On the Off Road EVOC page and the Civilian Off Road page there is a PayPal button where you can pay via credit card. For agency people, you can contact us to reserve a spot in the class and the agency can pay later.
1-Day Basic Off Road Course: $330 for Hollister Hills SVRA
1-Day Basic Off Road Course: $495 for San Diego / Oceano Dunes
1-day Winching / Recovery Course: $330 for Hollister Hills SVRA
1-day Winching / Recovery Course: $495 for San Diego / Oceano Dunes
2-Day Courses: $660 for Hollister Hills SVRA
2-Day Courses: $1,069 for San Diego / Oceano Dunes
4-day Instructor Course: $1,280 for Hollister Hills SVRA
4-day Instructor Course $2,139 San Diego / Oceano Dunes (Discounted price from POST Catalogue)
On the Off Road EVOC page and the Civilian Off Road page there is a PayPal button where you can pay via credit card. For agency people, you can contact us to reserve a spot in the class and the agency can pay later.
Refund policy: Agency EVOC classes: 100% refund if cancelled within 30 days, or we can move you to another date. Most classes have a waiting list, so if we fill your spot we will process 100% refund regardless of when you cancel.
Civilian Classes: 100% refund with 5 days notice since all these classes have a waiting list allowing us to easily fill your spot. We can also move you to another available date.
For Hollister Hills SVRA
The meeting place is the main entrance to Hollister Hills SVRA at 7800 Cienega Rd in Hollister, California. Set your trip odometer to zero as soon as you turn on to Cienega from Union, then drive 4.9 miles to the main entrance to the park. Turn right just after the sign that says Welcome To Hollister Hills (NOT the barn that has Hollister Hills painted on it and NOT Mudstone Ranch Day Use Area). Do not turn into any of the day use areas. Do not simply follow your GPS if you are typing in the address - use the map link below. This will put you in the driveway of the resident ranger rather than the main office area. Look for the sign! Just prior to the pay booth, there is a large open area on your right. An instructor in a green shirt or tan jacket will greet you. We will be there 30 min prior to start time. If you are there earlier than that, just wait in this area. The actual classroom will be the Hollister Hills Off Road Association (HHORA) Building, so you can park near that. This is the blue building way off to your right of the office area. You do not have to wait in line for the kiosk! Here is a map link: https://goo.gl/maps/gzFohZ1fNWBT6MK37
For San Diego
Meet on the first day at the San Diego Sheriff's Dept EVOC Facility:
7361 Otay Mesa Rd, San Diego, CA 92154
https://goo.gl/maps/xQbHWrrmq6N3Ws8x9
Note that your GPS may say this is San Ysidro Elementary School. It is not!
For the San Diego Students: if you get separated from the group on the way to lunch, here is the meeting spot:
https://goo.gl/maps/uDRwikKGPkpvZZ1X7
Restaurant Vallarta 2335 Roll Dr #11, San Diego, CA 92154
For San Diego Students: if you get separated from the group or you are told to meet at the beach training staging area, go to Tijuana River Valley Campground:
https://goo.gl/maps/NHqH3Re6XYbqr9qF8
Oceano Dunes
555 Pier Ave, Oceano, CA 93445
The room is called “Guiton Hall” it’s situated behind (east of) the State Park Visitor Center
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DSxbMxXMuSYWA7sA9
Hollister:
Here are the best places to stay in town.
Fairfield Inn and Suites Hollister
390 Gateway Dr
Hollister, CA 95023
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mryho-fairfield-inn-and-suites-hollister
Holiday Inn Express
391 Gateway Dr, Hollister, California 95023
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/hollister/hlisr/hoteldetail
San Diego
There are a number of options near the training facility, but some of the neighborhoods are not safe. We are still working on lodging recommendations- this is a new venue for us. If you find a place you would like to stay, email us and we will check on the neighborhood for you. Check back here for recommendations. We will post when we find something.
Oceano Dunes
We do not have a recommendation for this area. There are many options since it is a popular travel destination.
After off road training thousands of students since 2003, only two vehicles have sustained very minor damage - each one because the driver did not follow specific instructor direction. Although nobody can guarantee no damage will occur, our emphasis on Mechanical Sympathy will help you learn how to properly drive off road without damaging your vehicle. You will not be driving like the horrible drivers on the TV commercials who abuse their 4x4s!
