tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83466406031054809132011-11-27T16:41:35.408-08:00....a long way beyond! Professional Fleet Driver Training for company Car, Van and 4x4 drivers.Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.comBlogger701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-2753413244937632822011-11-12T06:17:00.001-08:002011-11-12T06:34:58.186-08:00

We've been out with the utilities companies and their contractors again this winter, working with 4x4 drivers to ensure that they understand both the capabilities, and more importantly limitations, of their vehicles. Around this time of year many companies hire 4x4s in the hope that they will be able to keep working throughout the winter. Unfortunately, many of these vehicles are normally

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-25996539405124809212011-09-28T15:42:00.000-07:002011-09-28T15:42:23.773-07:00

We've been coaching drivers across the whole of the UK for several years, but we now have dedicated 4x4 training courses in Devon and the ability to run workplace ATV and Quad Bike Courses in Devon also. So wherever you are across the south west of England, we can train your drivers and riders to the highest standards. We even run 4x4, ATV and Quad Bike training in Somerset and Dorset, as well

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-66509526498568061912011-09-23T02:28:00.000-07:002011-09-23T02:29:48.060-07:00

We've just spent a week running quad bike and UTV Training at Holkham Hall in Norfolk. Working with a great bunch of guys from the farms, gardens, woodland and game shoot, we covered a whole variety of machines from 2wd Honda and 4wd Honda Foreman quads, through to a variety of UTVs (Utility Terrain Vehicles) including the Polaris Ranger, the John Deere Gator, the Kawasaki Mule and the new JCB

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-90677877344913479272011-09-04T03:51:00.000-07:002011-09-04T04:05:57.327-07:00

We've been running 4x4 training for several years for off-road drivers, but recently we've been asked to prepare on-road 4x4 drivers for winter conditions. Giving a driver a 4x4 capable vehicle for the winter will often make them less safe on the road, as the majority of commercial 4x4s run for the majority of the time in rear wheel drive, so have no added grip benefits. Add to this the extra

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-38322117477221311172011-03-26T08:45:00.000-07:002011-03-26T09:04:35.980-07:00

As the duty of care to company drivers increases, companies are looking for a way to assess their drivers in a cost effective manner. At Beyond Driving, we have been running driver assessments for several years, in a wide range of companies, using a whole variety of different vehicles, from company cars, vans and 4x4s, to quad bikes and ATVs.However, we are fully aware, that our specialist

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-59481102803041788762011-01-05T08:14:00.000-08:002011-01-05T08:48:49.863-08:00

Well 2011 is here, and the snow has already been and gone, but we're not betting it won't be back again.It's going to be a busy year for us, we've been training quad bike riders to use snow ploughs and gritters (and strangely enough, a brusher for an astroturf football pitch - not seasonal, but...).We've been training 4x4 drivers in winter driving courses - how to deal with the ice and snow

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-59014396282085036982010-07-29T10:11:00.000-07:002010-07-29T10:32:26.740-07:00

The HSE, the government and many of the major landowners have been pushing for quad bike operators to get qualified, and we've been snowed under running the Lantra ATV certification for companies.Running quad bike courses in the workplace has many advantages, not least economically. It ensures that riders understand how to check and maintain their specific machines, and how to operate them safely

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-60922436927167323352010-03-05T04:14:00.001-08:002010-03-05T04:33:55.710-08:00

We've been running SAFED Van Driver Training for some years now, and over this time we have found that many companies struggle with formulating simple and clear driving policies.So we were glad to hear that AEA (the company behind SAFED) have been asked by the DfT to formulate some information for companies on Van Best Practice. The businesslink website now has a section on this, with advice on

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-2515421142110572442010-02-25T03:36:00.000-08:002011-08-18T14:13:01.361-07:00

2010 has started with a huge upturn in requests for Off Road Training, with an especially busy period for Quad Bike and ATV Training. It seems that the HSE are pushing companies to ensure that their riders and drivers are properly trained on their machines, as required by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). The HSE recommend the Lantra training courses for off-road

