Members Bio

I’m Gary Dodd – currently employed as a Quality Assurance Manager, Learning & Development Manager, and VIP security chauffeur with Specialist Chauffeur Services (SCS) in the North West.

My extensive driving career began with training from a former police driving instructor, this led me to pass my Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) exam at the age of 20 years.

I became a driving instructor for the British School of Motoring (BSM) which included an induction test which I passed at the first attempt - these qualifications have a national first-time pass rate of just 33%! Within a few years, I progressed to become a ‘Train the Trainer’ for BSM.

I always had an ambition to be a Rolls Royce Chauffeur, and my determination eventually paid off. I became a Rolls Royce & Bentley Chauffeur for a private household for over 12 years, until my principle passed away, which meant I needed to look for alternative employment.

I saw an advert for a Driving Examiner and duly applied. Several months later, following a rigorous selection process, I found myself at the DSA (now DVSA) Training Establishment in Cardington on a four-week residential pass/fail course.

I was successful and qualified as a DSA Driving Examiner, conducting driving tests for cars on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport. Due to having a driving licence for all categories of trucks & buses I was soon back at Cardington and qualified as a Driving Examiner for trucks, buses, DCPC Examiner and Private Hire & Hackney Carriage Driving Test Examiner, I later passed a rigorous selection process and briefing lasting three weeks to assess my potential for training to become a DSA Occasional Staff Instructor (OSI).

Qualifying as an OSI was a very proud moment for me, DSA (now DVSA) set the driving standards for the whole country, and I was a member of a very elite team - training not only Driving Examiners in the UK, but also from around the world. One such opportunity was for me to train two examiners from Hong Kong.

I was also involved in writing questions for theory tests.

After approximately 10 years and conducting over 18,000 driving tests, I was looking for a new challenge – I applied for and was offered a position with a national bus company as a driving examiner, training staff instructor, theory test invigilator, DCPC examiner and responsible for the driving standards of approximately 2,500 bus drivers throughout the North West & Wales.

In between the above, I continued my passion for chauffeuring although on an occasional basis. An opportunity was extended to me to be a Quality Assurance, Learning & Development Manager with Specialist Chauffeur Services (SCS). For various reasons, it was an offer I simply couldn’t refuse, one of the reasons was being able to utilise and share my qualifications, experience and passion for chauffeur standards. Some of my qualifications not mentioned above are listed below. I hope you have enjoyed reading my bio!

Member of Guild of Professional Chauffeurs – Vice Chairman, Assessor, Head of Quality Assurance & Improvements, Member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, ROSPA Gold Advanced Driver, VIP Security Chauffeur, Motorcycle Escort Rider, Member of Driving Instructors Association, Association of Road Risk Managers, Member of International Security Drivers Association and over the years completed various police advanced driving courses delivered by some of the UK’s leading experts.