I have constantly commented on the low standards of training that folks receive from some unqualified and unregistered instructors. But I have now discovered a new “low”.
Just had to train, virtually from scratch, a guy who had been “trained” elsewhere as an LGV Instructor. He was dreadful. I have two points here. Firstly, the same fella could have gone out and called himself an instructor and been perfectly legal - even if he was clueless. Secondly, it begs questions about the so called “trainer” who was meant to have trained him. There was no evidence of any system or consistency and much of the information was downright incorrect.
This industry bothers me sometimes. Not only do we have no regulation over instructors (there is NO compulsory qualification to become an LGV instructor) but now we have a “trainer” purporting to be able to train folks as instructors and doing the job just as badly.
Happy to say that the candidate passed today on his second attempt - his first with me.
Wannabees really must check on the qualifications of their chosen trainer.
Pete 
Something you trainers need getting together and get sorted Pete.
its the same for all the agency’s and non excitant jobs posted…
they should all be licenced and answerable to a legal body.
Peter Smythe:
Wannabees really must check on the qualifications of their chosen trainer.
Maybe easier said than done Pete. Think I’d find it a little awkward asking that question without concern over offending the trainer. And even if I did ask the question, as a newbie would I really understand the answer I got?
Agreed that there should be some formalisation/qualification to be a trainer, but for simplicity and transparency for the candidate who is at the end of the day paying for the service. I’d think that Pass/Fail league tables on a trainer would be a good place to start.
Then Good trainers with higher pass rates can charge a premium and be rewarded for their efforts, and bad trainers go out of business.
But maybe that’s an overly simplistic view of it…
Let me tell you how my LGV instructor training went in 2005 with a certain Anonymous Truck Training company in Hinckley Leics - google is your friend 
I was first approached by a fellow member of my advanced driving group who was a senior trainer at that company
He knew I had 8 years experience of assisting and advising drivers to advanced test standard - but that was different to instructing them and it was all cars!
I joined with another newbie instructor and we were given a morning out with the trainer - after that we were given a map of the Northampton test routes and told to take a lorry and learn them - just the two of us newbies
We spent a few days learning those routes and … I found the T bars where the other instructors took their trainees so we made a point of gaining as much info from them as poss
That was week 1
Week 2 we had 2 trainees each all day for 5 days with test on day 5 - mine both passed and the other newbie instructor had 1 of 2 pass
I made a bee line for the examiner who conducted both of my tests for feed back - THAT WAS INVALUABLE 
That was the only way I knew how well I was doing
From that point I got over 50% first time passes which was the same as those who were on the DSA register at the Weedon test centre
I have previously mentioned the DSA should publish all trainer bookers test results on a league table.
I’ve nothing to hide and very proud of my success.
Paul
I was one of those unlucky people that learned the hard way of not looking in to training providers and types of vehicles used.
I do think they should be answering to some authority figure.
And be scrutinised on vehicles with the o licence.
As all in all my first provider I could have wrote a book on my experience.
2 of our class 2 drivers were put through their class 1 paid for by the company but using a local training school and they reckon the instructor spent most of the time on his phone and was just generally not interested, there was 2 of them learning together and were barely doing 2 hrs of driving a day.
And also they were taught something wrong regarding the reversing and the allowance of a shunt meaning the first one failed because he was taught wrong but he did get message to the other lad who did it differently and subsequently passed.
Maybe easier said than done Pete. Think I’d find it a little awkward asking that question without concern over offending the trainer. And even if I did ask the question, as a newbie would I really understand the answer I got?
Yes, I understand your point. Personally, I wouldn’t worry about offending someone who MAY be about to rip me off. The question is “Are you DSA Registered”. If the answer is “no” then you must seek recommendation as there is no evidence available to prove their ability to do the job. If the answer is “yes” then you ask to see the badge. Any genuine DSA Reg instructor will have no problem in producing their badge.
I must make it clear that there are instructors out there who, for whatever reason, are not DSA registered. But it begs the question, why?
I know ROG has a good answer for his own circumstances which are probably unique. But I really fail to understand why instructors don’t put themselves through the process and prove their ability. That takes the doubt out of folks’ minds.
Whilst on my high horse, the next stage is DSA LGV Centre Accreditation. There’s only a handful in the country. Why? Fact is that if you choose one of these and something goes wrong, you have redress to DSA who will be very interested in your complaint. Apart from this, you’re on your own. Incidentally, all trainers employed by such centres have to be registered with DSA. It’s a form of quality assurance which is surely a good thing.
Pete
I don’t think poor training is the norm however this is my view regarding trainers.
New trainers have generally been former lorry drivers. Some think that becoming a trainer will mean relatively short working days, usually 8-4 or similar. No nights away and no delivery deadlines or tacho rules and very little dealing with VOSA and other authorities. However after a while perhaps a year or so some find it very repetitive and boring. To make matters worse some companies actually encourage a low pass rate because of lucrative retest fees. After all a candidate rarely really knows how last weeks students done on the test.
Some trainers however take pride in their work and do join the DSA register after passing 3 separate tests and really feel each test fail as badly as the candidate himself.
Like most professions experience is important and it takes around 5 years before a new trainer has seen most things and has the experience to pass on the finer points that can be so important on test day.
As you will only book a course once in your life it is vital to make the correct choice of trainer. With nothing else to go on I would advise choosing one on the DSA register although there are some great trainers not on it.