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-12723869232636303312009-12-22T10:54:00.000-08:002009-12-22T11:03:43.331-08:00

As with many trainers we take our jobs seriously and in a competetive marketplace we don't like to be left behind, so we've been updating our Quad Bike Training with the help of some excellent trainers, riders and of course - clients.We've also spent several days working with advanced drivers and trainers at Protec Training up in Ayrshire, developing their In-House Driver Assessor courses.And

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-70280734497438902532009-10-06T14:18:00.000-07:002009-10-06T14:35:51.156-07:00

We're now providing our Off Road Training and Quad Bike Training in conjunction with an outstanding site in the South East of England.4x4 and Quad Bike Training Suffolk - Essex - Fully PUWER and H&S compliant Lantra professional training courses from Beyond Driving.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-60461268118119514872009-07-21T09:36:00.000-07:002009-07-21T09:41:03.777-07:00

We've taken a back seat with our Intensive Driving Courses site recently and have passed the reigns on to a few of our trusted instructors around the UK.The site is still bringing in lots of enquiries and work for guys across the North of England and Scotland, but we're looking for good instructors to take on courses across the rest of England (especially London and the South East) and Wales, so

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-37287078538160204542009-07-20T02:01:00.000-07:002009-07-20T02:15:20.908-07:00

We've been working with a few of our colleagues who provide driver training for the emergency services recently, mainly on the 4x4 response side for the NHS HART team in the North West, but we get a lot of enquiries about on-road blue light training.We've put together some information on these courses at our Blue Light Emergency Response Driver Training page. There is currently a lot of

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-67099261779759718972009-05-15T05:00:00.001-07:002009-05-15T05:06:54.105-07:00

We've recently been receiving lots of calls from companies who need ATV Training for their quad bike operators across the UK, and are happy to say that we are now providing courses for several large companies and organisations.Most recently we've been working in West Sussex with Natural England, who needed their riders to hold the LANTRA ATV qualification in order to comply with all of the

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-43594666102891291242009-04-21T03:00:00.000-07:002009-04-21T03:19:19.722-07:00

We have recently been working with Ken Stewart from Protec Training in Ayrshire. Ken provides many companies with driver and assessor training, as well as blue light training for emergency response drivers across Scotland and the whole of the UK.While he has been called across to train some of Ireland's fire service in winching techniques, we have been helping out with some of his local work,

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-6889860487416419722009-04-21T02:29:00.000-07:002009-04-21T02:40:28.872-07:00

We just wanted to give a heads up to Latics Driver Training who provide driving lessons in Oldham and the surrounding areas and their associated company Active Driving Solutions, who provide driving instructor training in Oldham.Ged and Claire Wilmot have established these very professional companies over the last few years and have gained recognition with local people and respect within the

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-53392571282289093582009-02-06T08:35:00.000-08:002009-02-06T08:47:15.574-08:00

We've noticed a big increase in clients requesting training to comply with current H&S requirements.Whether this is speed awareness, training after an accident, defensive driving or van training courses, we provide a comprehensive service for all of our customers.One of the largest growth areas is that of our specialist Off Road Training, where we provide LANTRA 4x4 and ATV Training for

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-38591085181150992962009-01-05T08:46:00.000-08:002009-01-05T09:19:25.632-08:00

This is just a quick shout out for one of my colleagues - Ian Moore, who has been almost as busy as I have with CPD!He is now providing Fleet and Eco-Safe Driver Training, as well as providing excellent driving lessons in Stoke on Trent, intensive driving courses and the a20m Btec.We have worked with Ian many times now, developing both his business and our own in the process, through our driver

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-79113036752216119932008-12-24T06:07:00.000-08:002008-12-24T06:12:10.268-08:00

We are now able to provide fully compliant Quad Bike and ATV Training across the whole of the UK.Our courses are certified by LANTRA and as such are compliant with PUWER regulations and HSAW legislation, ensuring that your quad bike riders and ATV operators are safe, efficient and understand their responsibilities regarding using these machines.For more information on our LANTRA ATV Courses,

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-74781020846638011802008-10-12T14:14:00.000-07:002008-11-24T14:23:00.361-08:00

