jrt may I suggest a phone call to 1 of the trainers on here most will be able to give you advice on the phone with no obligation to book ( I have done this as I said with both Peter Smyth & Rick @ Data Academy ) they both give me a lot of help & advice & no I have not used either due to fact I have the choice of 3 good providers in my area
This is just a thought 
not sure whats the best move on that one right now. proās and conās ither way i think. First iāll speak to other training centre. going somewhere new may result in finding a trainer whos better or just more suited to me. but on the other hand it will most proberly mean a lorry im not used to and leaning roads in a city that I donāt know all over again. least where i am Iāv had plenty of training alreddy round the test routes and iām used to the lorry. even if the lorry may not be the best suited to learn in. not that I would know whats a good one to train in ? again thats going personal apinion. but its a late 90ās scania 4 under 4 over.
It would be an interesting exercise for you to have a couple of assessment drives with well known reputable trainers. Some charge a little, some nothing. At least then youāll see the difference.
On one hand, the current trainer is using a truck around 13/14/15 years old with an instructor who has found the cure for insomnia! Trouble is, they forget to tell you whatās in the test, change instructors part way through and then use different methods.
Or you could try a properly accredited training centre with new trucks and consistency between trainers. But they wouldnāt change mid-course anyway except in case of hospitilisation.
Chalk and cheese spring to mind. Hope theyāre cheap!
Pete 
jrt:
scania 4 under 4 over
That made me smile - they usually get called 4 over 4
Both mean the same thing
thay are dsa approved for what ever thats worth. because if thay are then it relly doseānt garentee much dose it ? unless thay are displaying dsa aprroved and thay have just made it up. thay charge about the same as every other traineing company dose. i didānt choose on price alone. I know you get what you pay for. besides theres alot of extra cost in going further afeild to another training cetre. so could wind up passing first time but its cost the same in travel and or B,B costs as having to pay for a second retest localy.
jrt:
thay are dsa approved for what ever thats worth.
THIS IS PURELY A PERSONAL OPINION
Having been a LGV instructor from 2005 to 2008 and talking to many others I do not rate the DSA LGV instructor voluntary register at all
Although I have never been registered I met many who had been and gave it up IF THEIR BOSSES ALLOWED THEM TO because it makes good advertising to entice punters
I have never worked for a company which has an approved DSA centre so cannot comment on that aspect.
goodluck on next test jrt.sometimes it all depends who is on the road on the day,someone driving too fast on to a round about,could result in a fail . I do know your instructor should have told you about independent driving.
thay are dsa approved for what ever thats worth.
Dozens of trainers display the DSA logo - illegally. Itās strictly controlled by copyright law.
Thatās just typical of an unregulated industry populated by operators who are in it JUST for the money. Nothing wrong with making a profit (in fact, itās a really good idea if you want to stay in business) but itās vital to provide the service the customer has paid for.
From your account of your training I hope they are not accredited. BUT if they are, please call the DSA and tell them whatās going on. They would be very interested.
A phone call to the DSA at Nottingham HQ will tell you straight away whether or not they are accredited. And DSA might like to know about any claims that are being made.
I, for one, would be very interested to know the outcome of that conversation. Alternatively, pm me the name of the trainer and Iāll tell you immediately if itās an accredited centre.
All the best, Pete
well I donāt relly want to go off on a witch hunt over what happend. like I said befor I met afew guys over the time i was there that had all passed and seemed very thankful to the trainers. that was another thing that made me think thay mustānt be to bad at how thay train there. I know its not the be all and end all. just not a bad thing ither yer.
i will see if thay are relly dsa aproved. will be intresting to know if thay relly are. if there not I donāt relly want to go starting trouble even if it is braking the law. If thats there game then thats up to them. only thing thats up to me is whever to stay with them or not witch if there not truly dsa aproved i will definatly go with another trainer. witch i will proberly be going to do anyway.
besides its a very small world and an even smaller england. And I do know there very well know in the localy hallage industry round here. i donāt relly want to go making enemys. donāt feel its worth it over these couple of issues anyway.
to be fair I had very few minors on the test just 2 majors witch im not trying to make sound ok. But i could have done the same mastakes even with the best trainers in the world. i made another driving slow down and fluffed getting the right lane witch more than anything i put down to a bad habit form car driving for 17 years.
but i will post up a yes or no on weather thay are relly dsa or not.
Did you see a blue badge on the windscreen? Did you see and sign your training record? Do they have their own reversing area.
Answer NO to any of these and they are not accredited. Or they should have the accreditation removed.
Pete
it makes good advertising to entice punters
Dead right. If youāve got it, flaunt it! In the case of accredited centre, it also offers safeguards to the customer that are not in place elsewhere.
I have never worked for a company which has an approved DSA centre
With respect Rog, you couldnāt as the accredited centre can only employ qualified and registered instructors. Which, as you say, you never have been.
