FAQs
Helping you to GET BEHIND THE WHEEL!
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“Got questions?” This page is here to help you out!
“For first time students, the first 7 boxes are important.”
1. WHAT DOES G.E.T. BEHIND THE WHEEL DRIVING SCHOOL OFFER MY UNDER 18 STUDENT DRIVER?
We provide lessons 7 days a week, and since the student under 18 years of age must have their permit for at least 6 months, we strategically spread those four, 1.5 hour lessons to take place approximately a month and a half apart in order for the family to meet the 50 hours (10 of those hour at night) of their driving responsibilities over that half year, in between our professional lessons.
2. MY FIRST STEP IS TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE DRIVER’S EDUCATION COURSE?
Yes. You can go to any California approved 30 hour drivers education online course and we have an affiliate on our website that has been recommended for over 10 years now to check out pricing.
First you need to complete a Driver’s Education course through your high school or through a licensed private school such as G.E.T Behind The Wheel Driving School and our provider. When you have completed the course, a certificate of completion will be issued which you can take to the DMV to take the written test for your Learners Permit. Then make your DMV appointment for your written test. You will also need to take several things to the DMV: the DMV application (DL44), one of your parent(s) or guardian(s) signature, a registered copy of your birth certificate (The souvenir certificate given at the hospital will NOT be accepted by the DMV; only the one issued by the county where you were born with the proper seal will be accepted.) and the $45.00 fee. You will also need to write your social security number on the application or take the card with you as proof you are who you say you are.(Proof of residency is also required!) for more info from DMV about proof of residence (click here)
3. I TOOK THE ONLINE CERTIFICATE SO HOW TO DO I OBTAIN MY PROVISIONAL LEARNERS PERMIT?
Once you get a certificate of completion in the mail and, along with an application (signed by one) along with the students county issued birth certificate with the embossed seal, (not a photocopy or souvenir copy) you can make your DMV provisional test appointment.
4. I PASSED THE WRITTEN TEST BUT STILL NEED IT VALIDATED?
The first thing to do is to get your permit validated with the initial lesson. You cannot drive on public roads until it is validated. We will sign you up for your first lesson. once we have a copy of the “ informational” page of your permit emailed to us. Simply, take a photo of or scan that page (with the student’s full name, issue, expiration date and DOB) and after we receive it, we will schedule the first lesson (1.5 hours or two hours) of behind the wheel training.
IMPORTANT: Email that photo to us at GETBTWnow@gmail.com.
Please make sure you provide the student’s phone number and at least one or two family member phone numbers and their names associated with those numbers. (Please mention if it is a work or a cell phone number).
Finally, include the student’s high school and any other addresses where the student may be picked up from time to time, if requested.
In the subject line, please type in, “BTW First Lesson”
To make sure we are in receipt of the text, please text us at (209)410 8884 to let us know that it has been sent.
Once we have this information, we will generate paperwork and sign the student up for an appointment that works best for the family when we are back at the office.
We will call you later that day, between 5 and 8 PM or sooner, if we are in the office, not instructing. Again, email it to: GETBTWnow@gmail.com.
5. WHAT CAN I DO BEFORE TAKING A FIRST “VALIDATION” BEHIND THE WHEEL DRIVING LESSON?
We highly recommend for any FIRST TIME DRIVERS THAT HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A GAS AND BRAKE PEDAL (AND THE TRANSITIONS TO AND FROM THEM) OR USE OF HANDOVER HAND STEERING…. “See Pre First Lesson Video” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFCMBXsAluk.
THE VERY IMPORTANT FIRST STEP THAT WE RECOMMEND IS TO FIND A HUGE, EMPTY PARKING LOT (ON PRIVATE PROPERTY) THAT YOU WOULD DRIVE THE STUDENT TO AND THEN LET THEM TAKE OVER THE WHEEL.
Practice different, breaking levels with imaginary scenarios of how to control the car, if a person ran out in front of you or how to break and maneuver the car around imaginary vehicle backing out of the driveway or drifting into your lane. In this empty lot, just make minor maneuvers with little gas, including doing U-turns perhaps that just five or 10 mph to learn how to control the car with your hand coordination and effectively using the gas and brake pedals slightly. Now you’re ready for your first real lesson.
6. WHAT WILL I LEARN IN THE LESSONS?
After the first lesson, take a photo of both the informational page and the signature page (where the instructor validated the permit) from our first 1.5 hour lesson and have it on your phone as well as sharing it with the family member in case one day, when you’re taking subsequent lessons, and you have left your permit in another vehicle or at home, we will have an electronic copy of it to still be able to take that next lesson.