We've been working pretty constantly on our 4x4 training recently, including comprehensive risk assessments for off-road driving and quad biking.In amongst the site work we've somehow managed to find some time to add an extra training course:Quad Bike and ATV TrainingWe are looking to add this to our Off Road Training section soon, but at the moment this is only available at our Cumbria base,

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-34575419023059630682008-08-07T07:40:00.000-07:002008-08-07T07:50:40.497-07:00

We've been working with Nigel Dawson and his associates on their new Fleet Training company - TravelSafe-UK Ltd.Aiming to run driver training courses across the UK for LGV, PCV, Cars, Vans and a variety of specialist vehicles and situations.With some of the most highly qualified trainers in the UK working for them (we're proud to be working with them on all of their 4x4 Training) they aim to

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-39533835592486398432008-07-06T05:45:00.000-07:002008-11-24T14:31:07.891-08:00

At Beyond Driving we are working to provide Nationwide 4x4 Training using only fully qualified DSA ADIs who are LANTRA approved instructors.We have recently added sites in South Wales, Devon and Scotland to our available locations and are working toward assessing and agreeing a sites in Surrey, Norfolk and the Midlands where we will be able to provide Off Road Training to LANTRA standards with

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-54680752150266153752008-06-17T10:44:00.000-07:002008-11-30T04:27:11.964-08:00

There's still a lot of discussion out there as to whether driving activities at corporate events are regulated by the DSA.The fact is that if the event actually includes instruction in driving the vehicle - i.e: 4x4, racing, rally events, then the instructors should be DSA ADIs. However, if the event has no driving relevance (such as Blindfold Driving, Camera Driving or Reverse Steer), or the

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-46959710538257107482008-06-12T10:14:00.000-07:002008-06-20T03:34:49.140-07:00

We keep getting phone calls from slightly worried HR people, so we've written up a simple guide to this legislation and how to reduce any exposure your company may have to it:Corporate Manslaughter and how it affects Company and Fleet Drivers.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-5639751133165933022008-06-10T01:23:00.000-07:002008-06-10T01:29:18.318-07:00

We're getting more and more enquiries about the 4x4 training that we provide.With the new corporate manslaughter law we are getting lots of slightly nervous HR people calling us up at the moment and of course PUWER means that anyone who has a 4x4 for use at work needs to be trained in it's use.The problem for us is that the DSA have told us that it's illegal for most of the instructors out there

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-89015619787152493572008-05-02T05:54:00.000-07:002008-11-24T14:32:51.631-08:00

We've eventually managed to update the main site to include all of the relevant information for professional off-road training!Geared toward company drivers and emergency operators who need to drive off-road as part of their job, we've trained a diverse range of operators from the heads of government agencies, through engineers to corporate event staff.With the recent tightening of health and

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-4081939633883137042008-04-07T06:15:00.000-07:002008-04-07T06:45:54.225-07:00

Yep, I've been doing more CPD, this time just a 1 day first aid course, through North West First Aid Training. It was an excellent course, well delivered by Andy Manwaring.CPD doesn't have to be expensive - this course cost less than £60 and gave me a huge amount of knowledge. It also gave me ideas for how to run some of my own courses and let me watch a professional trainer in a classroom

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-55548967629269493202008-03-31T10:29:00.000-07:002011-11-06T13:08:28.895-08:00

Thinking of becoming an off road 4x4 driving instructor? We've started seeing a lot of people searching for this and finding one or another of our websites, so we thought we'd better give a bit of info. This article is an expansion of our 4x4 Instructor Training article on the Beyond4x4 site. First things first - there's currently a big problem with the legality of much off road instruction.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-24758861677128735752008-02-21T02:44:00.000-08:002008-02-21T03:06:17.914-08:00

Yep, yet another site!We've been working on a full directory of driver training courses and we're part way there. Specialising in Car, 4x4 & Van training, the site has loads of information on it.Geared towards occupational road risk management, all of the courses are aimed at professional drivers.Car Driver Training Courses4x4 Driver Training CoursesVan Driver Training CoursesBlue Light Driver

