Hello all, another wannabe wagon driver here.I was wondering if anyone has done any driver training with mainport training in Haverfordwest .They are not on the trucknet list of recomended trainers, but that could be just because no one had used them.They do 1 to 1 training over 5 days which sounds good.I was going to do training with Pembrokeshire Road Training but they have not answered phone the last 5 times i rang,so dont no whats happened to them. Thanks .
kev richy:
Hello all, another wannabe wagon driver here.
Hi kev richy, 
kev richy:
I was wondering if anyone has done any driver training with mainport training in Haverfordwest .They are not on the trucknet list of recomended trainers, but that could be just because no one had used them.
That’s correct mate, they might be brilliant, but it may just be that nobody has bothered to leave a feedback. If you decide to use Mainport and you like them, please post it up and I’ll update the list.
A training blog with some piccies would be good please. 
kev richy:
They do 1 to 1 training over 5 days which sounds good.
1-1 isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, because some people find that it’s too intense, whereas 2-1 gives time for a rest, but the two candidates can benefit from observing each others mistakes. There are two schools of thought on the 1-1 Vs. 2-1 issue, and the are good and bad points about both.
In my experience, I’d say that 5 days at 1-1 is probably a bit too much, because the average car to “Cat C” candidate usually needs 20-24 hours. Have you had a driving assessment and got told that you need 5 days at 1-1 please?
kev richy:
I was going to do training with Pembrokeshire Road Training but they have not answered phone the last 5 times i rang,so dont no whats happened to them. Thanks .
Some training schools are run by just one person, so there might not be any cause for alarm just yet.
Good luck in your choice and training.
.I was going to do training with Pembrokeshire Road Training but they have not answered phone the last 5 times i rang,so dont no whats happened to them. Thanks .
I can tell you that they are very genuine people. I visited their centre a year or two ago as it was the first in Wales to have it’s own test centre. They are at the side of the airfield - as you probably know. Suggest you call down and see. Not defending the unanswered phone but it is a father/son set up and maybe they’re not as good at looking after the phone as they might be. Just a thought.
I believe Mainport is on the other side of the road and also has it’s own test centre.
I’d be interested to hear the outcome and wish you the best of luck. Pete 
Peter Smythe:
.
I believe Mainport is on the other side of the road and also has it’s own test centre.
Thanks for the replies lads. Mainport are offering 1to 1 training from 8 30 am to 400pm over 5 days ,if all these hours are driving that should be good or will that be to much for me ? Will speak to them again tomorrow then call and see them and at same time see if pembrokeshire rt are still there. Thanks again lads.
If you see Pembrokeshire Road Training, give him my regards.
And let us know how you go on.
Not going to get involved in the discussion about how much time you should have, whether it is too much etc etc. I suggest you ask both trainers for a free assessment drive. You will know which one you are most comfortable with at any rate.
And if you don’t like the look of either, spread the net. You only do this once (hopefully). Do it right straight away and it will pay dividends.
Not allowed to advertise on here, but I know of a very good village pub near me that does B+B. And they send me the bill! Say no more!!!
Whatever you decide, the very best of luck. Pete
Thanks for that Pete. Mainport say they dont do assesement drive ,went to pemb rd and drove artic on site because there rigid wasnt there ,loved driving artic and trainer was good,but had booked on site assesment in a rigid .Got there and no rigid wagon and no one in office but wasnt bothered as i got to drive artic.Haverfordwest is about 50 miles away so i will be travelling 100 miles a day.Mansfield 182 miles away.So thinking about it ,if no joy down here in wales.
Sorry the experience wasn’t what I’d have hoped for from PRT.
Peter Smythe:
Not allowed to advertise on here, but I know of a very good village pub near me that does B+B. And they send me the bill! Say no more!!!
Hi Peter,
It’s OK to post a recommendation, because that’s not an advert.
dieseldave:
1-1 isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, because some people find that it’s too intense, whereas 2-1 gives time for a rest, but the two candidates can benefit from observing each others mistakes. There are two schools of thought on the 1-1 Vs. 2-1 issue, and the are good and bad points about both.
Hi Dave, good post as usual but I would be interested in hearing the bad points about 2-1 training.
Perhaps there are some but I just cant imagine any
I would be particularly keen to hear from schools that have 3 seats in the cab and still only do 1 to 1.
John
Flair Training
I would be particularly keen to hear from schools that have 3 seats in the cab and still only do 1 to 1.
John
Hello
There’s a couple of reasons we have 3 seats in the cab but normally only work 1:1.
We offer a very inexpensive course based on 2;1 where cost is very important
We train for many companies that want 2 drivers trained at the same time
It makes the vehicle very attractive when we dispose of it
All the best, Pete
Pete
I cant understand what you mean
Peter Smythe:
There’s a couple of reasons we have 3 seats in the cab but normally only work 1:1. We offer a very inexpensive course based on 2;1 where cost is very importantWe train for many companies that want 2 drivers trained at the same timeIt makes the vehicle very attractive when we dispose of it
Surely you are saying 2:1 is better or have I missed a major point. Not to worry Pete.
Anyway the plain honest simple truth is 2:1 buys you value. It buys you 8 hours in the truck instead of 4. It buys you more test routes for your money.
Instead of 4 hours which most students find overly intense it buys you 1 hour driving then 1 hour watching the other guy. Not just watching but listening to your trainer explain your problems and placing them alongside the other guys issues. Why is 1 hour important ? Because that is how long you will be taking your test for.