7. I HAVE MY PERMIT AND NEED MY NEXT LESSON?
WHAT DO OUR SCHOOL’S LESSONS COVER?
Foremost, we pick up at a residence whenever possible. For all lessons, we can pick up at various locations that are convenient for you and the students… Home, school, work etc.:
Here are options to pick up at the following high schools…
Hughson, Turlock, Pitman, Hilmar, Delhi, Denair, Livingston.
For our clients north of Turlock, such as Ceres, Modesto, Salida, Oakdale, Riverbank, Manteca, and Ripon, we meet at the Farmer Boys restaurant on Mitchell and Highway 99 directly across from the new Super Walmart in Ceres.
For our clients south of Turlock, such as Merced, Atwater, Winton, Los Banos, Dos Palos, Chowchilla and Madera and rural areas around these municipalities, we meet at the Livingston Subway by the Winton Parkway exit off Highway 99.
For our Patterson clients we meet at the West Main Starbucks in Turlock by Regal Cinemas.
For all these above, we have three other locations to meet at…. Denny’s/Jack-in-the-Box parking lot off of Lander Avenue by the Highway 99 on ramp, Turlock Hobby Lobby, Costco (by the southernmost wall near the tire center) the main student parking lot by CSUS in Turlock underneath the solar panels across the street from 3811 Crowell Road and finally at Resendiz Fruit Barn at the corner of Santa Fe and Geer Road in Turlock.
Our appointment times available when school is in session are at 1:30 PM, 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM .
During vacation days or non-school days 10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM, 4 PM.
During spring and summer, (basically, June through September) we do 10 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM and 6 PM
Regardless of what time of year it is, except for major holidays, we operate seven days a week.
WHAT DOES YOUR SCHOOL’S LESSONS COVER?
Please check your downloaded “worksheet” which will provide diagrams and details that the examiner will be looking for quite stringently on road test day.
We go over many other things, especially defensive driving skills that are not on the worksheet necessarily but all of our lessons cater to what the DMV examiner wishes to see on the day of the student’s DMV road test.
All instructors portray a DMV examiners mindset, and the student will quickly learn as to what the state of California examiner wants to see and how they want them to perform during their 15 to 20 minute test.
We will try to always promote not to be nervous and actually have the student role-play their driving attitude as if they were the “Cop on patrol”, looking for the bad guys which is just about everyone in the vehicle around them more or less!
We also get real with the student and liking it to a video game, but this being a real video game of life and death and severe injury, we explained that it truly is the “Assassin Game” and when you get in the car, you are “IT“! it really seems to strike a nerve to sit up straight in that seat and drive the cars, eyes wide open, scanning as your life depends on it, and indeed it does!
Some of criteria we cover includes, but it is not limited to, scanning, keeping up with speeds (with 5 miles under or 2 miles over the speed limit), check in your mirrors every 7 to 10 seconds and doing the proper lane changes (SMOG) that we work on, and as is stressed in the “Worksheet“.
They need to simplify things in their head on test day and also know to be at the very best for just 15 minutes going around just three or four blocks around the DMV you select to take the road test at. Most assuredly the student will be very familiar and hopefully bored around the Turlock DMV area where we train.
They will be made fully aware as we remind them during our lessons, when we portray the DMV, examiner, as mentioned.
WHERE CAN I DRIVE AND WHO CAN BE WITH ME?
Definitely check for updates and changes in the law and see the DMV link to access the Parent/Teen Handbook for information on restrictions during the use of a provisional permit. Also, you will learn about the restrictions that follow during the first six months and the following six months of the student having their driver’s license issued.
WHAT INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS ARE NEEDED FOR A STUDENT DRIVER WITH A PERMIT?
Insurance requirements are a question for your insurance agent and company but we have only seen once in our 30 years where a specific insurance company did not cover the time the student has a permit to take lessons up until of course, the day that they do get their drivers license, where they will have to be put on your insurance for full coverage. Enjoy that phone call!
WHAT ELSE WILL THE DMV EXAMINER EXPECT THE STUDENT TO KNOW AND DO ON THE TEST?
HOW TO MAKE A DMV APPOINTMENT FOR THE ROAD TEST AND LICENSE?
Make the DMV appointment online, which would be approximately 3 to 4 weeks before they schedule their final lesson. www.dmv.ca gov.
ANY NEW LAWS?
Laws are constantly changing and unfortunately, the DMV has been very lax the past few years and sending driving school owners who are occupationally licensed with the state, information about changes. It would be strictly Google situation for you, as it is for us in this bizarre world. This would include checking the DMV website and other Google opportunities for the family and the student to become informed.