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-737245955504668962008-02-09T04:39:00.000-08:002008-02-09T04:48:21.019-08:00

The SAFED Van Driver Training scheme is almost over for the 07/08 season. At the moment the cost for small companies is only £50 per driver - but you will need to be quick - there's only a couple of hundred funded places left across the whole of the UK.The SAFED training is a well designed course specific to van driver risk assessment and fuel efficiency - we have had an excellent response from

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-87490285697147181312008-02-08T10:22:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:37:21.877-08:00

We've just finished building the new website for Excelsior Training. As some of you will know their Driving Instructor Training is second to none and their ADI CPD is now one of their largest growth areas.If you want to know how to become a fleet driving instructor have a look at Nigel's Driving Instructor Fleet Diploma Course.I'm not going to advertise his fleet training for him, but he does

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-82087356121320404292008-02-02T06:27:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:37:22.142-08:00

As some of you already know, our business model has been aimed directly at organic internet searches (the main search rankings you see when you type in a request - not the expensive pay-per-click advertising).Many of you have visited some of our sites and been surprised at our success in this area. Recently we have started getting requests to build websites for other instructors. In conjunction

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-34490938054559319392008-01-31T11:29:00.001-08:002008-01-31T11:34:00.152-08:00

We're glad to say that we can now cover the whole of the UK with our Fleet Driver Training Directory, if we've missed out a specific area then we apologise. Please feel free to contact us if you can't find your area and we'll make sure we can provide training for you and your drivers.Van Driver Training across the UKBusiness Driver Training across the UKWe aren't an agency and we only work with

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-63320343307990062342007-12-13T07:46:00.001-08:002007-12-13T07:47:43.664-08:00

We've just put our latest 4x4 Training website online - www.lakedistrict4x4.co.uk.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-74288448733819156642007-12-10T11:01:00.000-08:002008-06-19T09:47:41.422-07:00

The new SAFED In-House Assessor Course has just been announced, and we are able to offer this to larger companies who want their own In-House trainers.An assessor is not a trainer, but is a member of staff who is trained to be able to identify those employees who need further training.This means that with an in-house assessor, you can prioritise who recieves training, ensuring that you get the

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-84889426116761933172007-12-03T06:59:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:37:22.376-08:00

We've been a bit overwhelmed by the response to our Intensive Driving Course site, and we simply can't deal with the demand so we've found some people who can!The Big Red L run a national driving school, choosing quality instructors to work with. For their Intensive Driving Courses they insist on an assessment session and don't offer silly guarantees - a commendation in itself in this business.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-10138584080978525572007-11-08T09:31:00.000-08:002007-11-08T09:38:03.807-08:00

We've started selling the SAFED training courses through both our main site and our 4x4 training site.This government subsidised training is an excellent introduction for any company who doesn't already train their van or commercial 4x4 drivers. With the new corporate manslaughter laws, driver CPC and other initiatives, it makes sense to get in early and take advantage of these courses when

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-47743410229356365562007-10-25T05:23:00.000-07:002007-10-25T05:26:29.728-07:00

Another quick note (yep, lots of new stuff coming soon!) to let you know that we will be offering full LANTRA 4x4 Courses from December 2007 using our own specialist instructors.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-27238735708336598192007-10-25T05:15:00.000-07:002007-10-25T05:19:36.408-07:00

Just a quick not to let you know that Beyond Driving will be offering SAFED Training for van drivers as of the beginning of December.SAFED training is undertaken over a half day course, including fuel efficiency and risk management training, and boasts an amazing fuel saving of between 5-15% without extending journey times.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-29628636921018378692007-09-05T00:34:00.000-07:002008-05-09T03:30:15.597-07:00

Just a quick announcement about a new resource.Land Rover Off Road 4x4 Driving has reviews and photographs of Land Rovers, and links to insurers, tyre makers, and parts suppliers for this historic marque.(If you've turned up here looking for 4x4 instructor training - have a look at Train to become a 4x4 instructor.)

