driving instructor

office manager

office administrator

operations manager

teacher

Coastline Academy

This job offers a lot of flexibility as you make your own schedule, however you must give a minimum number of lessons every week to be eligible for full time benefits. There is no sick leave or PTO as you make your own schedule, if you need to cancel a lesson for an emergency, you will be compensated to a point and only under unique circumstances. They have a great support team that is responsive and provide good training. There is a bonus for completing the online training fast as it is self paced, followed by in person training. People that work here are mostly kind and very helpful. The job requires you to be in a car for a long so do not do this if you are not comfortable being in a car for long periods. Also, there is not a whole lots of room for improving your wages as they are very transparent. After 500 lessons given, there will be an interview to decide if you’re worth an extra dollar an hour based on your performance and reviews. But a dollar raise after 500 lessons can easily take up to 10-12 months of working full time, and for this job it can get exhausting. Regardless, compared to other jobs it’s quite fair and the support team is very reasonable and they will always do their best to support you if you have an emergency, last minute cancellation, or situation to make the best of it in your favor, rather than the company’s. 

Tldr: It’s a good driving company, better than most. Good training. Good pay. Great support and team. Meh room for improvement. 

The job itself is very rewarding, but the company is very poorly run and it wears you down fast. 

The pay is very low for the responsibility of the role, and they are constantly hiring on new people at even lower pay rates and giving them priority when scheduling to pinch pennies. 

The managers are terrible. In nearly a year I still haven’t even met my manager and have only spoken to them on the phone twice. Emails to management are more often ignored than responded to. The fleet manager is combative and petty and the cars aren’t always well-maintained. 

Aside from initial training there are never any additional skill building sessions, no professional development of any kind, no advancement opportunities, no raises, no opportunities to meet other company instructors, etc. 

Also, they cancel lessons all the time so you can never really know what your schedule is. They will schedule you for 3 lessons in a row, the middle one will cancel, but they still expect you to stay in the field, unpaid for hours, if that happens. Lessons will often be canceled as you are driving to them. 

Being a driving instructor can be a rewarding job, but this company is built on exploiting their workers so I would suggest teaching for another company. 

I applied to Coastline in late Oct. 2020 amidst the Corona-virus pandemic. I wasn't looking for my dream job or anything, just something that would pay the bills, and I found Coastline here in Indeed. Applied through Indeed like I had to so many jobs for a couple months, and they got back to me the next day. The hiring process was super easy and straight forward, and training the same. I learned that their core values are Efficiency, Transparency, and People First, and it sounds corny but it's really true. I applied after reading the reviews, and now that I'm hired and a certified driving instructor I agree with the great reviews. This is a great company to work for.

Coastline is young company, just three years old at this point, that started with the right mindset of taking care of its people. Like any other company they are not perfect but the difference is, Coastline is growing and improving, you truly feel heard and appreciated. Coastline now has payed time off and sick time, and as they grow so do their benefits. 

Teaching driving is a fun challenge that can be different every day. Make your own schedule. Minimal oversight. Car and support are provided. Management is very easygoing and forgiving of normal mistakes and incidents that can happen. This year Coastline's hiring standards have dropped to the point of hiring homeless people. Student info was scrubbed from our website to stop instructors from stalking/harassing students at their homes. If you apply you will be hired no questions asked. Training has been reduced to only ten hours and it shows. Important people are quitting with no notice, leaving a big mess for those who remain. The low pay is humiliating for helping people drive forever. Being a driving instructor is very risky, like working in a smelting factory or underwater construction. You can die doing this job for $25k/year. This is not a career, and there is no room for advancement even at highest performance levels. I can't see this job improving my résumé any more than working at Goodwill. There is no company culture to belong to, just a tiny clique of upper managers making decisions with no input or suggestions from employees.

Pros: Pick your own schedule, health insurance after two months of consecutive full time work. You don't have to go to an office because you keep the car at your residence.  

