Red Driving School - becoming an instructor
Discussion
Hi guys, I'm sure we've all seen the advert for Red Driving School and the earnings / flexible hours possible. I went along to have an informal chat and see what's involved, and it doesn't look bad.
I'm going back on Thursday for an eye test and a drive around with the instructor trainer (to see if I meet the minimum standard I guess), and then it'll be decision time.
I've done a google search and read some mixed opinions about Red, and would appreciate any info / opinions from people who have dealt with Red or maybe any driving instructors on here.
Cheers
Mark
I'm going back on Thursday for an eye test and a drive around with the instructor trainer (to see if I meet the minimum standard I guess), and then it'll be decision time.
I've done a google search and read some mixed opinions about Red, and would appreciate any info / opinions from people who have dealt with Red or maybe any driving instructors on here.
Cheers
Mark
Ah, the gold mine that is Driving Instructing. A family member took this up a while ago.
1. £30k p.a? Yeah right, if you're working every hour God sends, including weekends and even then only if there's enough people to teach in the 'kin first place
2. Over the last 5 or so years, loads of lazy people have cottoned on to the fact that it's not rocket science to teach people how to drive and you only need a normal licence to do it. The market has thus been flooded with instructors and competition is tough
3. A lot of driving schools stitch you up with the 'franchise' I have no experience with RED themselves but have heard stories about others.
4. Be prepared for crap hours. Normal people work during the weekday and have free time in the evenings and weekends. You will be the reverse.
5. Reputation is everything. Word of mouth gets business
This is what I've heard. Be prepared for a lot of hard work.
1. £30k p.a? Yeah right, if you're working every hour God sends, including weekends and even then only if there's enough people to teach in the 'kin first place
2. Over the last 5 or so years, loads of lazy people have cottoned on to the fact that it's not rocket science to teach people how to drive and you only need a normal licence to do it. The market has thus been flooded with instructors and competition is tough
3. A lot of driving schools stitch you up with the 'franchise' I have no experience with RED themselves but have heard stories about others.
4. Be prepared for crap hours. Normal people work during the weekday and have free time in the evenings and weekends. You will be the reverse.
5. Reputation is everything. Word of mouth gets business
This is what I've heard. Be prepared for a lot of hard work.
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/xforums/topic.asp?h=0... Driving school and the like...
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/xforums/topic.asp?h=0... School.?Any experience.!
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/xforums/topic.asp?h=0... instructor?
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/xforums/topic.asp?h=0... School.?Any experience.!
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/xforums/topic.asp?h=0... instructor?
From what I've read, once (if) you pass the instructor training they present you with a New dual control Corsa which will be renewed every 18 months. The first 8 hours earnings per week pays for the car / insurance / maintenance etc, you pay for the fuel yourself. Red supply the learners to you via the central office which finds the nearest instuctor to them. So in theory £24 per hour x 40 = £960
- 8 hours for the car = £768 - £2 / hour fuel = £704 - 10% tax (their estimated figure for self employed)= £630 ish take home per week.
They insist there is a shortage of instructors and getting a full weeks work will not be difficult.
What do you think ?
EDITED - didn't see the two posts above - reading them now..
- 8 hours for the car = £768 - £2 / hour fuel = £704 - 10% tax (their estimated figure for self employed)= £630 ish take home per week.
They insist there is a shortage of instructors and getting a full weeks work will not be difficult.
What do you think ?
EDITED - didn't see the two posts above - reading them now..
Edited by Mark34bn on Monday 9th November 16:32
Mark34bn said:
From what I've read, once (if) you pass the instructor training they present you with a New dual control Corsa which will be renewed every 18 months. The first 8 hours earnings per week pays for the car / insurance / maintenance etc, you pay for the fuel yourself. Red supply the learners to you via the central office which finds the nearest instuctor to them. So in theory £24 per hour x 40 = £960
- 8 hours for the car = £768 - £2 / hour fuel = £704 - 10% tax (their estimated figure for self employed)= £630 ish take home per week.
They insist there is a shortage of instructors and getting a full weeks work will not be difficult.
What do you think ?
And how many hours do you think you'll have to work to get 40 paying hours per week? Pupils won't be getting in and out of your car like a fairground ride; you'll have to make journeys between pupils and hours, sometimes several, between pupils.- 8 hours for the car = £768 - £2 / hour fuel = £704 - 10% tax (their estimated figure for self employed)= £630 ish take home per week.
They insist there is a shortage of instructors and getting a full weeks work will not be difficult.
What do you think ?
Remember, they are in the business of selling franchises, not teaching people how to drive!
40 hours a week, ok, so first lesson is 8.30 till 9.30 next lesson will have to be 9.45 till 10.45 as you need travelling time a trip to the lav and to put some fuel in, next lesson is 11 till 12, so you have a half hour for lunch , starting back at 13.00 till 14.00 following lesson 14.15 till 15.15, etc. you will potentially lose a paying hour per four working hours purely in travelling to and from clients, sitting in jams that's before you have any breaks yourself. so an 8 hour paying day will require 10 hours assuming all your clients are local. The best best method is probably to get qualified and offer the weeks intensive course, looking a Swindon company do this for £365 for 12 hours, up to £1150.00 for 45 hours.
