KEEPING YOU SAFE!
Here at Twinway our top priority is to keep everyone safe, follow covid-19 guidelines and to continue to provide the best training services possible. so we thought we would share what our “new normal” is for driver training.
This should give you confidence to carry on and gain the licence you need for work or pleasure and to train with Twinway LGV. These points apply to every course we offer B+E, C1, C1+E, C, C+E.
PPE
Twinway will follow industry best practice on PPE requirements every lesson and test.
VEHICLE SANITISATION
Instructors will prepare the cab and using ant bacterial wipes will clean the steering wheel, other controls and major touch points before every lesson and new pupil. We will also make sure the cab is well ventilated and may ask to put down the window.
LEARNER AND INSTRUCTOR SAFETY
Every customer will be asked to declare they are symptom free. If pupils do experience any symptoms they must not come to the lesson but call the office and we can rearrange lessons and dates. If pupils experience any symptoms during the lesson they must advise the instructor immediately and the lesson will be stopped and we will rearrange dates after any self isolation period.
Pupils are asked not arrive more than 5 minutes before each lesson and to wait in their vehicle or outside their vehicle until the instructor comes over. Unfortunately visitors will not be allowed in the main office area until further notice but we do have a designated area that is regularly sanitised to complete any paperwork.
customers are asked to bring their own pen, mask and antibacterial sanitiser. (we do have some on site if needed) and gloves are optional.
Payments will now be taken by card payment via telephone or bank transfer avoiding cash transactions as much as possible.
We are grateful to everyone who has followed the procedure so far which enables us keep you, our instructors, their families and the wider community safe.
We look forward to meeting you all in the near future.
THE ONLY WAY IS TWINWAY!!
Once you have gained the HGV licence you need to transport horses if you don’t already have a suitable vehicle you may start looking into purchasing your own horsebox. We have provided you with some information on the vehicle requirements to make sure you have the knowledge needed to find the perfect vehicle to transport your horses safely and start enjoying your freedom.
Any vehicle used for horse transportation must be designed, maintained and operated correctly to avoid injury and suffering of the horses as their safety is the number one priority.
The truck must protect the animals from all types of weather, extreme temperatures and changes in climate as well as ensuring a good amount of air quality. There should be sufficient space in the compartment to ensure adequate ventilation above the animals when standing in their natural position.
It should be secure to prevent animals from escaping or falling out and provide partitions strong enough to withstand the weight of the horses and the stress of movement.
There should be easy access and sufficient lighting to allow inspection of the animals and ensure all fittings are designed for quick and easy operation. You must make sure the vehicle is constructed and maintained to minimise the leakage of urine and faeces and to allow appropriate cleaning and disinfection.
Ideally the vehicle will have anti slip flooring and carry suitable equipment for loading and unloading.
All vehicles used to transport horses must be clearly and visibly marked to indicate the presence of live animals and keepers must carry a horse passport for each animal transported, with some exceptions.
Once you have found the perfect horsebox to meet the requirements, Twinway LGV offer a service where we can come out to your premises at a date and time to suit and take a lesson in your own vehicle. This will enable you to get used your new truck, go out on the roads in your area do some real life reversing and manoevering so that you feel safe and confident to then drive out independently. We have many past equestrian pupils who have taken advantage of this service and are now on the roads daily enjoying their independence.
Happy Horsebox shopping!!!!!
Our next blog is a very special blog as it has been kindly written by one of our pupils Mark who this year has invested in his future and passed his cat C, C+E and CPC with us. We thought what better way for new customers to find out about the course process and the experience with Twinway than from someone who has actually completed the training we offer to gain the maximum licence in haulage and is now working successfully within the industry.
My journey into HGV driving.
“At the start of 2019, I’d been a bus driver for the past 15 years and decided I wanted a new job challenge.
I’d been left inheritance money, and the choice to spend it on was another car (I’m car mad) and risk a divorce, or start the process of my HGV categories on my driving licence.
