TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR TEEN PROGRAMS

We offer a 6hr single student program and a 8hr partner program. All lessons are 2hrs long and programs generally take one to two months to complete. We offer pick-up/drop-off at home, work, or school within our service area.

Students will get neighborhood, highway, city, and out of town driving experience. Lessons include parking, changing lanes, right-of-way scenarios, the importance of anticipation, and how to avoid the biggest mistakes new drivers make.

There is no classroom work. We believe in learning by doing and so all of our instruction is real life, behind-the-wheel training.

We are certified by the DMV, insured, and bonded.

Check out the Teen Programs page.

*Programs must be completed within 4 months of enrollment.

OUR PHILOSOPHY / NOT A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM PROGRAM

A traditional drivers ed program consists of 30-36hrs of classroom time (or maybe Zoom calls), 6hrs of driving time, and 6hrs observation/passenger time. The driving test is included as part of a traditional program. (see bottom of page for more info about this.)

We are a bit different. Teen drivers tend to believe what they see and experience more than what they’re told, and I’d bet that you were just the same. So we focus on learning-by-doing. Our programs do not consist of sitting in a classroom, but instead put students in as many real life scenarios as time allows, as well as a handful of very specific situations that we’ve learned are the most important for new drivers. All the pertinent classroom concepts taught by traditional programs are also safely introduced during this in-car instruction.

Sometimes we’ll pull over to talk about what just happened or a situation that’s coming up. We might get out of the car and walk to an intersection to take a look at the lines, lights, signs, etc. Every single time we do this it makes more sense to the student because they are actually seeing it in real life. I started my career working for a longstanding traditional driving school who taught the classroom curriculum and simply found that many of the classroom concepts were not translating to the road. We believe what makes a good curriculum is not just the information being taught but also the presentation of that information in a memorable and impactful way. And that’s why we do what we do.

WHERE IS YOUR SERVICE AREA / DO YOU SERVICE PORTLAND

We are located in McMinnville but also pick up students in Newberg and Sherwood. If you are located in-town then we should be able to pick-up/drop-off at your home, school, or work.

We meet students from outside of our service area or who live out-of-town at either the Sherwood Target, Newberg Library, or various McMinnville locations.

Thank you to all of our students in Tualatin, Wilsonville, West Linn, Lake Oswego, Tigard (and many more) who were willing to come to us. We appreciate it.

HOW SOON CAN I GET IN

Weekends – We are in NEWBERG/SHERWOOD every Saturday and every other Sunday during the school year and also in MCMINNVILLE every other Sunday. With our current student list we are booked approx. 6-10 weeks out.

After School – In MCMINNVILLE, NEWBERG, YC (early release Wednesday’s @ 1:45) or SHERWOOD (early release Wednesday’s @ 2:30) we are generally booked 4 weeks out.

Before School – We are available in MCMINNVILLE for lessons at 8-10am on late-start Wednesday’s. We’re generally looking at 4 weeks out for this option, possibly sooner.

Late Mornings – In MCMINNVILLE or NEWBERG (or Wednesday’s in SHERWOOD) we are generally looking at 4 weeks out for this option, possibly sooner.

WHAT ABOUT TESTING

We do not offer testing. However we have had students go to all of the 3rd party testing companies in the area including HST Oregon (offering tests in McMinnville & Wilsonville), Training Wheels (offering tests in Salem and Newport), Pacific Driving School (Greshem, Beaverton, & other locations), and ODEC (Salem, Beaverton, and other).

These testing companies should be a lot easier to schedule than the DMV and will go along great with our programs.

I used to administer the test in downtown Hillsboro and wrote one of the old test routes in McMinnville. We also have experience with the Sherwood, Beaverton, and Gladstone testing areas. We can definitely help prepare our students for their test. Our main concern, however, is that they are safe and confident drivers after the test.

