer a driving assessment and discuss with you how many training hours you’re likely to need, whereas brokers (who don’t usually own any training vehicles) usually have a one-size-fits-all system whereby you might be paying for more practical training hours than you actually need. (And at a higher rate 
)
It looks like you/your company have agreed to pay somewhat over the odds for something that you could have got cheaper.
Ask yourself whether the broker has provided you with anything that adds unique value to the package?
Ask your boss to arrange for you to visit the training school so that you can see the vehicles and meet the instructors, then maybe their suspicions will be aroused at the (predictable) excuses.
Most mainstream (= non-broker) training schools would welcome a visit from a prospective candidate and be quite happy to show them around.
If you/your company still remain to be convinced, then why not have a browse through this forum by simply putting the word ‘broker’ into the search facility?
You’ll see… “if only I’d known beforehand” and “I wish I hadn’t gone with a broker” and lots more besides. 
I guess everything will be fine, but that’s only if you don’t have any future dispute with your company, because if you did, you’d probably end up having to pay several hundred Pounds more than you needed to in order to gain your LGV licence.
dieseldave
While everything you’ve said is true, the OP stated he was told this is a policy set by suits at head office… I suspect the only way those suits get convinced is if/when the company gets burned and questions get asked by other suits that get paid more.
BeardedBlunder:
dieseldave
While everything you’ve said is true, the OP stated he was told this is a policy set by suits at head office… I suspect the only way those suits get convinced is if/when the company gets burned and questions get asked by other suits that get paid more.
I reckon you’re not wrong mate. 
It seems quite innocuous, but there’s a lot that one can tell about a ‘provider’ who comes up with excuses not (= refuses) to allow a visit pre-booking just for a little look around.
The junior suits could ask the question, but as you say, a senior suit would want to know why.
That said, even an honest broker may not always be in a position to know which trainer they’ll book with owing to availability pre booking, someone else books, that slot’s gone and they place you with trainer #2, how could they be sure they’re sending you to look at the right one?
Dealing direct is a way better idea, but doesn’t look like the OP has the option if his firm’s head office is arranging it, or telling his boss how to do so.
BeardedBlunder:
That said, even an honest broker may not always be in a position to know which trainer they’ll book with owing to availability pre booking, someone else books, that slot’s gone and they place you with trainer #2, how could they be sure they’re sending you to look at the right one?
Dealing direct is a way better idea, but doesn’t look like the OP has the option if his firm’s head office is arranging it, or telling his boss how to do so.
That’s all very true BB, but none of us can fathom the logic of the suits.
IMO the training provider that feeds out of a brokers keep net are are only keeping the broker in business.
Any good trainer will have a steady supply of candidates to train mainly provided by recommendations from previous customers.
So you have to ask the question, why do some training providers work along side brokers?
I don’t think you have to be rocket scientist to work out the answer.
Paul
What Paul says makes sense as a general rule. But we recently worked for a broker when the candidate insisted on auto.
But, generally, we wont work with brokers.
Pete
Peter Smythe:
What Paul says makes sense as a general rule. But we recently worked for a broker when the candidate insisted on auto.
But, generally, we wont work with brokers.
Pete
They are forever phoning me but I won’t entertain them. I would sooner park the trucks up and go truck driving for the day rather than use them.
The candidate you took on was lucky to be sent to you though.
Paul
I’m just going along with what I"ve been told to do. I wouldn’t have minded doing my cat c here with he local trainer but his old P reg Volvo has seen better days & when my manager said I was going to Inverness I jumped at the chance of learning in a better truck, seeing the sites of somewhere new , a week off the rock staying at a Premier Inn & a few days away from the Mrs I thought why not!
Lug Nut:
I staying at a Premier Inn & a few days away from the Mrs I thought why not!
Sounds like a result mate.
Have a few beers straight after training then early night. Lol
All the best with it.
Paul