Engineer1 said:
40 hours a week, ok, so first lesson is 8.30 till 9.30 next lesson will have to be 9.45 till 10.45 as you need travelling time a trip to the lav and to put some fuel in, next lesson is 11 till 12, so you have a half hour for lunch , starting back at 13.00 till 14.00 following lesson 14.15 till 15.15, etc. you will potentially lose a paying hour per four working hours purely in travelling to and from clients, sitting in jams that's before you have any breaks yourself. so an 8 hour paying day will require 10 hours assuming all your clients are local.
Then don't forget that after you've completed your 10 hour working day teaching people to drive, you have to go home and carry on working completing paperwork, calling back potential new business, etc. 
It can work for some people. The guy who I know loves it as it gives him time to spend with his kids and he can work hours to suit him 'cos his OH works shifts.
Just don't expect to make a fortune out of it.
Mark34bn said:
Hmmmm not as easy as it seems on paper (what is?). Ideally I'd like all my students in the Plymouth area to avoid too much time wasted between lessons. When I learned to drive we'd go to the next client's house at the end of my lesson and they'd drive me home!
Now you know why he did that 
Speak to driving instructors (a few of them) I have posted in other threads on this but the 2 guys I know that do it have mixed opinions. One is doing well and wants to take on a third instructor to build his business, the other is going through the fire brigade application process because the pay and conditions will be better for him. Both are based in the same town but have differing approaches to business.
musclecarmad said:
why renew the car every 18 months
if it were me i'd go it alone, keep the profits, buy my own (cheaper) car and not have a corsa. i'd get something like a mini which will attract business and have 5 years free servicing
you also don't have agency costs etc
the only one making money is the franchise itself
go it alone if you are going to do it and work your nuts off and keep the money yourself!
I agree. I think that this is the kind of business which can be marketed (with a little advice) quite well by the business owner themselves.if it were me i'd go it alone, keep the profits, buy my own (cheaper) car and not have a corsa. i'd get something like a mini which will attract business and have 5 years free servicing
you also don't have agency costs etc
the only one making money is the franchise itself
go it alone if you are going to do it and work your nuts off and keep the money yourself!
OP: are you a member of the IAD? Do you have any qualifications other than your driving licence? You are preparing someone to pass a test as opposed to teaching them to drive; you'll need to know how to go about that in order to operate effectively. How long ago did you pass your own test?
Hi, no I don't have any qualifications apart from my own driving license. I am considering becoming a driving instructor, but obviously I would go through the courses first and hopefully pass and become qualified. I passed my test in 1988, and have always tried to drive 'well' rather than just going from A to B. I've thought about the IAM before but have never got round to it, it's something I'd like to do even if I decide against becoming an instructor.
I may be getting ahead of myself but it's good to hear other peoples opinions before I start out. I'm going for an hour's assessment with a Red instructor trainer next Tuesday, presumably to make sure I meet a minimum standard etc. This may be as far as I go with Red though, as a Google search has revealed Surepass instructor training courses are less than half the price. Red quote £3700 for the 3 parts of the course, plus tests and retests if reqd.
I may be getting ahead of myself but it's good to hear other peoples opinions before I start out. I'm going for an hour's assessment with a Red instructor trainer next Tuesday, presumably to make sure I meet a minimum standard etc. This may be as far as I go with Red though, as a Google search has revealed Surepass instructor training courses are less than half the price. Red quote £3700 for the 3 parts of the course, plus tests and retests if reqd.
Before you sign an agreement with RED bear in mind that their main business is instructor training and they will make sure you pass their assesment.
The pass rate for part 3 tests is very low <20% IIRC, and RED will charge you a franchise fee to work as a trainee instructor once you pass the part 2. As a trainee you will find it hard to move away from RED as most indis will not want to know and setting up on your own without part 3 isn't allowed.
You can make money from it, but you need 50-60hours of work per week to make a decent wage and the 30k is a long way from lots of instructors actual salary. Look around before signing up to RED and if possible find an instructor who is willing to help you through rather than paying a large amount of money to a company who care more about getting you signed on than making your career a sucess. The 2 friends I referred to earlier became instructors via different routes, the one that is packing in went with a firm like RED (Can't recall their name) the guy that is growing a business did his training with a local instructor and was tied into nothing from day 1 of passing his part 3.
The pass rate for part 3 tests is very low <20% IIRC, and RED will charge you a franchise fee to work as a trainee instructor once you pass the part 2. As a trainee you will find it hard to move away from RED as most indis will not want to know and setting up on your own without part 3 isn't allowed.
You can make money from it, but you need 50-60hours of work per week to make a decent wage and the 30k is a long way from lots of instructors actual salary. Look around before signing up to RED and if possible find an instructor who is willing to help you through rather than paying a large amount of money to a company who care more about getting you signed on than making your career a sucess. The 2 friends I referred to earlier became instructors via different routes, the one that is packing in went with a firm like RED (Can't recall their name) the guy that is growing a business did his training with a local instructor and was tied into nothing from day 1 of passing his part 3.
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