I would say that nearly every provider knows this is the truth. I also think that every newbee also believes this.
Keep the faith
John
Flair Training
I am simply saying that I broke the industry mould many years ago and started 1:1 training which, at the time, was virtually unheard of. I happen to believe that it makes for more personalised training and it means that the training going on is 100% relevant. No two candidates are the same. So, for instance, one candidate may sort out the gears within a couple of minutes and is ready to move on to the wide open roads and his counterpart may still be limping around the industrial estate for an hour or two trying to play Mozart on the gearbox. Neither of these people are better or worse than the other - but they have different needs. So how boring is it for the guy who has sorted the gears for him to have to ride round and round in circles with someone who is struggling. I believe it’s better to move each person on at the rate that is tailored to their competence and requirements. The results prove the point.
In my view, the popularity of 2:1 training in the industry is for ease of booking and the fact that there is less time actually spent training. There are variations, but it’s normal to have 3 breaks in an 8 hour day - morning, lunch and pm. I know that not every trainer does this - but it is perfectly normal. So in reality, there’s less time behind the wheel, more time getting bored, irrelevant training being given to the passenger but it makes life easier for the trainer.
Another factor is the “peer pressure”. If you are in a cab with someone who is taking to it like a duck to water, how does that make you feel if you can’t even change gear or keep the truck on the tarmac?
Further proof of this is that my only 2:1 course is 25% cheaper than the normal 1:1. This refects all the commercial points I’ve made.
Class 1 is a definite NO NO as far as I’m concerned for 2:1 as few folk master the reversing at the same rate. So, inevitably someone is kicking their heels. Not good
Sorry Pete can’t agree with some of your points. We actually offer the candidate a choice of 1:1 or 2:1. We either train 8am-12 or 12-4pm solo or of course 8am-4pm with 2 candidates. It therefore makes no difference in terms of training time, diesel used or any other commercial considerations.
Peter Smythe:
So how boring is it for the guy who has sorted the gears for him to have to ride round and round in circles with someone who is struggling.
Not boring at all. You will surely agree that MOST candidates master the gears before the end of the 1st day. In fact the faster guy benefits from having certain points reinforced even after he has the gearbox sorted.
Peter Smythe:
In my view, the popularity of 2:1 training in the industry is for ease of booking
How is booking easier? The trainer has to ensure that there are 2 available test slots on the same day. We also have to make sure that 2 candidates instead of just 1 have the correct entitlements as well as having passed the theory test. Much easier to book just 1 person.
Peter Smythe:
Another factor is the “peer pressure”. If you are in a cab with someone who is taking to it like a duck to water, how does that make you feel if you can’t even change gear or keep the truck on the tarmac?
Replace “peer pressure” with comradeship. A small team develops all encouraging each other forward. 1 person might be better at one thing but the other will soon show his talents. It can be very lonely facing a 4 hour driving lesson struggling with many important aspects and no one similar to share it with.
Peter Smythe:
So in reality, there’s less time behind the wheel, more time getting bored, irrelevant training being given to the passenger but it makes life easier for the trainer.
I would say the time behind the wheel is very similar. Why would the pasenger get bored? He wants to soak up every bit of information available. A candidate can sometimes learn more from observing than from doing. Otherwise what is the point of instructor demonstrations?
Reasons 2:1 is the better option (in my humble opinion)
- Instead of paying for 1 hour’s driving and receiving 1 hour’s training you pay for 1 hour but receive 2 hour’s training
- You cover more miles throughout the course. See twice as many hazards, see twice as many awkward moments. In fact see twice as much of everything.
- You get used to concentrating for the 60 minutes duration of the test. In a 4 hour solo session the last 90 minutes are normally wasted as the candidate is mentally exhausted.
- The candidate does not feel so alone as he has somebody (normally fairly similar standard) to discuss things with
- There are loads more but the post is getting long
Reasons schools operate 1:1 training
- The trainer can be used on a different vehicle type in the afternoon
- The training company does not have 3 seats in the vehicle
- The trainer can sell the same course at different prices to different people without students getting to know that
- No student ever sees another person fail the test. This means the provider can continue with absurb claims of 90% pass rates. (not every provider of course)
- There are of course more reasons.
Obviously these are just opinions but my opinion is based on approaching 30 years experience. That said Peter has more than that and is entitled to his opinions which of course I respect.
At the end of the day the candidate must choose.
Regards
John
Flair Training
John
You clearly have strong feelings on this; I can’t be bothered to get involved with the arguments backwards and forwards so I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.
To anyone out there, you make up your own mind. Both methods work - just differently.
All the best, Pete
Sorry mate, but "I have been told today… " isn’t quite good enough.
If you can post something credible and verifiable to back-up what you said, then I’ll reinstate it, otherwise it stays out of sight in order to protect both you and TN from possible legal action.
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Edited by dd.
Hi Kev
Perhaps if you reposted the message in a different way we could all enjoy your message.
Every member of the board looks forward to new messages.
BTW this is the the VERY best place to get advice about training, testing or anything associated with it.
Always here to help mate as are many others
Regards
John
Flair Training
Thanks for that John, i wont post on that subject again. I did not mean to upset anyone .I use trucknet most days and have learnt alot from it! Thanks again all .