Getting started... slowly!

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Now then, I started crawling toward being a driver, as usual, life finds a way of getting in the way! Still, i’m keeping the embers warm reading all you lot passing your tests on here :laughing:

Sent off for my D2, then moved house before it arrived. :unamused:
Sent off for another D2
Download a D4, head onto driversmedicals… ah, bugger, I’ve sent my licence off for the change of address. No car licence, no medical. No problem, I’ll wait it out.
I’m waiting on my car licence back, so that I can book in the medical and send off for my provisional lorry licence.
Oh bugger, I got given a truck driving experience for my birthday - I’m going to need my car licence for that, best to wait a little longer.

I’m looking at NDC Croydon or Wallace School of Transport in Battersea/Croydon at the moment, but should get my provisional back before I go and have a nose around.

Got to get a car, as I’m going to need to be able to transport myself around a little better than my bicycle!

It’s a lot of faffing around and bloody expensive, especially having to buy a car on top of paying for all the training and tests! I’ve got a fair amount of holiday banked though, I’ve been saving it up - if everything goes to plan, I should be able to get everything sorted ‘on holiday’ :smiley:

2

I think Wallace are pretty good, we had an instructor that worked for us that previously was employed by them and by the sound of it the operate a customer focused business with good feedback.

Maybe you should buy yourself a big van rather than a car, good practice for driving the truck! Plus Wallace have bought some automatic trucks, I strongly recommend you train in an auto, especially if you aren’t a frequent driver at the moment as you don’t own a car, however i don’t know what previous driving experience and ability you have.

3

Wallace are good, without a doubt. They are one of the few DSA LGV Accredited Training Centres in the UK. Check it here dft.gov.uk/fyn/lgv.php

In fact, they have more of these centres than anyone else - so that says something.

NDC are also good, I believe. They bought a truck from us some time ago and certainly seem committed to doing a good job.

Go for an assessment at both. Try not to base your decision on price alone. It’s to do with how comfortable you are with trainer, facilities, vehicles etc. If you’re comfortable you’ll learn more easily and enjoy the experience rather than it being a chore.

All the best with it, Pete :laughing: :laughing:

4

Tockwith Training:
I think Wallace are pretty good, we had an instructor that worked for us that previously was employed by them and by the sound of it the operate a customer focused business with good feedback.

Maybe you should buy yourself a big van rather than a car, good practice for driving the truck! Plus Wallace have bought some automatic trucks, I strongly recommend you train in an auto, especially if you aren’t a frequent driver at the moment as you don’t own a car, however i don’t know what previous driving experience and ability you have.

Thanks TT, I think I’ll stick to a small car though for practical reasons!

I’m still weighing up the auto vs. manual thing - I expect that going on the assessment drives will help me make a decision. Auto is my preference in a car, but dealing with gears isn’t something I’ve ever been worried about - I see it as a hassle rather than a challenge!

I’ve been driving for 11 years and although I haven’t owned a car for a few years now, I still drive a variety of cars and vans from time to time. In fact, it was driving from here to Malaga at the end of last year that gave me the push to get out of my rut and learn to drive a lorry.

Peter Smythe:
Wallace are good, without a doubt. They are one of the few DSA LGV Accredited Training Centres in the UK. Check it here dft.gov.uk/fyn/lgv.php

In fact, they have more of these centres than anyone else - so that says something.

NDC are also good, I believe. They bought a truck from us some time ago and certainly seem committed to doing a good job.

Go for an assessment at both. Try not to base your decision on price alone. It’s to do with how comfortable you are with trainer, facilities, vehicles etc. If you’re comfortable you’ll learn more easily and enjoy the experience rather than it being a chore.

All the best with it, Pete :laughing: :laughing:

Thanks Peter, that’s the website that I found Wallace on.

NDC won’t sign you up without an assessment and Wallace offer them, so I’m sorted there. I’m a believer in paying for quality - but I like to know what I’m paying for! :laughing:

5

I’m a believer in paying for quality - but I like to know what I’m paying for! :laughing:

One of the most sensible comments on here for a long time!!

Good luck with it, Pete :laughing: :laughing:

6

I paid £1800 to Wallace to train my misses. She wanted to become a hgv driver, bless her. I went along for the drive around before the big test. I was shocked at the behaviour of the instructor in Watford branch. His name is simon, and he was way over the top over reacting to my misses driving.

Im LGV 1 driver for 12 years, and I was impressed at my misses abilities. Honestly, she was better than me, as you might be surprised that women are really natural at driving lorries.

He was already stressed from the long hours of training, and he was really milking it for the company. He made her focus on the rev counter and if she made a mistake, he would lose it. He tempered his behaviour when he noticed in the corner of his eye, me glaring at him.

He was clearly wasting a lot of our money and her time on the making her focus on the rev counter all the time, when he could have simply told her the max speed in each gear.

It was clearly a ■■■■-take. Then at one point he really lost it and reached over to grab the wheel, when she was clearly driving at a safe distance from the near-side parked cars. Then he tried to defend his behaviour by going on about - what if someone opened their door… any way she failed because he didn’t give her enough training on the courses, because the test centre was in yeading, and they were driving around Watford and park royal. she didn’t spend hardly any time in the circuits near yeading until on the day, so she came to an intersection where she had to turn right on uxbridge rd, and it was one of those where you had to move into the middle of the rd and turn when the light changes red, that’s the only opportunity she had, she timed it wrong and ended up in the middle of the rd, thus failing, apart from that she would have passed.

when they returned to the test centre this simon looked happy, and I thought she had passed, when I heard she failed I felt sick to the stomach. He shouldn’t be training if he has stress or an attitude towards women.

Also the guy stank of BO, I had trouble focusing while his arm pits were wafting the cab out. Im really angry with this company. They are phoney nice guys, they are like all the rest, they have every incentive for you to fail, and absoloutly no incentive for you to pass. The icing on the business model cake is for you to fail at least once.

SHE LATER TOLD ME THAT SIMON SAID THAT SHE WAS HOPELESS AND SHE SHOULD LOOK FOR ANOTHER CAREER. Nice people

No thanks to Wallies at Wallace, RIP-OFF!!!

My advice is always let them know you are paying by credit card, and you will be posting your reviews on sites like trucknet.