A pickup on a dirt road at the foot of a red sandstone wall lit by low sun.

The Overland Directory

Training

Driver training, recovery courses, field repair and wilderness first aid, taught by people who do it for a living.

Training in the directory

20 listings

  1. OverLand Cruisers Sonoita, AZ Restores vintage four wheel drive vehicles, upfits them for overland travel, and runs off road driver training.
  2. Jeep Jamboree USA Georgetown, CA Organises two day family oriented four wheel drive adventure trips and an instructional Jeep Adventure Academy programme, plus custom group adventures.
  3. Off-Road Safety Academy Gridley, CA Runs recreational, corporate and government four wheel drive training courses along with vehicle supported backcountry adventure tours.
  4. The FIRM Starke, FL Driving school at the Keystone Heights Airpark whose RallyPro 4x4 off-road course covers over 20 miles of trails with climbs, descents and winch and recovery work.
  5. Iron Range Offroad Gilbert, MN Off road driving school whose classes run on the trails of the Iron Range OHV park at Gilbert, covering tires, lift kits, lockers, winches, recovery and trail maintenance.
  6. Carolina Overland Experience Carolina Beach, NC Runs 4x4 driver training and guided beach and trail driving on the North Carolina coast, covering sand driving, vehicle recovery and multi-day camping expeditions.
  7. Asheville Vehicle Outfitters Mills River, NC Family owned 4x4 and overland outfitter fitting camper shells, slide-in campers, roof tents, suspension and brake upgrades, and running guided trail rides and driver training workshops.
  8. 775 Offroad & Recovery Carson City, NV Runs basic, intermediate and advanced vehicle recovery classes and a basic off road driving class at its own training area in northern Nevada.
  9. The Off-Road Experience Fernley, NV Off road driving school running graded driver training levels, winch and recovery classes, navigation classes, instructor certification and guided outings.
  10. Northeast Off-Road Adventures, Inc. Ellenville, NY Off road driving school on a private mountain top site in Ellenville running 4WD and overland training classes, guided driving tours, team outings and adaptive recreation programs.
  11. Leonard Motorsports Glenville, NY Off road driving school in Glenville running 4x4 courses for stock and equipped vehicles, winch and rigging instruction and 4x4 EVOC programs for fire and police crews, operating since 2002.
  12. Oregon Adventure Trucks Bend, OR Overlanding shop selling truck toppers and slide in campers, rooftop tents and camp kits, and running four wheel drive training courses and events.
  13. Nemacolin Farmington, PA Laurel Highlands resort of more than 2,200 acres offering lodging and guided Jeep off-roading with beginner to advanced instruction on 88 acres of trails.
  14. Off Road Consulting Pine Grove, PA Off road driving school running 101, 201 and 301 driving classes, winch and recovery classes and guided trail rides at Rausch Creek Off Road Park and the AOAA trails.
  15. MERUS Adventure Park Claude, TX Off road park in Palo Duro Canyon with guided tours, an off road driving and recovery academy, cabins, RV sites and overland camping.
  16. High Point Hummer Moab, UT Off road outfitter running guided Hummer and UTV tours, renting side by sides, and offering off highway vehicle education courses.
  17. Dixie 4 Wheel Drive St. George, UT Off road shop doing 4x4 maintenance and repair and custom modification of Jeeps, trucks and SUVs, selling parts and running off road training classes.
  18. Virginia Off Road Cloverdale, VA Virginia off road organisation that runs an Off-Road 101 course combining a virtual workshop with in person trail instruction, and publishes trail and club information for the state.
  19. Virginia Four Wheel Drive Association Virginia Beach, VA Association formed in 1981 to represent four wheel drive owners in Virginia, running trail events, trail conservation projects and introductory classes on recovery, winching and trail safety.
  20. Wisconsin Off Road Adventures, LLC Random Lake, WI Runs off highway motorcycle riding classes at Random Lake taught by MSF certified DirtBike School coaches, aimed at people new to riding off road.

What training covers

Training is the cheapest upgrade there is. It costs less than a bumper, weighs nothing, and works on every vehicle you will ever own.

Common courses

  1. 01Driving: line choice, throttle and brake control, airing down, spotting
  2. 02Recovery: safe rigging, winching and kinetic recovery
  3. 03Field repair: tires, fluids, electrical faults and improvised fixes
  4. 04Navigation and communication
  5. 05Wilderness first aid

How to choose a course

Small classes and real terrain.

  1. 01Ask about class size and how much time you spend driving rather than watching.
  2. 02Ask whether you train in your own vehicle. You should.
  3. 03Ask about the instructors' certification and how long they have been teaching.
  4. 04Ask what terrain the course uses, and what to bring.

Why it is worth it

A trained driver breaks less, gets stuck less and recovers more safely. Most vehicle damage on the trail comes from speed and poor line choice, and most recovery injuries come from rigging that someone guessed at.

Questions people ask

I have driven dirt roads for years. Is a course worth it?

Most experienced drivers say the recovery day alone was worth it. Rigging a winch pull safely is not something to work out for the first time when you are stuck.

Do I need a built vehicle to attend?

No. Most introductory courses are designed for stock four-wheel-drive vehicles, and learning what a stock vehicle can do is the point.