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-53132078301726959042007-08-26T06:50:00.000-07:002008-05-07T03:12:48.353-07:00

Yep, another course and CPD isn't even mandatory yet!I did my LANTRA Professional User's Course, and Winch Recovery Course with Ken Stewart at Protec Training.It was a great 2 days, in a lovely old 110 SW 200tdi for the spotters, and we had loads of fun throwing her into some serious mud, then trying to winch her back out again.The training was thought provoking, refreshing and extremely

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-86506577837903085622007-08-22T05:27:00.000-07:002007-08-22T05:30:54.291-07:00

After the madness of the last couple of months (rebuilding all the websites, getting the auto, starting the intensive courses and plugging the fleet work), I've finally got a chance to get away to Scotland for a couple of days.Unfortunately it's a couple of days of training for me - my LANTRA professional users certification and a winching course ready for teaching it - something I don't have so

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-84348305284944460182007-08-04T03:40:00.000-07:002007-08-04T03:45:04.410-07:00

I've got far too much work - I keep having to turn people down unfortunately.In the meantime, I've got the Beyond 4x4 website up and running eventually, so if you're looking for:Off Road 4x4 Land Rover Driving Experience Days or Off Road 4x4 Driver Training then you can find it there.There is also an Off Road 4x4 Driving Directory on the site so you can find experiences or training near you.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-79028103310596939852007-07-16T09:47:00.000-07:002007-07-16T09:53:11.010-07:00

There's a few reasons why I haven't posted for a while:I've been ill - lovelyI've been busy - lovelyI haven't had a day off in 12 weeks - even lovlierI've bought an automatic Honda JazzI've started doing automatic courses (www.oneweekdrivingpass.co.uk)I've been re-building the main Beyond Driving website!You can see the results of the last one of these by having a look at

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-86428375014523144202007-06-09T03:00:00.000-07:002007-06-09T03:14:41.799-07:00

Apologies for not posting - lost all my passwords!It's been a busy few weeks, I've been working far too much and trying to organise yet more qualifications, and setting up a new website in readyness for the auto. I'm still not sure exactly what the way forward is for myself and Beyond Driving, but I know that the 4x4 work is in there somewhere - it's just too much fun for it not to be!I'm off at

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-34615740734755092382007-05-21T04:06:00.000-07:002007-05-21T04:38:06.634-07:00

My Yaris is now on it's second 7 month lease and it's still going strong. 10,000 miles in and it's just had it's first service (from Batemans Toyota in Grange - very nice people). So I thought I'd write a proper review:For learners - excellent - easy to drive - everything is well laid out, gears are easy to find and the engine is incredibly hard to stall. Everything is adjustable from the

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-85426375169400799022007-05-05T04:06:00.000-07:002007-05-05T04:13:31.904-07:00

As some of you know, I'm a moderator on the Driver Training Today forum and like all the forums, we sometimes get people coming on having a go at other members. This happens, and all mods on all forums do their best to keep this to a minimum.This kind of thing annoys me, because it stops those who are new to the industry asking questions. I quite often get private messages asking questions which

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-14510689165564382652007-04-29T07:02:00.000-07:002007-04-29T07:06:38.736-07:00

Well I reckon that the target of 70mpg was a bit out of reach!I managed 65mpg for the whole holiday - this included 2 adults and a dog in the car, some driving with a full load (there and back, about 450 of the 650 miles), some very slow country roads (and single track ruts for a couple of miles each day to and from the shack!), and a couple of times when the air con got used due to the

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-16330413150457061142007-04-20T02:53:00.000-07:002007-04-21T01:15:00.676-07:00

Yep, driving instructors can't often afford to take holidays (no pay, no perks, and we still have to pay all of our overheads), so when we get a chance to escape it is fab!I'm off to Scotland to hide in the back end of beyond for a week, eat, drink and bake bread and make soup - oh yeah - live life to the full, that's what I say. The only worry I have is that I can't keep my internet addiction

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-74626198404819199432007-04-18T11:41:00.000-07:002007-04-18T11:42:53.778-07:00