HAVE A NEED TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER SCHOOL?
HOW DO I CANCEL 😑 or CONFIRM 🙂 AN APPOINTMENT or LET YOU KNOW WE WILL BE LATE?
WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
(Sorry, there is no discount for paying the entire amount)
“More Details to Share!”
Again, the road test is not available to the student until they have met the following criteria for California which is:
- Have the permit for 6 months and one day.
- Be 16 years of age.
- Complete the 6 hour training and received a certificate from our school.
DMV strongly advises us to promote the fact there must be spacing between lessons of at least a month to satisfy the 6 hours between our lessons.
Our cars are equipped with a dual brake and additional mirrors. Our instructors operate 7 days a week and primarily pick up at your residence or schools or we can arrange convenient meeting locations for families
coming from outlying communities as well!
We want the family and our new teenage driver to know that our dozen plus instructors portray the DMV examiner to better equip you for your important road test date six months and one day after you have had your permit issued.
So important to download and print that important “Student Worksheet“ and keep it as a guide since it reflects decades of notes we have learned from what exactly what the DMV examiners.
We also ask you to print out and sign what we call “Parent Consent Form” (this helps with our insurance rates to keep our prices lower than most) and bring that with on your first lesson along with the student’s permit so we may validate it.
As mentioned, the first lesson should be done as soon as possible once the student has obtained the permit to be able to legally drive with someone over 25 years of age and a California drivers license in the front seat.
After the first of our four, total 1.5 hour lessons is the “validation” lesson. The second, next lesson should take place between four and six weeks after the first lesson. Lesson three, after approximately 90 days. The final and fourth lesson number four should be saved and be taken just a few days before the scheduled DMV road test appointment you would make online at www.dmv.ca.gov.com.
With these final steps, taking place, have a family vehicle, (rented vehicles are not allowed) that does not have tinted windows, any obstruction on the windshield and windows that roll down on both the driver and passenger side, and obviously functioning tail, lights, proper tire, pressure, etc.
- We recommend the Turlock DMV location because of its open visibility and roads that we will be training on as it is our training grounds for all clients whether we are picking them up and outline areas or right in Turlock.
- We do not travel to Modesto, Merced or Los Banos to experience the roads in those areas of those DMV.
- It’s important to know that the DMV test is never the same and we have no knowledge of exact roads. They will ask the student to drive for their (approximately 15 minute) test. Know that the DMV examiners do not venture, more than a half mile away from their DMV office, no matter what town you like to go to.
- We strongly, strongly suggest that since the student will be well-versed with Turlock since we train there, but if they wish to go to another DMV, the family should allow their student to go to their DMV choice after experiencing the roads within that half mile radius of any other preferred DMV locations to see where they are more comfortable.
- We cannot go onto any DMV property during our lessons, but the family can! We advised that they rehearse entering and exiting that chosen DMV during business hours to experience the amount of traffic and cars, leaving parking stalls, and entering them as well as observe the nuances of that DMV parking lot.
- Regarding our 1.5 hour lessons, which we have been doing for nearly 30 years, we feel that the maximum DMV allows with a two hour lesson is simply too long of a period to be in the car.
- The attention span of teenagers is often limited and this equates to a more concise driving time of our 1.5 hour lesson in the car to retain all of the information our instructors provide.
- We recommend that the student repeat the lesson we will have completed with them, with the family for at least a half hour the same day or definitely the next day, going over the critical areas our instructors point out during our time with them.
- Of course any opportunity to take the family car out with your student to experience night driving in the rain, light fog and different areas, including the freeway, which is not on the test, it’s strongly advised beyond our six hours with them.
- We can’t stress enough that the “Worksheet” is really equivalent to “notes” that the student would be taking during a classroom session. But, obviously, during their behind the wheel training, the student is driving, so we have these notes for them and it is a great reminder, so refer back to the worksheet we provide. It also puts the family on the same “page”, as it were, like our instructors, and like the DMV examiners. The result, we will be training the students together!
- We do ask the responsible adult party of the student to make sure the student has their permit with them especially on the first lesson as it needs to be validated with that first lesson. After that the electronic photo of the permit will suffice. It is definitely not preferred.
- We would say if you have any additional questions, don’t hesitate to call us, but we sincerely hope we covered every question and probably way too much more. In this case more is better!
If you wish to use our vehicle for your DMV drive test ($70), we will make your appointment for you ending your final certification lesson at the DMV, check you in and proceed to take your scheduled DMV road test!” Otherwise, please contact your local DMV office 1-800-777-0133.