Cons: They advertise that your pay will be $19 an hour but they failed to mention that it is only during lesson times. Any other Coastline related business or task, including driving to and from lessons is only $15 and this usually accounts for 25% if your day. While you can choose your own schedule expect to work weekends or after 4pm because you won't get lessons due to most teenagers being at school. The only time this was not an issue was summer for obvious reasons. Everything they do is completely remote, so expect to have very little communication and not a lot of help with anything. You could go days without speaking to someone else. They really push how good they are at communication but whenever I asked for help with something I would either not get a response or I saw no results. After you complete 500 lessons you are given an evaluation to see if you deserve a $1 raise. Other than that, you have no extra earning potential. People cancel lessons all the time which also cuts into your pay. The work isn't reliable. 

Coastline Academy uses the most technology among the driving schools I've experienced. The tech is reliable and not overly complicated. But, for someone who doesn't have experience with smartphone apps and tablets, it might be intimidating at first. There is almost zero paperwork; everything is done online - expenses, timecards, checkin schedules and communicating with our managers and customer service department. There is room for advancement here, and we're encouraged to let our manager know if we'd like to branch out into training new hires, marketing and becoming regional managers. Since I joined, the company has grown and added more employees. There is a lot to know before taking a student out for a lesson, and Coastline does an excellent job training and mentoring the staff.  A typical day is teaching 2 or 3 lessons, which takes 8-9 hours. Traffic isn't horrible in my service area, so arriving on time isn't a huge deal. Plus, the company gives 45 minutes to an hour travel and rest time between lessons, so I'm not rushing or stressed out.

It’s refreshing to work for a company that focuses on teaching an essential skill rather than being solely driven by sales and how to monetize every customer interaction . The priority is on improving the way we provide our services, both behind the scenes and directly to our customers. Seeing the impact we have on students learning to drive makes the work even more fulfilling, and it’s rewarding to be part of a team that genuinely cares about making a difference.
It has been a rewarding experience that has helped further develop my skills and even  identify areas for improvement. The company fosters a supportive environment where communication is easy at all levels, and there is a genuine willingness to adapt and improve. I’ve had the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally, and I appreciate the openness to feedback and change. Like any workplace, there are challenges, but the emphasis on teamwork and continuous development makes it a great place to work. 

The best part about working at Coastline is that I'm able to create my own schedule. If you want more work you're going to have to increase your drive time from home, your length of time you can be available to be booked, or both. I'm comfortable with what I have and I feel like the pay matches the work. 

The company culture is great! Management and Fleet Support is always there anytime you need help. I've had 3 managers with this company and they were all great people. One got promoted and the other retired. My current manager is a cool person and very understanding. This also the first job I ever had where I didn't have to feel bad about calling out for an emergency.

It is a teaching job, and you will be working with a lot of teenagers and some adults. It's important if you can keep calm and think fast in situations. 

My typical day pretty much revolves around my schedule.  I can start as early or end my day as late as I chose. 
I’m trusted with the company car and the needed equipment to conduct the assigned lessons.  There is no added pressure in completing your lessons.  
I feel very relaxed and comfortable. 
I have learned that there are companies like Coastline who genuinely care about the people they serve and the people that work for Coastline.  I can feel the sense of caring each time I speak with anyone from Coastline.  Management is excellent from the top on down.  This job allows you to be you. They will give you the tools to succeed and help you along the way.  The hardest part of the job for me is, It’s hard to believe I am getting paid for something that I love doing.  The best part of the job is seeing the younger generation learn from what you taught and watch them go and become successful.

There are pluses and minuses to working here. One very good thing is that there are zero commuter expenses as a car is provided and travel time is paid for. Management is extremely friendly and responsive to any concerns that might come up. Scheduling is as flexible as it gets - you work when you want and take days off when you want without having to speak to anybody.
The job can be stressful however and for obvious reasons you are required to sit for the entire shift - so working here is not the best thing for your health.
The other downside is benefits. There is no paid time off or sick time - there is the offer of health insurance if you work a minimum of 30 hours a week. This is very hard to achieve as scheduling is random and very up-and-down. Some weeks you will work a lot and other weeks not so much. You would have to work 7 days a week to achieve this 30-hour threshold.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Driving instructor 440 salaries reported	$18.74 per hour
Office manager 9 salaries reported	$25.94 per hour
Office administrator 6 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour
Operations manager 2 salaries reported	$70,000 per year
Teacher 3 salaries reported	$20.83 per hour

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