Have a look - the main site has had a facelift, browse around and tell us what you think.Beyond Driving

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-81079045482117570272007-04-14T08:06:00.000-07:002007-08-04T03:56:05.741-07:00

Well I'm almost there, I've nearly finished with the main site now - it's cleaner and simpler to navigate, and I'm hoping that it will be more of a resource for everyone now. Hopefully there's something in there for everyone. Loads of new links have been added, and some new articles (like "How to Choose a Driving Instructor").The driving instructor training section is a bit more prominent, and

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-24206985654127256532007-04-11T10:22:00.000-07:002007-04-11T10:30:51.569-07:00

Just for those who have websites - what they heck is going on with google at the moment? I seem to have disappeared off the planet all of a sudden - I was doing reasonably well until yesterday!Ho hum, this SEO with a sledgehammer lark isn't simple. Still, I'm busy so I can wait a while and see what happens - there's enough content on the sites to justify their existence, especially the main site

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-78005860735256572252007-04-10T00:40:00.000-07:002007-04-10T00:52:55.190-07:00

There has been a lot of talk about driver attitude recently, what with the minister for transport suggesting that driving instructor's do not teach attitude to their customers.What can we do? Well one thing we can do is make our customers aware of the dangers involved in simple things, give examples of possible problems like the old lady walking behind the car in a car park, the tailgater on

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-40917287357404413282007-04-09T03:44:00.000-07:002007-04-09T03:57:49.773-07:00

Yep, loads of website stuff done, loads of manual work done, loads of off roading done, and I even managed to fit in some learners!I've got a holiday booked in a fortnight and I am really looking forward to it, but between now and then I've got to finish off all of the work I'm doing for my ORDIT assessment (I'm still looking for a trainee to help me with this as all of my guys are either passed

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-53323993755316436942007-04-04T04:30:00.000-07:002007-04-04T04:34:25.308-07:00

If you're looking for a good Driving Lesson Presenter - try this one from Iain at Learnmoore Driving.It's a great alternative to the Colourfile, and excellently laid out. Nice one Iain.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-91093223177253858492007-04-02T08:04:00.000-07:002007-04-02T08:06:32.075-07:00

Yep, yet another new site from the Beyond stable: Driving Instructor Training Lancashire, Cumbria is online.

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-20946526451743392532007-04-01T10:36:00.000-07:002007-04-01T10:39:40.353-07:00

Well, it's been another busy one - but I've got it finished - my new Fleet Driver Training website.Only took me another Sunday working 10 hours straight!

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-19914491222019197412007-04-01T05:22:00.000-07:002007-04-01T05:25:46.798-07:00

Well, I suppose they were just sick of having me hanging around so much - they've given me some work to do!I'm now a moderator on by far the nicest Driving Instructor Forum around!

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-24000678212081292682007-03-31T07:27:00.000-07:002007-03-31T07:37:36.945-07:00

After a hectic week re-writing the instructor manual, the orange badge appeared through the post this morning!And if anyone is interested - I am developing a course ready for the CPD, which I hope will satisfy the vehicle knowledge part of the proscribed section. This will be based on the mechanical principles which all vehicles work on, but will involve 4x4 driving which tests all of the

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-42587448880971437982007-03-21T07:30:00.000-07:002007-03-21T07:31:56.955-07:00

Well, I did it. All I need to do now is send off for my orange badge (sending the requisite large amount of cash to the DSA, but hey ho!).This first post is as a thank-you for Nigel Dawson of Excelsior Training, for getting me through his course. There are a couple of ways to get to be a Fleet Registered Driving Instructor, and the first is to go to one of the big companies, like Rospa, and do it

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-57859109546698866722007-03-16T08:09:00.000-07:002007-03-16T08:24:09.391-07:00

Well I've finally done it - I've decided to stop offering 1 hour lessons.When I looked at their financial viability it simply wasn't worth it. To make them pay, I needed to charge much higher than the area average, when with the longer lessons I can stay around the average or less.It is possible to run a budget driving school, and offer cheap 1 hour lessons, but it is demanding on time, and is

