HGV training is an investment in your future. Like any investment it’s wise to do your research. Asking some basic questions at the start can you save a lot of time and money. The following qusetions should always be asked:
Company History and background.
If you can, visit the providers training centre. It’s great to get an idea of what the company is all about. Any training company with nothing to hide would welcome your visit. Most people do not want to travel much further than 50 miles for HGV training.
Ask the following questions:
1, How long has company has been operating?
2, what is there pass rate
3, Where are they located (vehicles and centre)
4, Are the instructors DSA / RTITB approved.
5, Do they deliver the training themselves
6, Test centres used and for how long
7. Have a look at the vehicle you will training and test in.
Training hours:
Different training companies operate different training times and trainee ratios. Most tend to deliver HGV training at a ratio of 2:1:1 (two trainees, one instructor and one vehicle). In this instance you should be out in the vehicle all day driving alternately. Others companies deliver the training at a ratio of 1:1:1 (one trainee, one instructor and one truck). Normally in this instance you drive for 4 hours at a time (this may differ between companies).
Which option you choose is up to you. Speak to your provider.
Vehicles
A well maintained, modern training vehicle is an essential tool in licence acquisition. Ask the following questions
1, how modern is the vehicle you will learn on.
2, is it serviced and maintained regularly.
Bear in mind. HGV training vehicles are operator licence exempt. What this means is legally they are only required to pass an MOT once a year (same as a car). There is no legal obligation to service and maintain HGV training vehicles. Training companies that subject there training vehicles to regular maintenance, inspection and service demonstrate investment in vehicle safety and reliability.
Costs
Training fees can vary from provider to provider and area to area. To minimise your training costs it is always advisable to go direct to your provider rather than a 3rd party.
www.hgvlgvtraining.co.uk only promotes training companies that deliver the training themselves and employ DSA/ RTITB approved instructors.