Itās amazing how many approaches we get from truck drivers wanting to work for us as trainers. NONE of them get a start. And that is generally because they run a mile once they find out the system we work to. They normally think that a week riding round with another instructor will be enough to get them going. Scary!
Pete
yer thay do have there own reversing area and you take the test from and too there own yard where the reverseing area is. witch i have heard some trainer have to take there trainees to aproved test centres dont know if iv got that right or not.
Some of the trainers here have there own reverse area but all use the same test station well all 3 of them
Pete, Iām pretty sure that where I went for my Class 2 didnāt have the things you mentioned nor a proper reversing area like what you have, but theyāre still legit. Well, I think J Coates are 
I donāt recall about the badges, and it wasnāt something I actively looked for as I didnāt know about it. Most trainers tend to get defensive when you ask them about their credentials and some can go quite OTT about itā¦
ISTR my trainer was bigger than me for my CE but I already knew about YOUR training records
Getting a bit drawn out this now tbh! You pulled out more or less in front of a car, then took the wrong lane on the approach to a roundabout, and what ever else happened! Itās all about getting that test drive up to passing standard, all this balloxing about with different people telling ya different things, dsa standard badges here, reversing lanes there, we do this, and I do that, Is NOT going to do your head any favours if u want my opinion. Give yourself a good shake, get the ball rolling again, and do what you think you have to do!
Peter Smythe:
it makes good advertising to entice punters
Dead right. If youāve got it, flaunt it! In the case of accredited centre, it also offers safeguards to the customer that are not in place elsewhere.
I have never worked for a company which has an approved DSA centre
With respect Rog, you couldnāt as the accredited centre can only employ qualified and registered instructors. Which, as you say, you never have been.
Itās amazing how many approaches we get from truck drivers wanting to work for us as trainers. NONE of them get a start. And that is generally because they run a mile once they find out the system we work to. They normally think that a week riding round with another instructor will be enough to get them going. Scary!
Pete
Would you say thereās a difference in driving, with someone who passed with you, and someone who passed with another outfit who didnāt have all these things you have?
Pete I can understand your frustration at this type of situation but you are doing it right,
According to Rog who I also respect:-
Having been a LGV instructor from 2005 to 2008 and talking to many others I do not rate the DSA LGV instructor voluntary register at all
Although I have never been registered I met many who had been and gave it up IF THEIR BOSSES ALLOWED THEM TO because it makes good advertising to entice punters
I have never worked for a company which has an approved DSA centre so cannot comment on that aspect.
Please Rog tell the board which instructor qualification you do RATE. You clearly have very strong opinions about the DSA Vol Reg in your experience from 2005-2008
I started training in 1983 and others on here before me. At least talk about something you know about. Personally on the register from 04-08 and more recently just qualified again.
If you could pass the 3 tests (very similar to to the car ADI) in the next 12 months I will give you Ā£2000.
Like I said Rog I respect you but talk about something you know. (PS I still love u)
At the moment jrt you havnt got your 'pass ā certificate, & you mentioned in a previous post about the cost, driving a different vehicle ,in a different area, cost of b&b if you travelled away to train, well I did travell a long way up country to a very reputable trainer , to do both my class C & C+E, at a very reasoable fee, included was b&b all pre arranged for me, & I came away with two good āPassesā 
Iām still smiling & out there truck driving ,so No money wasted ,got what I needed & doing what I wanted to do, thanks to Peter Smythe.
LGVTrainer:
Pete I can understand your frustration at this type of situation but you are doing it right,According to Rog who I also respect:-
Having been a LGV instructor from 2005 to 2008 and talking to many others I do not rate the DSA LGV instructor voluntary register at all
Although I have never been registered I met many who had been and gave it up IF THEIR BOSSES ALLOWED THEM TO because it makes good advertising to entice punters
I have never worked for a company which has an approved DSA centre so cannot comment on that aspect.Please Rog tell the board which instructor qualification you do RATE. You clearly have very strong opinions about the DSA Vol Reg in your experience from 2005-2008
I started training in 1983 and others on here before me. At least talk about something you know about. Personally on the register from 04-08 and more recently just qualified again.
If you could pass the 3 tests (very similar to to the car ADI) in the next 12 months I will give you Ā£2000.
Like I said Rog I respect you but talk about something you know. (PS I still love u)
If you could pass 3 tests ill give you Ā£2000! I know this isnāt aimed at me, but seriously! Thereās some people on here who just like to blow there own trumpets!
Please Rog tell the board which instructor qualification you do RATE.
Recommendations from previous trainees
You clearly have very strong opinions about the DSA Vol Reg in your experience from 2005-2008
Not just from my limited experience but also from those who have been in the game for very much longer
LGV INSTRUCTOR DEBATE which was interesting because Martin who had such strong views for years eventually decided not to bother any more with the register