Lets not forget that VAT increases in a few days…
IMHO 1:1 training works fine as long as the training is spread over 4 or 5 half days. I would not of liked to of done my lessons over a full working day, too exhausting! Also training vehicles with three seats are more likely to attract senior examiners supervising your examiner!
Smart Mart:
£500 per week, crikey I’m working for the wrong firm!
That was just a guess, but even if you take £50 or £100 off that the numbers still don’t really add up.
Plus bear in mind that by the time you take into account National Insurance and holiday pay, budgeting £500/week for a wage is only really enough to pay about £400 before tax.
Paul
repton:
Smart Mart:
£500 per week, crikey I’m working for the wrong firm!That was just a guess, but even if you take £50 or £100 off that the numbers still don’t really add up.
Plus bear in mind that by the time you take into account National Insurance and holiday pay, budgeting £500/week for a wage is only really enough to pay about £400 before tax.
Paul
Yeah I guess so - I forget I only charge for the hours I work!
£25,000 a year or £500.00ish per week would be the right sort of wage for a good instructor so £650 for a course is out of the question for us. We only use modern trucks for our training and have no problem filling the vehicles at £1092.50 inclusive of VAT and test fee. The best results for us come from all day training 2 to 1 training over 5 days.
Our firm has been going since 1971, when my grandad set the company up on a disused airfield. The training day started at 8am and finished at 5pm, imagine that, poor little johnny would be a shaddow of his former self after that day! Back then tho it was done properly, you either did a shared two to one course over 10 days or a one to one over 5 days.
I still believe that a good one to one course will beat any two to one course, of which I have plenty of experience. We now train from 8.30am until 4pm with just one pupil and they don’t over tired.
My day goes like this.
8.30 classroom to cover key points,theory, highway code, whatever s most relevant to the pupil.
10.00 daily walkaround check with show me questions
10.30 reversing practice
11.00 driving practice with short 5 minute breaks to discuss driving every 30 mins or so.
1.30 lunch
2.00 driving practice
3.30 controlled stop and debrief at end in the truck
4pm home time.
I my mind the government should design a set course we all have to follow, it should last two weeks and cover as must as possible, more than the minimum we teach now to get drivers through a short test.
And as for the 1:1 or 2:1 bebate, I think that neither are best, I believe driving is best taught 1:1 but things like reversing, theory, vehicle familiarsation and controlled stops are best done in groups of up to 3 trainees per instuctor. But changing the instructor:trainee ratio all the time is impractical. If you don’t believe me then look at how the police train, they vary the ratio and do one to one where it works best.
I love a good rant, feel free to think different to me!
Tockwith - have answered you here - Training - 2 to 1 all day or 1 to 1 half day - not all day? 
Back to the costs…
I have found another price list from a training provider in the Midlands… I have noticed that prices tend to be less up north and more down south - in general…
C - 5 day 2 to 1 course = £1,225.33
CE - 5 day 2 to 1 course = £1,288.82
C + CE - 2 X 5 day 2 to 1 courses = £2,230.00
retests at £300
all include VAT & test fees
I have noticed that prices tend to be less up north and more down south - in general…
How amazing!! Cost of living, commercial overheads - including insurance - are all lower in the Midlands/North. We have a regular stream of trainees from the South. Not just based on cost but it must have something to do with it.
Happy new year to everyone!! 
ROG:
If intending to go from B (car) to C and C+E then I personally recommend that the trainee has £3,000 to hand in case of any retests
i paid about £2500 on mine, i failed my class 2 first time round, passed second time and passed my class 1 first time (thank god).
these lessons were through system group in carlisle in 2008
Hello,
What do all the trainers think about the fuel rises, last week diesel was 105.9, yesterday 109.9, today 110.9, then on the way back past the same place, 111.9, and we heard on the TV,that by March it could be a much as 125.00, and 80% of this is Tax, what is happening. We all try and make a living but with all these rises, plus the Initial Drive CPC etc, quite a few learners just don’t want to go through all the different training now, so we think there will be a shortage of Drivers over the next few years.
What do all the trainers think about the fuel rises
Simple. 2 choices. Put your rates up or follow the rest down the pan.
Peter Smythe:
What do all the trainers think about the fuel rises
Simple. 2 choices. Put your rates up or follow the rest down the pan.
Completely agree
Some training organisations and brokers are selling to cheaply which is effecting the whole industry which at the moment can only be described as being in crisis!
Some training organisations and brokers are selling to cheaply which is effecting the whole industry which at the moment can only be described as being in crisis!
We quite agree with burnie1