To think DH should become a driving instructor?

The man who taught me to drive said the only time his nails grew was when he went on skiing holidays and had gloves on, which says a lot. Unless your DH is used to pressure I'd rethink.

The two driving instructors I personally knew both had affairs with their students.

DH is a driving instructor. He really enjoys it and makes reasonable money, but I am the main earner by some way. It’s good in school holidays for flexibility but not so much during term time as after school is a popular slot and he has to work when people actually want the lessons, not just when he wants to work. It can also significantly impact family time at weekends.

Interestingly the insurance and getting dual controls fitting isn’t as expensive as you might think though.

You are significantly underestimating the training costs. There is also a high failure rate on the teaching exam in particular and then very long wait to re-test. So you need to really crunch the numbers and go on all the driving instructor forums that give a more realistic indication of the upfront costs that would be incurred. In summary it takes several years to make the initial investment back which is fine if thinking of long term job change. And there is a risk your husband won't pass the examinations so potentially thousands gone in sunk costs.

I imagine it's much harder than people think. Even with dual controls, you'll be having to deal with people swerving at 60mph. Before anyone says most new drivers are fine, yes, but it's the few that aren't. Plus everyone says getting tests is so hard these days, and not likely to be resolved soon, that presumably you'll have to be flexible about hours and suit your clients whenever they can book a test, so it's not like ten years ago when you could set your hours?
A pro might be they seem to be in demand, always queries on social media about them.

Also don't worry about the times of day. I work Saturday usually but not Monday where possible. I tend to do roughly 9-5 but it varies a lot. It's no problem to fill all hours of the day with so many people on random shift patterns, free periods at college etc.

Most sixth forms require students in school for study periods these days. College might be more flexible, but it wouldn't work for Alevel students in my trust.

Crunch the numbers.

Have a look at training prices, I would guess 5-6k wouldn't be surprising but am not up to date.

Make sure you assume about a 10-15% cancellation rate. I aim to teach about 30 hours per week, so book about 35 hours in if I can, because cancellations there will be..

Look at car lease prices or estimate ownership + maintenance. Neither route is cheap and each has its pros and cons.

Driver instructor franchises are a good way to get started and build a base but and often expensive and can tie you in for a year at a time. There are lighter weight options though. I use a local company and just pay a set fee per hour of their pupils taught as I also get my own referrals, but can top up as and when, and am too lazy to do a lot of marketing...

As I say for the right person it can work well. I have no kids and am mortgage free, but work out how it looks for your situation, and err on the cautious side with your numbers

If he's getting paid 25 hours per week, he'll be out working much more than that, with unpaid time in between lessons.

I would’ve thought a lot of the customers would be doing A levels or be at college?? My sons both had their lessons when they had free periods doing A levels.

That might work if he just wants a bit of part time income, but not if he wants a full time wage. DS's driving instructor used to pick him up from school (sixth form) and do a lesson then. The instructors like it because they can get an extra lesson in, without such a late finish.

I think there's more to family life than the school run. Being able to do that but never there on Sundays doesn't sound appealing to me. When do you get time with him?

It’s going to be a heck of a lot more than 2k, it was 2k donkey years ago! Then factor in needing a dual control car, insurance etc, does he even want to be a instructor? Have you even asked him? Very odd to ask the inernet their opinion before even asking his, he may not want to be driving 6-7 hours a day. It’s extremely stressful!

My dc driving instructor was charging £50 for an hour and a half. I thought the hour and a half lessons were better anyway as more time on the road and learning in a car per week rather than an hour.
But I think it’s great that he (and you) are thinking of ways to earn money that may potentially fit with your life. No it may not but neither woulda ‘normal’ job. Any work takes away from family life most people just try their best.
One thing to consider is that A level students often have their lessons straight after school the instructor waits outside the school, so 3pm is a prime lesson time.

I think you're massively underestimating expenses.

Tax.
Pension.
Sick leave.
Annual leave.
Fuel.
Vehicle maintenance.
A new car (dual control).
Insurance.
Things like new tyres, brakes etc. which will wear through very quickly with multiple learner drivers.
Driving between lessons.
Dead time between lessons.

He won't make anywhere near the amount you're thinking he will.

I am an adi. It will be a load more than 2k to train. That's what it cost me 13 years ago, and it was one of the cheaper options even back then.

If he works long hours 6-7 hours teaching per day, plus admin, travelling between pupils etc., he would probably take home 30-45k before tax (depending on if franchised, how he provides a vehicle etc.). And that's with no pension, no holiday pay, no sick pay etc.

It's a great occupation for the right person, but as a main wage for a household for example it probably wouldn't fly.

Are you allowing for c 30 minutes unpaid between lessons to get between pupils and refuel etc in those calculations?

Wouldn’t he also need to buy a dual control car? I think doing the school run would reduce his market as all the colleges near me are overrun with learner drivers between 3 and 4 when instructors collect the learners so they can drive themselves home, but it might be possible for it to work around this.

Lots of 17 year olds are in college, have free periods, go in later or finish earlier than you think. Both my children learned to drive in the summer holidays of first year of uni as they had 4 months off. They had at least 2 or 3 lessons a week, 2 hours each at £72 a pop. They took cancellations, people on holiday etc.

Have a look at Ashley Neal on Youtube, he teaches people to be driving instructors. Plus have a look at him teaching people how to drive, he shows people from their first lesson and their progression. Same with DGN, Clearview, Driving School and Conquer Driving.

It's really not a family friendly job! People want lessons in the evenings, early mornings and at weekends so they can learn around work and school.

I always think how little they must actually earn - where I live it’s £35 ph, when you take off petrol, wear and tear to the car and insurance, that’s a fairly low hourly rate (plus you have extra driving time as you can’t always coordinate pick up / drop offs between students easily)
Taxi driver would be much easier - if you live anywhere near London then airport taxi drivers seem to always be busy but much less stress.

I think it could be a good idea. I’ve just finished learning at the grand old age of 36 so spent a lot of time speaking to my instructor in lessons. He loved the flexibility, it was though long hours! Most college students have free periods so he didn’t have huge gaps in the day. Another thing he did, which was very clever, was to advertise at the local hospitals- this meant he had a steady stream of students who were fully qualified adult drivers in another country so again- not just relying on college students. He said it’s now all through recommendations and he has a 6 month waiting list. Hes 65 so looking to finish up in october and was constantly passing people on to other instructors.

its very hard work and not for everyone but at rates at c £50-60 and a 1.5 hour lesson as standard, it can be a good option.

The pass rate for getting his qualifications is really small, lower than 35% pass part 3. It's a very tricky thing to get into

I think it’s a great idea. My instructor was a young mum and it fitted around her life!