Hayley Burlinson recently made headlines when she passed her Driver PCV test at just 18 years old. She has been employed as an accounting apprentice by her parents, the owners of 2 Way Transport Ltd, Scunthorpe. Elizabeth Howlett spoke to her about being a newly qualified driver and her ambitions for the future
Hayley Burlinson’s story was featured in the national press earlier this year when she became one of Britain’s youngest females to pass her Driver PCV test, just four months after her 18th birthday. Her parents, Kevin and Melanie have run Scunthorpe-based 2 Way Travel Ltd coach company since 1993 and employed Hayley as an accounting apprentice in 2015. She said: “My mum learned to drive a bus when she was pregnant with me, and didn’t stop driving until she physically couldn’t get in the cab. I have always been behind the wheel of a bus!”
Around the dinner table
Growing up around buses and coaches, and watching her older brother qualify as a mechanic gave Hayley a good understanding from a young age. She explained: “Dad started his career as an apprentice mechanic for what was Lincolnshire Roadcar. His passion for buses led him to end up running his own business. As it grew he felt that it was natural for his wife to become a full-time member of staff, doing both admin and driving. It’s been that way ever since.
“I feel like this industry has been bred into me and that I am following in my families footsteps. The conversation around the dinner table has always been about buses, buses and more buses!”
Upon achieving grades A-A*in her GCSEs, Hayley went to college to study Maths, Economics, Physics and Geography. “I did it for a few months but I really hated it,” said Hayley. “College wasn’t for me at all, and I wanted something different. That was when [wlm_nonmember][…]
What you get with a subscription
- Operator & Supplier Profiles
- Face-to-Face Interviews
- Lastest News
- Test Drives and Reviews
- Legal Updates
- Route Focus
- Industry Insider Opinions
- Passenger Perspective
- Vehicle Launches
- and much more!
Hayley went to North Lindsey College, Scunthorpe in 2015 to start her apprenticeship. She had the choice between a Business Admin qualification or an Accountancy one from the AAT. “I decided that a qualification from the AAT would be more beneficial to me.”
She is now in her second year of her apprenticeship which will give the equivalent qualification of an A-level, and hopes to go on and do a third year. Attending college just once a week while learning on the job and earning a wage, suits Hayley much better. “I much prefer keeping busy and learning from my mum, and the one day a week in college keeps me sociable and gets me out of the house. I am finding the course useful and practical. There is no way I could revise for all the exams or take in the knowledge without having classroom-based learning.”
Taking the test
After passing her practical car driving test in 2016 and gaining confidence, Hayley turned her attention to the PCV test. “It was only natural for me to want to drive buses. I have seen everyone in my family do it and I hope to see my younger brother doing the same. As soon as I turned 18 I got the ball rolling.
“I immediately did my theory and hazard perception tests and passed with flying colours, as it was still fresh in my head from learning to drive a car. Following that I did my case studies, they consisted of scenarios I would expect to find when out driving a bus. It ensured I knew what to do if a situation arose. Lastly, I took my Module 4. This was a practical demonstration at the test centre to show I was competent in daily walk round checks – I passed with 100%.
“My dad gave me a couple of lessons and helped me prepare. I also attended a driving school in Grimsby and had approximately 20 hours of practice with an instructor before I took my practical test.”
Hayley took her PCV test in Grimsby and the elements were against her, as she explained: “It was a really windy day. I had left the test centre with two examiners in my 53 seat Volvo coach. I turned down a road with parked cars on both sides, and a great big dumper truck in the middle of the road with oncoming traffic.
“I was scared as it was such a tight space. I managed to weave my way through the gaps and I felt really pleased with myself, but that was just the beginning. Once I arrived back at the test centre, it was time to do my parking manoeuvre.
“The examiners were setting up the cones but the wind just kept knocking them down. I wasn’t going to be able to finish my test if they didn’t stay upright independently. The examiners explained that if they secured the cones with sandbags, they may not indicate if they have been knocked. They couldn’t hold the cones upright as it can be seen as guiding me into the bay.
“We retreated into the centre and waited. The DVLA were called, and it looked as though if the wind didn’t clear that my test would have to be redone all over again. It felt like the longest wait of my life but in reality it was only around 20 minutes. Eventually, the cones stayed upright and I was able to complete my test. When they told me I had passed I was absolutely over the moon. I may have even started jumping with excitement!”
Hayley called her dad to tell him the good news, and he was just as excited as she was. The family went out for drinks to celebrate her success. The following morning, she woke to a range of new tasks and responsibilities at 2 Way Transport.
In the deep end
“I suggested to my dad that we could go on a school run together. We went out on what we call a ‘baby run’. It was for a local junior school and it’s about seven miles each way in a 16-seat minibus. That afternoon, I assumed I would be doing the same run back. To my shock, my dad had scheduled me in to do the local comprehensive schools’ run – in a double decker!
“He had thrown me in at the deep end, but you have to start somewhere. I continued to do this run with my brother for a few weeks until I was confident. Once I was certain of all the stops along the way, and had a handle on the kids, it was time to do it on my own.”
Hayley has been driving independently for about a month now and is thoroughly enjoying it. When she isn’t doing the school run she is doing her admin tasks in the office. “My mum has been doing everything on her own, from invoicing and scheduling jobs to payroll. She does it all. I like driving, it’s an invaluable skill to have and it means if we are ever stuck for a driver, I will be able to help.”
The future
I asked Hayley where she hopes to be in five years from now, she said: “I will still be at 2 Way Transport. I am not sure what level I will take my apprenticeship to, but I can take it to a degree level if I want. That is definitely something to consider. I will eventually take over the family business with my siblings. It would be a shame to put everything my parents have worked for over the past 20 years to waste.”
She loves the dynamic between her family life and her work life, she quipped: “Sometimes we will be sat in total silence and suddenly one of us will erupt because they have forgotten to write something down. The whole house is running around getting diaries out and scrambling for the phone. We have a moment of panic before we realise the job has already been done and everything is fine. Then we sit back down and our dinner has gone cold!”
Hayley hopes that more young women seize the opportunity to get their Drivers CPC: “You will always need some funding behind you, or perhaps a company will help fund it.
“Either way, if you work hard at it then there is no reason to succeed. Most importantly, don’t let anyone put you off if they say, ‘you can’t drive a bus because you’re a girl!’”[/wlm_ismember]