1st off, you need a medical to complete the paperwork for your provisional licence. I arranged one with my doctor (it’s varies in price per surgery) but there’s places who won’t charge a lot of money to do your medical and fill in that side of the paperwork/form.
I’m used to this as I had medicals with the bus company I worked for so knew what to expect.Once I received my provisional, it’s then onto booking the Theory and hazard perception tests. This can be done online at your nearest test centre (mine was in Newcastle) but an on-line search will point you in the right direction.
Once I’d passed both of those, I contacted Kelly at Twinway to book my Category C course.
All of the guys at Twinway are amazing and will help you in any way they can. Kelly booked me in for the 4 day (16 hour + test course) and I paid the fee prior to training getting started.
They only do 1 on 1 training, unlike some larger training companies, and I’m my opinion, is so much better.
Dan my instructor was really comprehensive and thorough throughout my training. It helped that I’d driven large vehicles (buses) in the past, but still a lot to learn that you don’t realise.
Dan was great (easy going and a laugh & joke) as well as being serious when needed. If you take on board what they teach you, you’ll fly through, as I did with my Cat C test.
After passing and completing my CPC modules, I did cat c agency work for a bit and soon acquired the money to do my Cat C+E (class 1).
Once again I spoke with Kelly who booked me in on a course ASAP.
Dan was also my instructor for my Cat C+E too. Once again, I learned so much I never thought I’d have to, and surprisingly took to it quite quickly.
It’s a totally different concept from a rigid wagon and more in depth especially with reversing, uncoupling/coupling trailer and on the road experience, as you need to be aware so much.
It took me a while to grasp the reverse, but Dan worked with me on it to make sure I mastered it before my test day.
After passing my test with NO faults at all, that shows the immense training from the instructors and the dedication all of the Twinway staff have, to make sure you are trained to the highest standard in all aspects, and that you’re looked after from start (booking the course) to finish (passing your test).
All of the instructors are brilliant, the office staff are amazing and overall, it’s just an amazing place to train.
I can’t recommend these guys enough.
CHEAPER than other training companies & BETTER than other training companies.
Look no further if you want the best possible Training to pass your test.
I’m now employed as a class 2 skip wagon driver, and will always be on the look out for class 1 jobs. There’s lots out there and if you look hard enough, you find companies who’ll train you on the job.
I couldn’t of done it without Dan, Kelly & the Twinway crew.”
To start your own hgv journey and be on the road to a new career in 2020 call or message we look forward to meeting you.
THE ONLY WAY IS TWINWAY!!
There will points in life where your horse or pony needs a trip to the vets, move to another stable or to attend shows and competitions or even a fun day out at the beach. By gaining the appropriate licence this will give you the independence and freedom you crave as well as being the most cost effective way to transport your horse.
As long as you have a car licence you can train from aged 18 upwards and upgrade your licence in just 5 days. It is easier than you think and Twinway will guide you through the whole process. We have a wealth of experience in helping the equestrian community achieve the licence they need to take the stress and strain out of transporting horses. Each course is 1-1 training and will be adapted to your specific needs as well as covering the relevant legislation that affects you , your horse and the vehicle. The majority of the training involves practical driving, skills and knowledge to enable you to pass your test and become a safe , responsible and competent driver.
As a horse owner the type of vehicle and licence you choose is completely up to you. It all depends on individual circumstances ie how many horses you will transport, how often you will be transporting and the size and weight of the vehicle you will use as well as the size and weight of your horse.
The course options we have are below:
B+E / CAR AND TRAILER
No medical is needed for B+E, and your Theory and Hazard Pass Certificates are still valid from your car licence.
We offer a 3 day course or we can tailor the lessons to individual needs over a number of weeks. We can also arrange evening and weekend training if this is required. We use a Toyota Hilux manual vehicle and a Richardson horse box.
C1 / 7.5 TONNE OR CAT C/ LARGE RIGID 32 TONNE
which ever of the above licences you choose the process is the same but the weights and class will be different.
