Alan Beckley/Owner of Alert Driver Training LLC
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When my two kids were old enough to get their beginner’s permit, my wife Esther took them to a school parking lot to introduce them to getting behind the wheel of a car. Then it was up to me to get them out on the road. I had heard horror stories of teaching teenagers how to drive, and seen depictions of new drivers creating general mayhem. However, the experience with my kids was not chaotic; in fact, I actually enjoyed it!
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For 20+ years I had been doing computer drafting in an office setting. I had little interaction with other people. While I enjoyed the work, it became harder and harder to find contentment staring at a monitor all day long. When I started researching how Driver Education works in South Carolina, I realized that it was something that I could put my heart into. Beyond preparing my own children to learn how to drive safely, the thought of working with other teenagers and adults appealed to me. My own father lost his life in a head-on collision in 1966. I never got to know him. If I could help prevent such a tragedy happening to somebody else, that would give me sense of purpose.
It seemed that most driving school owners had a connection to the field. Many worked for the Department of Motor Vehicles, were former high school coaches or had experience with law enforcement. Me? I was simply a dad; a father who cared about the safety of his kids on the road, and others who shared the road with them.
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In 2012 there was just one instructor at Erskine College teaching the two-week course certifying individuals to become driving instructors. It provided a foundation to build on, but I knew that I needed practical experience. I sat in on two different driver’s ed classes, one taught by an older gentleman who had been in the field for decades, the other taught by the daughter of the owner of the largest driving school in the state, who also attended the same course as I had at Erskine. The older instructor was considering retiring, and offered to sell me his established business, but my wife (and my gut) told me that I had better get hands-on experience working for someone else first. So, I applied at every driving school in town, but nobody was hiring. After doing odd jobs for nearly a year, I finally got hired by a local driving academy.
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I learned how to teach the eight-hour class. I learned how to give behind the wheel driving lessons. I even helped the owner to get her business an online presence. After two years, I was doing everything except conducting road tests. When I showed my desire to get certified for it, my employer didn’t think I was ready. In actuality, she enjoyed doing that segment herself, so I was denied that opportunity. If I was to continue making advancement, I realized that I would have to strike out on my own.
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However, as I made my plans known to my family, they were not supportive. My brothers just couldn’t see me being successful running a driving school. “Too dangerous!” “Too risky!” “How will you get customers?” My wife was nervously willing to let me try. The one overriding voice of encouragement was my uncle Bill. Nearing his nineties, he was still doing housecleaning jobs. Uncle Bill thought that I had what it takes to make it. His positive words convinced me that I could be a successful entrepreneur. So, I launched Alert Driver Training LLC in June 2015. Ten years later, having taught over 1,700 students and on my third driver training car, I am as busy as ever helping new motorists “Stay alert and stay alive!”
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Once I decided to go it alone, I soon realized that there are a lot of startup expenses: Getting a suitable vehicle, modifying it with an auxiliary brake and required decals; securing a classroom location complete with tables, chairs, whiteboard and audio/video; business cards, signage, business license; the list seemed endless. I finally had everything I needed to teach my first class in August of 2015. I had heard that new businesses aren’t that profitable in the beginning, but I was shocked at year’s end when I realized that my expenses exceeded my earnings by more than $5,000!
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Now, I teach a Driver Education course once a month, consisting of an eight-hour class and six hours of behind the wheel instruction. This is a requirement in SC for 15- and 16-year-olds to get their driver’s license. Older students may opt out of the class and just take the in-car training. I am also a Third-Party Tester, meaning that I can administer the road test in place of taking it with a license examiner at the DMV. Over the years I have earned a reputation for being caring, patient and flexible. I received two awards from the South Carolina Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association for Commercial Driving School of the Year in 2019 and 2021 and one for Commercial Driver Education Teacher of the Year in 2025. I have been told that I am known on a local business forum as the ‘toughest but the best’ driving instructor! Every business can expect a bad review eventually, but I try to respond to all reviews with dignity and honesty, and I’ve had a few parents say that is exactly what moved them to choose me.
With many public schools, driver education is no longer offered. That has led to commercial driving schools filling the gap. Some schools promote themselves as the largest in the state, or having the easiest cars to pass the test, or that they only use law enforcement officers as instructors. My qualifications are based on my convictions to provide novice drivers both young and old with the knowledge, tools and support to safely operate a vehicle on the road with skill and confidence.