You will need a 4-wheel drive vehicle. All Wheel Drive will not be sufficient for many of the obstacles we will be driving over. Every person who has brought an AWD has not been able to drive this course. Also, stock Ford Explorers and Ford Expeditions are not recommended. These vehicles have very little clearance, and poor axle articulation making them susceptible to getting stuck or damaged. If you have a specialty vehicle like a 4WD Van, email us before you come to make sure we can accommodate your needs.
Can Rivians come to your classes?
Yes! We are very familiar with Rivian, having trained several Rivian owners groups in custom Rivian-only classes. We often get Rivians in our weekend classes. We know why many Rivian owners are breaking tie roads: driver behavior! At the conclusion of class, you will know how your Independent Wheel Drive (IWD) works, and how to safely use it off road. Your Rivian has a tremendous amount of torque – over 900 foot pounds per wheel – and if you don’t control that correctly, you will break things. Our concept of Mechanical Sympathy applies to Rivians, too! Make sure you have 60% - 65% charge upon arrival to the training area.
Can Sprinter Vans come to your classes?
Mercedes Sprinter Vans are All-Wheel Drive despite what the manufacturer or builder (such as Storyteller) tell you. The Sprinter also has a limiter, so it gets hung up on our obstacle course. They have specialized traction control systems that help, but they are still AWD. We recommend driving Sprinters on improved roads unless you make some modifications. We cannot accommodate Sprinter Vans in our classes. We ran a couple of specialized Sprinter classes, and discovered these vehicles cannot safely navigate the terrain and obstacles in our classes.
For agencies: We train all types of off road vehicles; Jeeps, Pickups, Type III Fire Rigs, Type VI Fire Rigs, 6WD Crash Rigs. Off Road certified tenders are possible, but call us first.
We do not train UTV (side-by-side), ATV. These vehicles are the cause of many injuries, and our insurance will not cover this type of training.
Due to the nature of an off road training class, every person is considered a participant when it comes to our insurance, so the usual rate per person applies to all people present. If this other person is someone who would be going with you on your offroad adventures later, we highly recommend they participate in the class. When you are offroad, you will frequently run across situations where you will need a spotter - someone outside the vehicle to guide you over obstacles that cannot be seen from the driver's seat. For this reason, your spotter should get the same off road training. If they save you from even one damage-producing obstacle, they have more than paid for their tuition! Teen drivers are welcome as long as they have a driver's license. Due to the nature of the terrain and the potential dangers involved, we cannot accommodate children.
Due to our insurance restrictions, children under 16 are not allowed.
Our instructors are paid professionals, not tip employees. Tips are not accepted.
Only certified service dogs are allowed. No family pets.
Yes, our class are POST Certified for agencies. For our civilian friends - this means you will be receiving training reviewed, approved, and certified by the State of California- something no other training company can offer. We just cannot enter you into the state computer system reserved for agency personnel.
We often get asked about Driver Operator 1A and 1B certification. Click the link below for detailed information.
Yes! We will do custom off road training dates for groups of 8 students or more. Use the Contact Page to inquire.
Holister
San Jose Airport (SJC) is the nearest airport, which is about a 1 hour drive from the off road training area. Even if you are renting a 4WD from The Driving Company for use during class, you will need a rental car to get from the airport and for use around town.
Otay Mesa San Diego County Sheriff EVOC Facility
This facility is about 35 minutes from San Diego Airport. Even if you are renting a 4WD from The Driving Company for use during class, you will need a rental car to get from the airport and for use around town.
The Driving Company can conduct off road training in your area if you have a location we can use. We have trained on location at Camp Pendleton, Fort Hunter Liggett, Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow, Pinnacles National Park, Camp Parks, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and Frank Raines OHV Park to name a few. Carnegie OHV Park near Livermore, CA is closed for 4x4 training for the time being. Dave Storton conducted a 2-phase training project over 2 months in Tajikistan, so anything is possible! Use the contact page to inquire. We can also incorporate defensive driving and on road EVOC in any 2-day course.
This is not a complete list, but these are several of the agencies for whom we conducted off road training, many on an ongoing basis. We also started teaching open civilian classes in 2017. If we trained your agency offroad or on road and you are not on this list, let us know!