You will need to take a short medical to make sure that you are fit to drive and this can be carried out by our dedicated driver medical centre local to you.
After your medical, you simply send away the forms provided in the Starter Pack to apply for your Provisional Licence.
To qualify you’ll need to pass a Theory Test followed by Practical Training, which is conducted at a Test Centre local to you.
Throughout the course the first 2 hour practical lesson will be an assessment drive where the instructor will be able to observe you driving then advise you of how many lessons are needed to meet the required standard.
If you passed your car licence before 1997 you may already have the rights to drive a vehicle up to 7.5t.
we can discuss individual needs and requirements direct with you and help you decide what licence you would like to aim for.
Horse transportations methods are
HORSE TRAILER: this is the most common mode as it is a quick and easy to start providing you have the right vehicle to tow the weight. many people look into purchasing their own horse trailer and it does save money in comparison to regularly hiring trailers. the prices to buy a second hand trailers are very competitive.
HORSE BOXES: these are operated and driven by the horse owner and sometime easier to handle as it is an all in one unit. This method is better for moving multiple horses and equipment. they are easier to drive and park and it can also be less stressful for the horse due to being more space for them during travel. Horseboxes often have separate areas for tack and equipment as well as living quarters for riders/owners making this method excellent for people that regularly attend shows, competitions and pleasure rides. They are sometimes more expensive to purchase than a trailer.
At Twinway our quality training is convenient, fast, reliable and more importantly affordable. Then as experience comes as well as help from your fellow horse owners you will understand the personality of your animals and become better at horse transportation.
Call us on 01388 721200 to discuss you training needs and be on the way to freedom and exciting times with you and your horse.
The only NEIGH is Twinway!!!!
Haulage companies are struggling to recruit staff as the industry faces a growing shortage of drivers.
The RHA ( road haulage association) believes as of April 2019 there is a driver shortage of more than 55,000 drivers in the UK and this is predicted to rise to 150,000 by the end of 2020.
There are a number of problems that hauliers are facing and they include:
AN AGEING WORKFORCE… the average age of a HGV driver is 53 which is much older than the current national average in other industries. 13% of the drivers are over 60 and many drivers will be retiring soon.
DRIVER CPC CARDS…due to the average age of the drivers many have also decided not to renew their driver cpc card when they are due for renewal in September 2019 which would gain another 5 years validity.
PERCEPTION…the haulage industry is not generally known as the first choice of industry to work in for the next generation who are looking to start their careers. we need to escape the impression of haulage “back in the day” and see how forward thinking the industry is today with the use of technology, new vehicles, improved working conditions and standards and wages.
ECONOMIC GROWTH…both nationally and internationally has increased the demand for drivers to transport more goods. almost everything we eat, drink and purchase will have been transported by road. plus with the expansion of online shopping and faster deliveries the lgv industry plays a major role in keeping the economy running.
RELIANCE ON EU WORKERS… which is being made worse by Brexit.
FINANCIAL COSTS…there is quite a few costs involved to become a HGV driver which include a medical, theory and hazard test, drivers CPC, digital tachograph card as well as the main cost of the actual driver training and test. All of the costs have to be paid upfront before even finding a job and this can be a huge barrier to starting a career within the industry.
all of the above has a massive impact on the industry as a whole and limits the ability to deliver high quality services to transport goods around the UK and further afield.
we need to recruit a new generation of HGV drivers and sometimes access to funding for people who are keen to be part of the ever growing industry is key. There are not enough young or new drivers coming through who have the correct skills or licence to meet demand so here at Twinway Lgv Driver training we work closely with a number of funding departments to try and make a difference and supply the industry with newly qualified professional drivers and raising the driving standards along the way.
We have over 40 years experience within the haulage industry and have great links with other hauliers in the North East. we offer support and advise to all pupils and with our quality training and industry knowledge many of our pupils have gone on to have successful, financially rewarding careers as LGV drivers as we have been able to provide recommendations or arrange interviews with companies who have driver vacancies.
