I used Chevron last year and I can tell you that I found them to be an APPALLING company to train with. For anyone considering it you should do so at your own risk. They obviously have a presence on this forum (which is how I came across them). They seem to have reasonably good reviews (which is why I chose them). Sadly the reality is their trainers couldn’t care less if you pass your test or not.
Really the warning signs were there literally from the moment I arrived. All the instructors were stood around outside and I could hear them slagging off another student who had just pulled up in his car for his lesson. Presumably this guy had also paid £2-3000 for just a few days of tuition? Completely out of order and unprofessional.
Obviously it is a pretty daunting experience to go straight from a car to a Class 1 and I expected the instructors to be sympathetic towards that; however, when I started my training I was treated like I was a complete idiot right from the beginning.
Reversing can be tricky even for a driver who’s been in the business for years. It’s a huge amount of pressure to be under when it’s not only your first time - not to mention your FIRST TIME behind the wheel of a HGV - but you are hours away from taking your TEST at the end of the lesson!!. Tutting, sighing, eye-rolling and speaking to students in an arsey manner throughout is NOT the way you train a person in a new skill and give them confidence. As it turned out I passed the reversing but was told by the instructor afterwards “I’m surprised you passed because I didn’t think you would”. It was a very unpleasant experience.
A week or so later I have my first lesson on the road. I was really nervous and made mistakes which is to be expected (nothing serious by the way). After my first lesson I had a de-brief with the lad instructing me (a lad that spent half his time looking at his phone during the lesson). He was so rude and obnoxious with me during this “assessment” that I knew I couldn’t continue with him. I challenged him about the things he was saying and he literally said to me “listen I don’t care - I have MY license” I complained about him the following day and was given another instructor. I’d been caused that much stress that I didn’t sleep all night and had to show up for my second lesson having literally had 1 hours sleep which obviously affected my ability to concentrate and learn!
Despite having 2 more instructors who were at least an improvement on the first, I didn’t think that either was invested in me as a student. They both seemed completely uninterested and bored with their jobs.
When it came to my test there was no instructor outside waiting to meet me when I arrived nor were they there when I finished my test either (that in itself speaks volumes). I had had such a stressful week that I was not in any frame of mind to take a test and inevitably failed it. I had another test the week after and again failed because I was so anxious about it and didn’t feel at all confident.
I eventually went with another company who were brilliant. They really took the time to develop my confidence and I passed my test in a considerably harder part of the country to drive an artic around than Flint!!
I feel compelled to write this as I have just read someone else’s post on here who ALSO said they had to complain about and change their instructor after the first lesson. That was a post from February this year which was months after I was with them. I don’t want anyone else wasting their money with these people like I did.
Chevron may have acquired some fancy new trucks from their parent company; perhaps a similar investment in their instructors might make more sense!?
