Who are you and what do you do?

I’m John and I’m a trainee Driving Instructor with Caledonian Driver Training. I provide manual driving lessons in the South Side of Glasgow and beyond.

I chose to become a Driving Instructor after spending over 25 years in the transport and recycling industry. In my previous role as Transport Manager, I was involved with training and supervising both HGV and van drivers. When the time was right for a career change there was no doubt about what I wanted to do.

I spent a lot of time researching various instructor training companies and found that Caledonian DT had great reviews for the quality of training they provided. I arranged to meet for a coffee and chat with Andy MacFarlane from Caledonian, and we discussed my options . Andy provided me with all the relevant information that I needed to confirm my decision to carry out my training with Caledonian DT.

What is the best advice you could give your learners?

I would encourage students to learn as much as possible before starting with their in-car lessons. Driving is a skill that you get better at with knowledge, time and practice.

What do you like to do when you're not working?

I enjoy socialising, spending time with my family and walking our dog. I am a keen motorcyclist, and enjoy days out riding my bike all over Scotland.

One interesting fact about you...

My grandfather taught me to drive in an old tractor on his farm when I was around 12 years old. I then spent most of my school holidays in the fields driving round in circles!