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-3716732461973094162007-03-14T17:35:00.000-07:002007-03-14T17:36:27.200-07:00

Well, despite worrying about whether I was up to it - I've survived the theory exam and the driving!After what I'd said about the questions being too easy, I should've known (I vaguely remember Nigel mentioning it before, so I should've been prepared!) that the Excelsior version would be different! He makes up his own questions, which I have to say were a bit more relevant, and less simplistic

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-29903981658806772002007-03-08T16:46:00.000-08:002007-03-08T16:55:09.854-08:00

Well there's been a bit of a discussion between a few of us instructors who have websites as to which kind of site is the best:Big rambling info filled sites (like Beyond Driving), orSmall punchy sites which provide the necessary information?So, I've set up an experiment. The new Driving Lessons Lancaster site is only 1 page, but it says everything it needs to, and I'll try my best to get it as

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-69940738480318771832007-03-07T11:09:00.000-08:002007-03-07T11:20:12.032-08:00

Well, finally got my fleet pack, with it's 365 questions - one for every day of the year. Which fleet trainer is going to produce the first diary with a motto for each day based on these. Oh the excitement!The questions are a lot simpler than I was expecting, and even the slightly tricky ones are made much simpler by the use of the multiple guess format. I'm not going to say anything right now,

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-38620216305238487352007-02-28T13:16:00.000-08:002007-02-28T13:31:13.134-08:00

I've been asked a couple of times to explain my slightly strange pricing policy, so here goes! (take a deep breath if it gets a bit complex!)I charge:£23 for 1 hour.£30 for 1.5 hours.£36 for 2 hours.This depends on paying in advance for at least one lesson, it includes a 10% discount for this.Driving Instructors worry that I am either pricing myself out of the market (£23/hour), or being too

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-77514421475251011102007-02-25T10:23:00.000-08:002007-02-25T10:31:13.570-08:00

Like many instructors, I don't get a chance to do pass plus sessions as much as I'd like, but when I do, I enjoy it.Unfortunately, we don't always get asked to do them at the right time - it is often AFTER the crash has happened, rather than before.Pass plus can be hugely beneficial to anyone, financially, with regards to confidence, and with getting from point A to point B - something which many

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-26161256653169016462007-02-21T02:36:00.000-08:002007-08-04T03:59:51.055-07:00

Well, I thought I'd finished it, allowing for a little tweaking, but I haven't!I sent it to Nigel Dawson, my trainer, who runs Excelsior Driving Instructor Training, and I expected a couple of suggestions for improvements, and a few changes. I got a message yesterday that Nigel liked it so much he wants to use it himself! Unfortunately this means that to meet Nigel's extremely high standards,

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-56038177172667890382007-02-19T05:14:00.000-08:002007-02-19T05:26:12.531-08:00

So far in this job I have undertaken the ADI part 1 (theory test), the ADI part 2 (driving test - twice, I stupidly tried to drive differently to normal on my first one, this is common with driving tests), ADI part 3 (instructional ability).Then came the Hazard Perception Test. Then a check test. Then, with the off-roading I did the BORDA theory test.I've just been asked whether I fancy doing a

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-24480110151594264952007-02-17T08:54:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:37:22.779-08:00

It's not a bad Saturday job! Ruby is a lovely old girl, about 11 years old and with 100,000 miles on the clock and she's still going strong. (For those who really want to know she is a Land Rover 90 Station Wagon conversion, 2.5 Tdi 300, and she's a bit like your granddad's broom - everything has been replaced several times, but she's still the same Land Rover!) (for those who didn't want to know

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346640603105480913.post-77080902165123556412007-02-16T17:56:00.000-08:002007-02-19T05:11:50.398-08:00

I'm tired. I've not got a huge amount to show for it, because due to one thing or another quite a few people have cancelled on me this week. Cancellations are a problem to driving instructors - I don't get paid for a cancelled lesson, as long as people give me some notice. But I've been working hard. I've finished the new Beyond Driving Instructor Training Manual, and it looks good. I've just

Beyond Drivinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965900075184872382noreply@blogger.com0