I did my theory this morning, and now I’m looking for a practical cat C course. I was going to go with RoadTrain because I’ve heard good things, but it’s a bit far from my house. Then I found Wallace School of Transport have a Battersea location which is much more useful (I live in Wimbledon). I also found out they’re DSA accredited. Did anyone here do their training with Wallace? Are they any good or should I just ■■■■ it and do some travelling? Also, does DSA accreditation actually mean anything in real-life terms, or is it just a tag so they can increase their price?
Is there anyone else to look at? A friend did their cat C at EP training in Leatherhead, but said it was all seemed a bit suspect and dodgy.
I’ve tried a search on this site but came up with minimal info.
I don’t know any driving schools ‘darn sowff’ but the DSA accreditation does count for something. Remember that (almost) anyone who holds a cat C or C+E could teach you but those who are on the DSA Register have had proper training and had their driving and teaching ability assessed as to be competent.
I’m sure there are some good instructors who haven’t (yet?) got the DSA accreditation (it’s not cheap - I should know! ) but training with one that has would give you a better chance.
BTW, there’s nothing wrong with asking to see to their accreditation - it’s a kind of certificate thingy and would normally be hanging proudly on the wall!!
If it’s the same Wallace who also have a base at Wembley they’re pretty good - or were 15 years ago when they got me through me C+E first time after a long layoff from rigid work. Not the cheapest but very professional.
It is the same Wallace based in Wembley. I went for an assessment with them on Tuesday and have put a deposit down. They seemed pretty good, professional and their vehicles looked in good shape. Definitely not the cheapest, and is more than I was expecting to pay, but I figure that if I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it properly.
Well, for the sake of completeness, I finished my cat C course on Tuesday and passed first time (5 minors)
Wallace were particularly convenient for me as I could drive to Battersea where my training was in 10 minutes in good traffic, so this counts for a bit… especially when my training started at 8am or earlier every morning (this is for someone who doesn’t usually start work before 1pm usually)!
After my assessment, they said ideally, I needed 6 days of one-to-one tuition with 4 hours per day. I went with this as I thought I may as well do it properly if I’m gonna do it, but I found it VERY difficult to concentrate for this length of time every day. I felt physically shattered after I finished for the first 2/3 days. Also, I started off driving one of their 18 ton box bodys, which broke down after 2 days of training so I ended up doing my test in an 8 ton flatbed Leyland DAF, which was a bit easier to manouevre but took a bit longer to get used to driving.
I think that I could have paid less for my training than I did by going to another company, but in the end, I passed and I didn’t have to go through the rigmorale of re-tests, and you can’t slate them for that! If I was ever going to (or ever do) go for C+E, I’d probably use Wallace again.
There will be a huge number of vacancies for rigid LGV drivers in the London area in the next few years due to the 2012 Olympics.
Tippers, Mixers, Concrete Pumps, Cabin and Plant Hirers, Bricks and Blocks, etc. etc.
Cheers guys. I have no plans to become solely a lorry driver, as the reason I did my cat C was to drive sound trucks in my current line of work (I’m a live sound engineer). I only really needed C1 entitlement at the moment, but you never know when it’ll come in handy.
) but training with one that has would give you a better chance.
Well Done on the Test success.