The ROAD HAULAGE ASSOCIATION has mounted a 5 point campaign to tackle the HGV driver shortage and we are fully behind it. the points are:
- funding
- driver testing service
- promote the industry
- drive up the standards
- improve conditions
as well as launching “LOVE THE LORRY” week which usually takes place end October and is a national campaign with roadshows and promotions.
COULD YOU BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF UK DRIVERS , TWINWAY CAN HELP YOU GET THE LICENCE AND SKILLS YOU NEED TO BE PART OF THIS IMPORTANT BUSINESS SECTOR THAT KEEPS THE UK ECONOMY RUNNING.
At Twinway we always get asked many questions about our training and life beyond our courses. we have detailed some real life questions below to hopefully help all future pupils.
Q1. Do you support getting people into work after training. Some offer this to get a job with companies. If so, how do you go about this.
A1. We have been in the haulage industry over 40 years and driver training for 28 years so we have excellent links with local hauliers who take on newly qualified drivers and are able to advise on any driver jobs that are available. we also post regularly on fb with any current vacancies.
Q2. Keeping track of hours feels like a challenge in itself without knowing how it works. How do drivers keep track to stay within the rules.
A2. As a driving training provider we are exempt from drivers hours and tachos but once in the industry this does apply. the company you work for may provide some inductory training on this and you will also have revised this area for your drivers cpc tests. Here at Twinway though we do offer a very detailed beginners 2 hour digicard training course on this subject that has proved very popular with new qualified drivers or drivers needing a refresher.
Q3. What are the driver responsibilities around things like bulbs, do I need to change them and if so do you typically get given spares. Also the same for straps, hi-vis, helmet. Do these get provided by a company or expected to buy myself?
A3. During training we take care of the truck for repairs etc and do give you an insight into this for future reference. all our vehicles are road worth and up to dvsa and vosa standards. once in the industry it is a drivers responsibility to perform your daily checks and report any defects to the appropriate person within the company. you may be asked to replace bulbs and do small jobs there and then but any other repairs will be rectified by the company workshop. the company must provide the driver with correct PPE/hi vis needed for the job.
Q4. What do you do in a minor accident where by you scuff a parked car and knowone is around.
A4. if involved in a minor incident during driver training Twinway deal with that as we have policies and insurance in place. in the industry you will be provided with your companies policy on this and what to do in these circumstances, which would usually include taking the third party details, photographs etc and reporting it to your transport manager.
Q5. Do you train many real life driving and situations?
A5. our training is very detailed and on a 1-1 basis, this way we can tailor the course to your needs. we will show you what you need to do to pass your test as well as providing you with improved driving skills and knowledge needed for a future within the transport industry.
Q6. How long is your training typically?
A6.the training we offer consists of 18 hours 1-1 training followed by your test. this can be done over a five day block booking or weekly lessons leading up to a test. we are very flexible and work round the pupils circumstances at the time.
Q7. Does your company you work for typically put you though CPC when it runs out or are you expected to arrange and pay for this yourself?A7. here at Twinway we offer the driver cpc courses for individuals and companies as this is a legal requirement if you drive lgv for hire or reward(with some exceptions) you will need a driver cpc card to apply for any driving jobs and to start working. the card is valid for five years. once this expires its usually the drivers responsibility to renew but depending on your employer at the time they may have a cpc policy in place to cover the cost of renewal.
If you would like further details or information to start your driver training journey you can email on twinwaylgv@aol.com or call 01388 721200.
HGV drivers are in demand and here at Twinway we pride ourselves on providing the UK haulage industry with newly qualified LGV drivers once they have completed our comprehensive driver training courses.
We have great success with high pass rates and hundreds of people every year successfully pass the licence they need to enter the solid, stable, financially rewarding as a LGV driver within the transport industry.
When you train with Twinway we will make sure you are fully prepared for your new career. Alongside a new licence and improved driving skills you will have gained increased road safety knowledge and practical skills to take with you and last for life.
