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: $320 for Hollister Hills SVRA
1-Day Basic Off Road Course: $420 for Ocotillo Wells SVRA / Oceano Dunes
1-day Winching / Recovery Course: $320 for Hollister Hills SVRA
1-day Winching / Recovery Course: $470 for Ocotillo Wells SVRA / Oceano Dunes
2-Day Courses: $640 for Hollister Hills SVRA
2-Day Courses: $940 for Ocotillo Wells SVRA / Oceano Dunes
4-day Instructor Course: $1,280 for Hollister Hills SVRA
4-day Instructor Course $1,880 Ocotillo Wells SVRA / Oceano Dunes
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 48 hours notice since all these classes have a waiting list allowing us to easily fill your spot.
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. 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.
For Ocotillo Wells SVRA
Meet on the first day at the Ocotillo Wells SVRA Visitor Center. Here is a map link:
Hollister:
Here are the best places to stay in town. The Ridgemark Golf and Resort is the most popular, and it is within the allowable nightly rate for agencies.
Ridgemark Golf and Resort
3800 Airline Hwy, Hollister, CA 95023
http://www.ridgemarkgolfclub.com/lodging/
Fairfield Inn and Suites Hollister
390 Gateway Dr
Hollister, CA 95023
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mryho-fairfield-inn-and-suites-hollister
Hollister Inn
152 San Felipe Road, Hollister, California 95023
Ocotillo Wells
Borrego Springs is the closed place to stay, which is about 20 minutes from the SVRA.
Borrego Springs Resort Golf Club & Spa
1112 Tilting T Drive
Borrego Springs, California 92004
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. Most 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, or a Mercedes Sprinter Van email us before you come to make sure we can accommodate your needs. We typically add an instructor just for that vehicle since it has certain limitations.
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 15 are not allowed.
Only certified service dogs are allowed. No family pets.
Yes, our class are POST Certified. 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 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.
Ocotillo Wells
San Diego Airport (SAN) is the nearest airport, which is about a 2 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.
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, and Frank Raines OHV Park to name a few. We can also put on classes Basic Course at Prairie City SVRA in Folsom. 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
Alamenda County Sheriff
Arapahoe County Sheriff
Arroyo Grande Fire Department
Atascadero Fire Department
Bella Winery
Berkeley Fire Department
Benicia Fire Department
Bishop Fire
Border Security Tajikistan
Cal Fire
Calaveras County Sheriff
California Department of Fish and Game
California Department of Water Resources
California Mountains Recreation Authority
California State Parks
Camp Parks Fire Department
Camp Pendleton Fire Department
Central Fire Aptos
City of Santa Maria
Clark County (WA) Sheriff
Construction Safety Academy
Contra Costa County
Coos County Sheriff’s Dept
Dixon Fire Dept.
Drug Control Agency Tajikistan
East Bay Regional Parks
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
Imperial County Sheriff
June Lake Fire
Kern County Sheriff's Department
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Livermore / Pleasanton Fire Department
Los Angeles County D.A. Investigators
Los Angeles Fire Department
Los Angeles Police Department
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
Napa Fire Department
National Park Service
Oceano Fire Department
Ontario Fire Department
Pacifica Police Department
PFC Group
PG&E
Piedmont Fire Department
Pinnacles National Monument
Pismo Fire Department
Pleasanton Police Department
Russian River Fire Department
Sacramento City Fire Department
Sacramento County Sheriff
Sacramento Metro Fire Department
San Diego County Sheriff
San Diego Fire / Lifeguard
San Diego Police Department
San Jose Park Rangers
San Jose Police Department
San Luis Ambulance
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
Save Mount Diablo
Sonoma County Parks
Sonoma County Sheriff
Sonoma Fire Department
South Placer Fire Department
Stanislaus County Sheriff' Department
U.S. Forest Service
United State Embassy Security Tajikistan
United State Geological Survey (USGS)
United States Army
United States Forrest Service
United States Marine Corps
University of California Berkeley Seismological Lab
USA Conservation
Vallejo Fire
Waterloo Fire Dept
White Mountain Fire Protection District
Winters Fire Department
Woodside Fire Department
Wheeler Crest Fire
Yocha Dehe Fire
Copyright © 2019 The Driving Company, Inc.. - All Rights Reserved.