It’s celebration time again as we’ve got the coveted DVSA LGV Training Centre Accreditation (with no advisories) for the 5th consecutive year.
Pete 
Nice one Pete 
Good job. Well done.
Well done Pete you must be very proud.
Paul
well deserved recognition for a first class company.
Thanks for the kind comments; they mean a lot.
It occurs to me that newbies have probably no idea of what the DVSA Centre Accreditation actually means. It is so much more than joining a trade association or club just by paying a subscription. So I thought I’d list some of the criteria that has to be met to reach this exacting standard:
ALL trainers must be on the DVSA LGV Instructor Register
An auditable progress monitoring system, printed route and lesson plan information available to candidates
There must be a reversing area on site, properly surfaced, precisely marked as per test centre, full size with correct cones etc.
A fully equipped training room, suitably furnished, heated, lit and ventilated.
All trucks to carry fire extinguisher, 1st aid kit and warning triangle. Presented in a clean condition and suitable for training
Must produce tax, MOT, insurance and maintenance records for all trucks.
Must have effective Health and Safety Policy together with continually updated risk assessments.
Equal Opportunities Policy
Employer’s Liability Insurance
Public Liability Insurance
The willingness to pay the hefty fee - £500 per year to cover audit visits etc.
Set this against an unqualified guy running any old truck out of a pub car park; surely the difference is clear?
If none of the above is important, book the cheapest you can find. If, however, you consider that this sort of quality assurance is worthwhile, I’ll leave it with you.
Makes you wonder why so few are DVSA Accredited doesn’t it?
BTW, do not confuse private driving test centres with this accreditation - there is no connection. In fact, we happened to be the first private test centre in the UK.
Thanks to all those who have decided to support us.
Pete
Peter Smythe:
Thanks for the kind comments; they mean a lot.It occurs to me that newbies have probably no idea of what the DVSA Centre Accreditation actually means. It is so much more than joining a trade association or club just by paying a subscription. So I thought I’d list some of the criteria that has to be met to reach this exacting standard:
ALL trainers must be on the DVSA LGV Instructor Register
An auditable progress monitoring system, printed route and lesson plan information available to candidates
There must be a reversing area on site, properly surfaced, precisely marked as per test centre, full size with correct cones etc.
A fully equipped training room, suitably furnished, heated, lit and ventilated.
All trucks to carry fire extinguisher, 1st aid kit and warning triangle. Presented in a clean condition and suitable for training
Must produce tax, MOT, insurance and maintenance records for all trucks.
Must have effective Health and Safety Policy together with continually updated risk assessments.
Equal Opportunities Policy
Employer’s Liability Insurance
Public Liability Insurance
The willingness to pay the hefty fee - £500 per year to cover audit visits etc.Set this against an unqualified guy running any old truck out of a pub car park; surely the difference is clear?
If none of the above is important, book the cheapest you can find. If, however, you consider that this sort of quality assurance is worthwhile, I’ll leave it with you.
Makes you wonder why so few are DVSA Accredited doesn’t it?
BTW, do not confuse private driving test centres with this accreditation - there is no connection. In fact, we happened to be the first private test centre in the UK.
Thanks to all those who have decided to support us.
Pete
Very commendable Pete
Then you’ve got a trainer like me who’s not accredited …but
Who is a fully qualified experienced instructor.
Owning well maintained easy to drive trucks which are inspected at regular intervals. Also have dual control in the the C training truck.
Public liability cover
Based in a secure compound that has toilets canteen etc and security cameras
A reversing area that is just a stones throw away with a reversing bay exactly the same as the test bay.
On a current run of 13 straight passes and 90%+ first time pass rate this year.
Keep prices down as I do all the training so no need to pay an instructor.
Having said all that my wife and I run a small training school and have no intention to expand.
Again a different take on running a training school for the TNUK members to read.
Paul
Then you’ve got a trainer like me who’s not accredited …but
Who is a fully qualified experienced instructor.
Owning well maintained easy to drive trucks which are inspected at regular intervals. Also have dual control in the the C training truck.
Public liability cover
Based in a secure compound that has toilets canteen etc and security cameras
A reversing area that is just a stones throw away with a reversing bay exactly the same as the test bay.
