One-to-one or shared HGV training: why it matters
"5 days' training" can mean 20 hours at the wheel, or half that if you share the truck with another learner. How to tell which you're being sold, and what Kent providers say.
Short answer
On a shared course, two learners take turns in one truck, so each drives for roughly half the time booked. On a one-to-one course, every hour is yours. Always ask: "How many hours will I personally be driving?" and get the answer in writing. Most Kent schools say their training is one-to-one. One Essex school that covers Kent says its courses are usually shared, and some Kent courses share the reversing area.
What providers near Kent say
| Provider | Where | One-to-one or shared? |
|---|---|---|
| Learn2Pass HGV | Sittingbourne | One-to-one, stated on each course |
| HGV Training Hub | Sittingbourne | One-to-one, stated on each course |
| Hartlip HGV | Gillingham | "One to one training with our experienced instructors" |
| Gordon Springate Transport Training | Detling | "1-1 Instruction" |
| Kent and Medway LGV (C1 only) | Gillingham | "Our training is always One to One" |
| Wallace School of Transport | Dartford | "1 to 1 training - just you and your instructor" |
| TrainDrive | Dartford | "Usually 1:1", with an optional 2:1 course "for a longer period" |
| Kent Training | Richborough, Sandwich | One-to-one on the road, but on its £2,195 C+E package, reversing and coupling training is at up to 2 learners per instructor |
| Driver Training Centre | Hastings | "Our standard course is delivered 1-to-1" |
| RoadTrain | West Thurrock, Essex | "This is usually a shared course" |
| Mainstream Training | Sittingbourne | Not stated |
| A-Class Driving School | Gillingham | Not stated |
| Start 2 Drive HGV | Canterbury | Not stated |
Why it matters
- Driving time is what you're paying for. If two learners share a 20-hour course, each drives for about 10 hours. Watching someone else drive has some value, but it isn't the same as handling the truck yourself.
- The cost per hour doubles. A £1,600 course with 20 shared hours is £160 per hour of your own driving, not £80.
- Reversing is learned by doing it. The S-shaped reverse into a bay is a feel for the truck that comes with repetition, not from watching.
- Off-road training can be different. Some schools teach one-to-one on the road but share the reversing area. Kent Training's C+E package, for example, runs reversing and coupling at up to two learners per instructor. Ask about both.
- Check whether the test is inside the hours. Some courses count the reversing test and the driving test in their stated hours. Mainstream's 15-hour Class 2 course, for example, "includes 3A training, test, on road practical lessons and practical test". Ask how many hours of training are left once the tests are taken out.
What to ask
- Is every hour of this course one-to-one, on the road and on the reversing area?
- How many hours will I personally be driving?
- Is the test day, or the warm-up before it, counted in those hours?
- Can you put that in writing?
Then compare the cost per hour of your own driving. Check a quote · Mistakes to avoid
Common questions
Is HGV training one-to-one?
It depends on the school. Most Kent schools that publish prices say their training is one-to-one, but some courses are shared between two learners, who take turns driving. Ask how many hours you'll personally drive.
What is shared HGV training?
Two learners share one truck and instructor and take turns at the wheel, so each drives for roughly half the hours booked.
How many hours of HGV training will I actually drive?
Ask for the in-cab hours you'll personally drive, in writing. On a shared course it's about half the hours booked.