There has never been a better time to become a HGV/LGV driver and we make the process simple and easy to understand as well as providing advise and support throughout.
Once you have completed the medical and passed the theory and hazard tests the actual practical lessons can begin working towards your test.
we have a modern fleet of vehicles that are comfortable and easy to drive and we train in an automatic vehicle , making passing your test a lot easier whilst also gaining manual entitlement.
we offer flexible courses for you from 2 hours to five days all with 1-1 training with a DVSA test at the end. All of our instructors have had many years previously working in the haulage industry so have a wealth of experience and information to share with you alongside the detailed training.
We have an off road practice area for reversing and all lessons start and end at our premises in Chilton, Co.Durham. Once you are out on the road we train around the Darlington test centre covering areas including Stockton and Middlesbrough.
During the course your instructor will cover:
Vehicle familiarisation
vehicle safety checks
moving away safely
hill starts
controlled stopping
independent drive
reversing exercise
mock driving test on test routes
show me tell me questions
we really do care about our customers and are with you all the way from medical to pass and beyond. so give us a call on 01388 721200 or email twinwaylgv@aol.com to start your driver training journey. we look forward to your call or message.
I don’t want to start off by boring you with the driver CPC but we all know it is here to stay and is a major part of professional driving if you are operating a lorry, bus or coach.
It is a legal requirement for most professional drivers with some exceptions to complete 35 hours periodic training which lasts five years and must be renewed before expiry. Look at is a keeping up to date with any changes and regulations or improve your learning and career development to make sure that you are always at the top of your profession.
The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) is a set of standards set by the EU to ensure all drivers are competent and capable and I believe it will still be around in one form or another after Brexit. (that’s a whole other Blog). The 35 hours consists of classroom work through an approved training provider.
At Twinway we wanted to be able to offer customers all aspects of driver training. We already provide the initial CPC modules 2 and 4 for newly qualified drivers who passed their car licence after 1996 so it was a natural progression to offer the CPC periodic training.
To be able to do this we needed space so we set to work on building our purpose built inhouse training room on site at Twinway premises in Chilton, Co.Durham. The room is a great size and can accommodate up to 30 people. We listened to drivers, transport managers and owner drivers on what would work for them regarding the training sessions and we came up with the plan of Saturdays and some evenings to start off with leading up to more sessions in 2019 in preparation for the September deadline.
We officially opened for the very first CPC session on Saturday 29 September and had a full class with great feedback. We will be running one Saturday per month up to the end of the year with our next one being Saturday 27 October.
Its time to take control of your CPC and avoid the 2019 rush. The longer you leave it the harder it will be to find a time, place and price that suits your requirements and work commitments.
The training provider we use has over 1100 hours of CPC training sessions banked up and the training is very professional and informative and covers various topics all delivered in a friendly relaxed atmosphere.
So come along to our next session and bring any questions that you may have. Be prepared and ahead of the game and give us a call on 01388 721200 or email twinwaylgv@aol.com to book your space.
For anyone thinking of gaining or upgrading their licence to car and trailer (B+E ) or LGV you will be aware its a big investment but lasts for life.
The driver training market is becoming more and more competitive so its important to pick the right training provider when deciding where to invest your hard earned cash and valuable time.
Always look for recommendations and customer feedback, then check the conditions of the vehicles, quality of the training as well as the standards and experience of the instructors , don’t be afraid to ask questions to include how long they have held their licences, their background in LGV driver training and experience within the LGV industry. The more information you have the more equipped you will be to make the right choice.
Do your research and make your decision based on the long term returns for you and/or your company. Check the prices as we are aware everyone likes to feel they are getting good deal, a special offer or guarantees but sometimes the cheapest option may not be the best option for you.
Here at Twinway our prices are very competitive and we offer honest, flexible, reliable, quality 1-1 driver training on all our courses to include B+E, C1, C1+E, C, C+E and all CPC options.
Call Twinway LGV Driver Training on 01388 721200 or message us to discuss starting your driver training journey.