WHAT IS YOUR MASK POLICY

We do not require or recommend masks while in the car. Wearing a mask while sitting in a classroom or shopping at Target is one thing, but clear communication from both instructor and student (amidst the sounds of a busy intersection, loud trucks, rain, windshield wipers, etc) is critical in many key situations while navigating a new driver through moving traffic. Also a student’s ability to breathe properly when nervous and see properly through prescription and/or sun glasses (without fogging up) is clearly high priority. Even our ability to read our student’s expressions is more important than we once thought.

Our number one priority is always safety on the road. We take this extremely seriously and will do everything in our power to ensure the immediate safety of you or your teen. And as always we ask that if you are feeling sick that you please let us know asap so that we can reschedule.

We understand that everyone’s family situation, health concerns, and comfort level regarding this may be different and we absolutely respect your right of personal choice. We also understand that now may simply not be a good time for in-person drivers ed for everyone. But whenever you’re ready we’ll be here and happy to help.

DO I GET A CERTIFICATE

Students will receive a certificate of completion for insurance purposes upon completion of the program.

DO I NEED A PERMIT / DO YOU OFFER STUDY CLASSES

Yes, an unlicensed driver needs a learners permit to practice driving with anyone in Oregon, including a professional driving school. You will need to pass the “written”/computer test at the DMV and show proper documentation to be issued this permit. At this time we do not offer any classes for students trying to pass their permit test. All of the information is in the DMV manual however and we’ve also had students who recommend the DMV Genie app for studying.

DO I NEED DRIVING EXPERIENCE BEFORE TAKING YOUR CLASS

You will get the most out of this program if you’ve had adequate time to get comfortable with simple driving beforehand; A basic control of the pedals, steering wheel, and turn signals out of the parking lot will be very helpful. You do NOT need to be comfortable in traffic yet though. That’s what we do. The focus of this program will be getting you real-life experience with right-of-way scenarios, flow of traffic, the importance of anticipation, and how to avoid the biggest mistakes new drivers make. We’ll also be getting out of town a bit. So the more comfortable you are with handling a vehicle the better. The progress you’ll see and confidence you’ll gain from this program with that solid foundation will pay off tenfold in the end. With that said, we’ve had quite a few students who have never left a parking lot. So whatever your situation is we’ll make it work. You’ll learn some new skills and get some great experience. We’re excited to help.

IS THERE A CANCELLATION FEE FOR MISSED APPOINTMENTS

Life happens. We get it. Please also understand that your chosen time slot could be very valuable to other students on our waiting list. So if for some reason you are not able to make your lesson please give us the courtesy of early notice so that another student can take your spot. I can assure you they will be very thankful. With that said, there is a $50 fee for a missed lesson if cancelled within 48 hours of the scheduled time.

THE GOOD AND THE BAD ABOUT AVOIDING THE DMV OR 3RD PARTY DRIVE TEST

If a traditional program is operating correctly (within ODOT guidelines), it should work like this:

• Traditional programs offer between 30 to 36 hrs of classroom and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training (with another 6 hrs of in-car observation).
• The 6 hrs of driving (and 6 of observation) are generally broken up into 4 to 6 sessions.
• That last driving session is the driving test. It should be given on a specific route with specific requirements. And yes, this is a test that students can fail. Most schools will let them re-test though, sometimes for an additional small fee.
• More than likely the test will be given by the same instructor who gave the lessons. This can be an advantage AND a disadvantage. The benefit is that the student and instructor are familiar and comfortable with each other. However often this can lead to students passing that probably should not have. I have seen numerous examples of students who passed their final drive (and therefor are omitted from having to take the driving test at the dmv) but are clearly not ready to be driving alone. I know it, the parents know it, and often even the student knows it. In fact I have had several students who have signed up for lessons even after they’ve completed a traditional drivers-ed program so that they can get the experience and confidence they truly need to be safe on the road. With all that said, a traditional classroom program can certainly be a good thing for many students. Just be careful about assuming your child is road ready simply because they pass the course.