ROG:
Let me tell you how my LGV instructor training went in 2005 with a certain Anonymous Truck Training company in Hinckley Leics - google is your friend
I like what you did there
Ive gone with Data Academy (Who i had never heard of until joining here and doing research), got them on facebook too and every other day theres photos of happy newbies with their 1st or 2nd time passes, cat c , c e , mod 4 etc , week to go for me 
Even if DSA registered there is no guarantee of good instruction it can depend on the instructor & how he speaks to his candidate & shouldnt matter who is paying or who they are al are very important that day / week instructors need to make candidates feel at easy & have total confidence
Just because 1 of them his parents bought him a lordship or the person that is having funding both should be treat as equal sometimes you need to instruct 1 slightly different from the other depend how they process the info
I don’t think this is the place to be little other trainers. The law states to train someone on a LGV you have to of held that category for 3 years.
Ok there is a voluntary register that trainers have the option to join.
When I started off in this profession in I was trained for a week by my last employer. It’s when you start training you tend to learn, in fact I used to sit in on tests to see what the examiners are looking for, the best learning kerb for me! also listening to the examiners debrief at the end of test pass or fail.
Dissatisfied customers will name and shame poor trainers and this is easily done now especially with the social media tools.
Generally poor trainers won’t last in this industry.
Us trainers need to concentrate on the service we deliver keeping up with our high standards.
Personally I’m extremely busy at the moment and enjoying my work.
Paul
Any industry will have good and bad - and Driver training is no different - and as animal quite rightly said being qualified doesn’t mean you are good at the job, only qualified.
I do agree with the feeling that a better regulated industry would help to raise the level in general - and I would like to see it - but would it eliminate the bad trainers 
John
Just because 1 of them his parents bought him a lordship or the person that is having funding both should be treat as equal sometimes you need to instruct 1 slightly different from the other depend how they process the info
… and this is part of my point. A properly trained instructor will be able to do this with no problem.
Generally poor trainers won’t last in this industry.
I know of two in the East Midlands that have been trading for 20 + years. Both awful. Both should go and do something else. Both stay in business because there is no regulation and they’re cheap.
Us trainers need to concentrate on the service we deliver keeping up with our high standards.
Totally. And we can improve this by becoming accountable as registered instructors.
I don’t think this is the place to be little other trainers.
I agree. Unless a trainer is clearly very dodgy, I would never attempt to criticise. And I don’t believe I have.
The fact remains that there are great differences between trainers and candidates need to be aware of this. In the last 10 minutes I’ve pm’d a reply to someone who’s failed Mod 4 because the trainer didn’t have the correct equipment to train him on. That’s the sort of thing that niggles me more than a little. There’s plenty of trainers with the right gear; but there is no regulation to ensure that the candidate can find these people. The only sure way, in that particular case, is to go for someone with their own test centre as they must have the correct equipment for testing. I am merely saying that the playing field is far from level and must be extremely difficult for a new candidate to navigate.
In the last week I have spent 3 days carrying out remedial training to 3 candidates all of whom have been taught incorrectly. To me, that’s indicative of a serious problem in the industry.
Pete
As well as being regulated the candidate ( us ) should do more research instead of being keyboard warriors this is poss how they pay to much to brokers
Just my opinion yep I did do some research before as was already a member on here & knew not to go with brokers as If it look to good to be true it properly is looked around before deciding
As well as being regulated the candidate ( us ) should do more research instead of being keyboard warriors this is poss how they pay to much to brokers
Of course, I agree with you 100%. BUT if the industry was properly regulated, it would be so much easier for the candidate to find a good trainer. In my mind, the problem is lack of quality assurance.
Pete
Peter Smythe:
As well as being regulated the candidate ( us ) should do more research instead of being keyboard warriors this is poss how they pay to much to brokers
Of course, I agree with you 100%. BUT if the industry was properly regulated, it would be so much easier for the candidate to find a good trainer. In my mind, the problem is lack of quality assurance.
Pete
This is quite true & as most thing nowadays are regulated it is about time trainers were as you said anyone can set up as a trainer no matter what not good
There is a decent trainer round here 1 man band with an odlish lorry but in quite good service not sure if he is DAS registered or not but seems to do ok with passes
There is a decent trainer round here 1 man band with an odlish lorry but in quite good service not sure if he is DAS registered or not but seems to do ok with passes
Maybe if he isn’t registered he could consider it.
There is an inherent difficulty with running one truck - vehicle replacement. Classic case: on Thursday I had a young man to train (from the forum) from 0800 with his test at 1400. The vehicle was duly checked and out on the yard ready to go at 0700. At 0707 another operator’s vehicle reversed into it and removed the nearside mirror unit completely.
Enter the spare vehicle. Started training at 0757. At 0820 the other vehicle was returned to the bay complete with new mirrors. So the candidate lost nothing. The damaged vehicle was auto. The spare was manual. So we started with the couple/uncouple which is exactly the same.
But a guy with just one truck would have difficulty if someone was stupid enough to remove his mirrors! This is my only reticence with the one vehicle operator. The age of the vehicle is irrelevant provided it’s properly maintained. But you don’t have to look far on the forum to find the stories of trucks jumping out of gear, brakes that don’t work effectively etc etc.
So I maintain my stance that, as a minimum, why shouldn’t a trainer be DSA registered? What’s the problem? It’s more difficult to become an Accredited Training Centre because of the required infrastructure. But, interestingly, any trainer with their own test centre has achieved 90% of the requirements. But they must employ DSA reg instructors. And this is the only quality assurance currently available in the industry. Recommendations are great if you can find someone who is able to recommend a trainer.
Pete
I’ve been stung in the past with my class 1 training, after going with a company who weren’t DSA registered. The training was awful. I think if I get a chance to do my class 1 again, I will definitely look for a training company who are accredited.
Peter Smythe:
I know ROG has a good answer for his own circumstances which are probably unique.
I can confirm that ROG is unique.
There’s only one ROG!!