Twin Cities Behind the Wheel Instruction - Road Master Driving School MN

Road Master Driving School of MN

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Updates and Notes

My Open Time Slots
Many openings ahead in February and March. View all available times in the Schedule page.

NOTES:
* I operate in Burnsville, Eagan, Rosemount, Lakeville, Farmington, Inver Grove Heights, Savage, and Prior Lake; in other words the southeast metro. If you live beyond that area, you'll have to meet me here. I have meeting places in those cases. They include but aren't limited to the Burnsville HS lot, the Apple Valley water park lot, and Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights. Yes, in those cases you'll have to get a ride to the meeting spot and we'll go from there.

* Tip of the month: Get your behind the wheel training done first, and THEN schedule your road test. Currently seeing more people who do the opposite, which just causes unnecessary panic.

Industry Status
The state is in very rough shape in terms of resources. There are just not enough workers to properly man the tast stations. Road test appointments are like gold now. One common way to get scheduled is to look for a cancellation, meaning an opening will suddenly appear in that site's schedule page. You can also get on a call list or email list with them . . . check with your test station of interest. The situation is dynamic and I can't keep up with what each station is doing or not doing during a particular week. I also must add that applicants can only test up to 30 days out. That timeframe was previously six months. Again, the shortage of workers means the situation is critical, and the state is doing the best they can. I'd like to see them use behind the wheel trainers like me to do road tests, but that's a separate discussion topic, far beyond the scope of this page.

Milestone
I'm entering my 12th year now in this industry. In 2022 alone, I completed well over 300 lessons, which sets a new record for my little business. That number is all the more interesting since I only do this evenings and weekends. I do have a day job career as well but this holds more significance for me, since it's addressing a need and serving the southewast metro community. It's the satisfaction in helping people achieve their goals, and my passion for it that keeps me going. My customers go on to pass the road test and become successful drivers. Much of my business is referrals now, and my name is well known at the test stations. I'm proud of that and plan to continue into 2023 and beyond.

Area of Operation
Again, my business is based in the southeast metro. I do not pick up or drop off north of the river. On occasion I'll have a student drive to Hastings or Faribault, but that's for showing them a road test area or experiencing one-way streets.
PS: I do not venture into Minneapolis at any time during behind the wheel lessons, for any reason. That has been my policy for over four years now. However, I do sometimes have a student drive briefly in downtown St. Paul.

I'm fully vaccinated, for those who focus on such matters. And yes, I worked through the entire pandemic, Never missed a beat.

Header Photo:
Lancaster Lane, Eagan, December 2022.

Behind the Wheel instruction for teens and adults, evenings and weekends.
Based in Eagan, MN.*

$380 PER 6 HOURS, or $65 PER HOUR **

The promise to my customers:

Run your own schedule.
Set up your own BTW lessons from the Schedule page.

Pay when we're done.
If you need a letter of completion or a white card, I get paid after six hours. I take checks, Zelle, Venmo, or cash.
If you're brushing up with a random lesson here and there, I get paid each time.

You're the only student in the car. It's your lesson.
The big factory-style driver ed schools use your lesson to shuttle other students back home. Why? To save money.
I've never done this and never will. Your lesson is your lesson and nobody else's.

Individualized training regimen.
You are unique, just like everyone else. We decide. There is no man behind the curtain calling the shots, as in large driver ed schools.

No penalties, no drama for a canceled or changed lesson.
If you have to cancel, it's alright. Unlike other schools, there's no fine, no handwringing, no drama. BUT. If you have a habit of canceling frequently, that won't fly because you're robbing others of opportunities. ***

State of MN cards for teens and Letters of Completion for adults.
Teens (<18) need six hours behind the wheel and get the 'white card' from me when done.
Adults get the Letter of Completion if and only if there were four failed road tests.
If over 18 and have not failed the road test four times, the only requirement to take the road test is holding a permit for three months.

Simple but reliable vehicle.
By law, we must use my vehicle; a plain, well-maintained Ford Focus with a secondary brake.

Pickup and dropoff at your residence.
Yes, I pick up and drop off at your home.

No gaudy decals sprawled across the car.
You want to blend in; I get it. You don't want to drive a billboard, nor do I.

I have a separate career from 8 to 5. I do this evenings and weekends and thus, cannot give rides to the test station.
I typically don't take calls during the day. The best way to reach me is email.

No back seat passengers.
Sorry but I've had to stop this practice. If mom or dad or the doting aunt must ride in back, you might be better off elsewhere.

* Teen customers sign on with me right after they have finished the classroom (yes, I can issue the Blue Card) or after they have their permit. Adults who sign on with me have their permit. I do not offer the classroom portion but can refer you if needed.

** The price within my normal zone (11 miles from my base). See map in the Contact page. In general, I do not train in Minneapolis or pick up/drop off there. If you're in Minneapolis, email me and we'll work through it.

*** Frequent cancellations will require other action, to avoid impacting other customers.