Hi all,
I’m new to this site and looking to become a truck driver as there is loads of jobs in the Blackpool area.
I am thinking of using Advantage HGV, they are not the cheapest, but they seem to offer a great deal, so I was wondering if anyone has passed with them and are they as good as they look?
Thanks in advance
Databear
welcome along Databear, no doubt Rog will be along to tell you the best thing to do!! Welcome to the madhouse 
If you click the link in my signature it will lead you to an index where you can access a lot of info which may be of use to you 
GENERAL DRIVING TIPS BEFORE STARTING LGV C TRAINING
A number of LGV instructors, myself included, are finding that the general driving standard of many trainees coming to do their LGV ‘C’ course is not at a very high standard.
I have had a number who ‘THINK’ they are good but find myself having to go ‘BACK TO BASICS’ before they can really start learning how to handle a truck.
For the trainee this means wasted time on the course and that means that the trainee is paying good money to be taught how to drive again 
There are a number of things that a driver can do before starting their first LGV training course to improve their general driving.
The obvious ones are to practise the DSA procedures, which could mean losing the rear view mirror, and then, every time to set off, doing the mirror, mirror, blind spot routine. Checking BOTH side mirrors before moving within the lane you are in, signalling or before the increasing & decreasing of your speed.
The less obvious is to practise forward planning — the THINKING bit.
A good way of doing this is to use your brakes a lot less than what you do at present — sounds daft but think about it — to use the brakes less then you will have to ease off earlier — to ease off earlier you will have to plan ahead more.
I don’t mean by changing down through the gearbox either as that will waste fuel.
A good example would be when approaching a queue of standing traffic, which is waiting for traffic lights to change or waiting to enter a roundabout.
The moment you see the queue, check mirrors and ease off in the gear you are in. let the vehicle slow down on it’s own, dipping the clutch as necessary to control any possible stalling. If the vehicle gets to the lowest gear speed (usually first gear) then engage that gear.
If, whilst easing off, you anticipate that the traffic is going to proceed, then engage the gear that will take you with them without rushing up to the rear of the queue.
You will be leaving a large area of tarmac in front of your vehicle when you ease off early. If another vehicle goes into the gap then re-adjust to accommodate it. If you curse at the vehicle that went into your forward space then decide if a few feet of tarmac is worth getting stressed over!!
When following other traffic, do you touch your brakes when they touch theirs? — If yes, then you are too close. Back off so that you can ease off without the use of brakes. Again, this requires a good deal of forward planning, which will be very useful when you drive a truck.
The general idea is to never stop but to keep moving forward even if at a very slow pace.
If you have to use the brakes then plan to use them gradually. Start by taking up the play of the pedal then resting the weight of your foot & leg on the pedal. That is then followed by squeezing down onto the pedal and squeeze down to a depth that will do the job during the middle of your braking so that you can ease off the pedal well before you actually need to come to a stop.
As far as I know Advantage do not have any vehicles or trainers of there own. I think that they just take your money and send you to one of their so called ‘partner’ companies. These partner companies are usually any training company that they can get to do your training, and Advantage charge you and they employ other companies. So IMHO its best to cut out the middleman.
Much better that you find your own local company.
I trained with Red Rose at Bolton, who used to test at Kirkham - might be worth asking them if you could meet them up your way to save travelling to Bolton.
Before you book your training - CLICK THIS
To book any LGV training I suggest the trainee-to-be, visits the training school, meets the head person(s) and has a quick look at the truck BEFORE parting with any money.
Just done a search for blackpool and found this site - blackpool-lgv-courses.co.uk - have you spoken to them.
DSA registered instructor, if like me you think that being registered shows a comittment and experience to training.
Smart Mart:
DSA registered instructor, if like me you think that being registered shows a comittment and experience to training.
Or like me who thinks it does not…
As you can see - on this subject there are different points of view from those in the training industry
thanks for the great info guys.
Definately don’t want to use a 3rd party for the training, and they wanted me to go to Wigan.
Done a bit more research and looked at Lancaster Training in Heysham and I have seen them training loads of people so they look like they must be good, yes?
They work out a bit more expensive than Advantage but at least it goes straight to the trainers.
Thanks ROG for the advice, thankfully I drive a classic beetle so half of what you have advised I do just to get as much mpg as possible lol
try giving these a bell. (just found them on google)
West Coast Training Ltd > Hgv Lgv And Pcv Training in Blackpool
Tel: 01253 713762 -
St Davids Road North,
Lytham St Annes,
Lancashire,
FY8 2JS
i have no idea what they are like or how they work, maybe someone else can tell you but it is local for you.
have they got a website, as I cant seem to find one lol
neither can i!
give them a bell tomorrow and ask them, or even better pop down there and have a chat with them
or do you want us to do that as well? 
lol
I’ll give them a bell in the morning
West Coast Training Ltd > Hgv Lgv And Pcv Training in Blackpool
Before i picked the un-name-able, i looked into this company, was never able to actually find them. Was at night, but even so, no area big enough to keep/store/own a lorry round that area…
If you find different, let me know.
Theres
Red rose training,
Hargreaves www.hargreavestraining.com [leeds/manchester]
Cargo cargodts.co.uk/ [Burnley]]
Lancaster training lantrain.com/ [Lancaster]
Benshaw benshawtraining.co.uk/ [Colne]
NorthLancsHGV northlancshgv-lgvtraining.co.uk/ [Accrington]
Might be wrong but i think Nightfreight do training aswell! Google, HGV training, LGV training, Lorry training, and other variants, also the yellow pages is a good place to look aswell
Always do loooots of research and check on these forums for other peoples comments…
, if you google HGV training Northwest Uk, DONT go for the top one