Growing up here in BC, the back country has been a constant for me, from family camping and fishing
trips through the growing up years, to travelling to places like Moab and Ouray with trusted friends to
test our skills on difficult terrain. The off-road world has been my favourite place to be.
Now, with more than 30 years of gradual learning from others, and trial and error improvement of my
four-wheeling skills, I felt it was my turn to share. Learning the hard way over decades may be seen by
some as a rite of passage, but is not really the best, safest, or most cost effective way to learn. (Ask my
wallet…sigh)
When the 4WDABC offered the Train the Trainer course in the fall of 2018, presented by the
International Four Wheel Drive Trainer’s Association, it was the perfect timing. This intense weeklong
event reaffirmed for me that this was the right thing to do. The intelligence and depth of experience
shared with us during that week was a game changer and empowered everyone on this team to bring
you the Wheeling Wisely Driver Training Program.
Since that time, our Trainers have worked diligently to develop course material, locate training
locations, and get our program up and running. This group has a dedication to bringing quality training
to our community, and we are working to expand this program throughout the province of BC.
So here we are, ready and willing to work with you, to share with you, and help you all build the skills to
enjoy everything the four-wheeling world offers, and get you back to civilization safely, with big smiles
on your faces.

Hello to all my fellow 4WDABC brothers and sisters… If you refer to your friends by the makes and colours of their trucks, you might just be a four-wheeler… Like me for more than 30 years.

I am an avid off-road four-wheel drive enthusiast that loves remote travel and adventure. Participating in this recreation with my family meant that I needed to be self-sufficient in every way!

In addition to seat time in my trusty Toyota Land Cruiser, this led me to do a frame-off build of my current Land Cruiser. What is an IT guy doing building a truck from the frame up? For me, it was to completely understand my vehicle and every system within as there are no mechanics in the backcountry. I learned a ton about my vehicle and how it works and what is required to maintain it but it also opened the door to understanding vehicles in general.

Many years of adventure helped build my competence in off-road driving and recovery as the nature of this recreation exposes you and your vehicle to many challenging situations.

Our organization, the 4WDABC, sought to revive our off-road education program that was developed in the early '80s and did so in 2018 when we brought in the International Four Wheel Drive Trainers Association (I4WDTA) to teach a select group of our members to become trainers. I participated in an intensive week-long training program with 16 others. 6 of us then participated in Testing for Certification with the I4WDTA in Arizona in early 2019.

This training was intense and was very impactful for me! I thought I had a fairly thorough understanding of off-road recovery and driving but was very pleasantly surprised to add so much more fact, logic and understanding to my knowledge base!

Over the past year and a half, I have assisted with the development and launching our first off-road course.

I am now committed to bringing this knowledge and experience to our membership to improve our skills and make our members a little bit safer when recreating in our backcountry.