On a current run of 13 straight passes and 90%+ first time pass rate this year.
Keep prices down as I do all the training so no need to pay an instructor.
Having said all that my wife and I run a small training school and have no intention to expand.
Again a different take on running a training school for the TNUK members to read.
Paul
That being the case, why not go for accreditation?
Pete
I still say that you cannot beat a good recommendation for school and instructor
ACCREDITATION
The IAM is currently going into the IMI accreditation scheme = a lot of extra crap which will change nothing except to get observers and the organisation bits of recognised paper
If it actually improved something then that’s different but it does not
Not sure what the comparison to IAM has to do with LGV.
There are some indisputable facts in the LGV industry:
We have brokers with their dubious practices
We have “trainers” who have no more qualification than a driving licence
There are trucks being used for training that are nothing short of deathtraps
There are trucks being used for training without the correct insurance
Candidates are frequently hurried on reversing because the trainer is incurring a time related cost
Reversing areas are rarely marked correctly and of the correct dimensions
Training records are not normally maintained - so there is no audit trail
Written information to candidates explaining the course content is not often available
Someone I know is currently being trained in the south of the country. Not surprisingly, there are frequent emails and phone calls. I wont go into the gory details but this one is interesting. I asked him if the instructor was qualified. He said he’d find out. Came back with the answer “qualified by DVLA”. In other words, he’s got a driving licence! No training qualifications whatsoever - and this is the norm rather than the exception. I wont go into detail about the amount of remedial tuition he has had in the last couple of days. But his training, without a shadow of doubt, is substandard. It was the cheapest his boss could find - and I predict it will work out very expensive!
So what is a candidate meant to do if they don’t have recommendation? A standard has been set by DVSA; why shouldn’t trainers aim to achieve this? At least the candidate has some reassurance as to quality. And redress to DVSA if things aren’t right.
It boils down to either going to an Accredited Centre or take your chance. And that is unfortunate because there’s some really good trainers who just haven’t got round to becoming accredited. There’s only a handful in the UK once you exclude those that don’t offer training commercially (eg Fire Services).
Sorry ROG but I see little comparison with IAM.
Pete
I was pointing out that in reality accreditation does not change the end result
I was pointing out that in reality accreditation does not change the end result
In a free market folks will spend their hard earned based on certain judgements. My point is that the training industry has no compulsory watchdog which leaves folks vulnerable to those who prey on them. So the only way of making sure of getting what you pay for, and at assured quality, is the accreditation route.
The IAM is not in a competitive market so it’s difficult to compare and I’m inclined to agree with you that, in that particular case, it may well be paper for the sake of it.
Pete
Peter Smythe:
Set this against an unqualified guy running any old truck out of a pub car park; surely the difference is clear?
:
So if a training company isn’t accredited this is your opinion about them?
IMO a unjustified comment about a lot of training schools who provide an excellent service. It seems to me you look down on the likes of me and other training providers in a snobbish way because we aren’t accredited.
Perhaps you would be better served writing to your local MP about your concerns you have addressed.
Rant over
Paul
You miss my point Paul. I would never be so rude about you and I think you know that.
You will continue to gain work on recommendation which is always the best way.
But you know as well as I do that there are some extremely poor training offerings out there and there is nothing to prevent a potential candidate falling into the trap of (often) cheap training.
My argument is that the accreditation system is there - why not go for it?
I never said that I considered all non accredited trainers to be rubbish - just that it’s very difficult for folks to determine which is good and which isn’t.
I have recommended your services in the past and will continue to do so as I consider that you offer a perfectly good service and are genuinely interested in the outcome.
So why not go for accreditation Paul!!
Pete
There is always the other question - what makes the accreditation by a certain body worth its credulity?
If it is proven that those being accredited are better than others not accredited then fine but in this type of case we do not seem to have any such proof … do we?
Peter Smythe:
So why not go for accreditation Paul!!Pete
My company Is to small Pete. I’m also very happy how things are going at the moment.
But never say never.
I like to think the service I offer is of a high standard and to be the truthful the ones not as good as me make me stand out ahead of them 
People have a choice when they go supermarket shopping M&S or Aldi do you get where I’m coming from?
Paul
Ps wife’s just burnt my tea which helped contribute to my rant lol!!!