Alameda County Fire Department
Alameda County Sheriff
Arapahoe County Sheriff
Arroyo Grande Fire Department
Aptos Fire Department
Atascadero Fire Department
Bella Winery
Berkeley Fire Department
Benicia Fire Department
Bishop Fire Department
Bonita Fire Department
Border Security Tajikistan
Calaveras County SheriffCal Fire
California State Fire Marshal
California Dept of Food and Agriculture
California Department of Fish and Game
California Department of Water Resources
California Department of Cannabis Control
California Department of Conservation
California Mountains Recreation Authority
California State Parks
Camp Parks Fire Department
Camp Pendleton Fire Department
Carlsbad Fire Department
Casper Police Department (Wyoming)
Central Fire Aptos
Chino Valley Fire District
City of Santa Maria
Clark County (WA) Sheriff
Construction Safety Academy
Contra Costa County
Converse County Sheriff (Wyoming)
Coos County Sheriff’s Department
Coronado Police Department
Cyberhawk
Daisy Mountain Fire District, Arizona
Department of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, Hawaii
Dixon Fire Dept.
Drug Control Agency Tajikistan
East Bay Regional Parks
El Centro Fire Department
El Dorado Hills Fire Department
El Segundo Fire Department
Embassy Security for the U.S. Ambassador Tajikistan
Fairfield Fire Department
Forestville Fire Protection District
Fort Hunter Liggett Fire Department
Fort Hunter Liggett Security Activity
Fremont Fire Department
Glendale Fire Department
Graniterock Construction
Hanford Fire Department
Hollister Fire Department
Humboldt County Sheriff
Imperial County Sheriff
Inyo County Search & Rescue
June Lake Fire
Kern County Sheriff's Department
Lakeside Fire Dept
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore / Pleasanton Fire Department
Los Angeles County D.A. Investigators
Los Angeles Fire Department
Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff
Los Alamos, Fire (New Mexico)
Marine Corp Logistic Base Barstow
Mammoth Fire
Mariposa County Sheriff
Maui Fire Department
Mid Peninsula Open Space District
Milpitas Fire Department
Ministry of Security Tajikistan
Ministry of the Interior
Montecito Fire Department
Monterey County Sheriff
Moraga Orinda Fire District
Natrona County Sheriff (Wyoming)
Napa Fire Department
National Park Service
Oceano Fire Department
Oceanside Fire Department
Ontario Fire Department
Pacifica Police Department
Pala Tribe Fire Department
Palo Alto Police Department
Peoria Fire Department, Arizona
PFC Group
PG&E
Phoenix Fire Department, Arizona
Piedmont Fire Department
Pinetop Fire Department, Arizona
Pinnacles National Monument
Pismo Fire Department
Pleasanton Police Department
Plumas County Sheriff
Poway Fire Department
Puget Sound Fire Department, Washington
Russian River Fire Department
Sacramento City Fire Department
Sacramento County Sheriff
Sacramento Metro Fire Department
San Diego County Sheriff
San Diego County Search & Rescue
San Diego Fire / Lifeguard
San Diego Police Department
San Jose Park Rangers
San Jose Police Department
San Luis Ambulance
San Miguel Fire Department
San Ramon Valley Fire Department
Santa Barbara County Fire
Santa Clara County Fire Department
Santa Clara County Park Rangers
Santa Clara Valley Open Space
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Santa Cruz Police Department
Santa Fe County Fire (New Mexico)
Santa Monica PD
Save Mount Diablo
Scottsdale Fire Department, Arizona
Sonoma County Parks
Sonoma County Sheriff
Sonoma Fire Department
South Placer Fire Department
Stanislaus County Sheriff' Department
Stantec
State of Oregon - Dept of Public Safety Standards and Training
Tolleson Fire Department, Arizona
Truckee Fire Department
Tucson Fire Department, Arizona
UC Berkeley U.S. Forest Service
USGS
United State Embassy Security Tajikistan
United State Geological Survey (USGS)
United States Army
United States Forrest Service
United States National Park Service
United States Marine Corps
United States Dept of Food and Agriculture
University of California Berkeley Seismological Lab
University of California Davis
USA Conservation
Vacaville Fire Department
Vallejo Fire Department
Vista Fire Department
Waterloo Fire Department
White Mountain Fire Protection District
Winters Fire Department
Woodside Fire Department
Wheeler Crest Fire Department
Yocha Dehe Fire Department
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