Why Taking an Off-Roading Class Can Make You a Better Driver

Over the past several decades, car buyers have increasingly chosen four-wheel or all-wheel-drive vehicles for everyday use. The additional traction from four wheels gives drivers plenty of confidence to handle slippery conditions.

Four-wheel drive was originally developed to go off-road. Farm and military vehicles needed to travel well beyond the paved roadways and return without getting stuck.

Many four-wheel and all-wheel-drive vehicles can easily venture into the wilderness. If that’s something you’re interested in, many off-road driving schools exist to help you find your way off the beaten path and back again.

We spoke with two experienced off-road instructors for insight into what to expect when attending an off-road driving school. They discuss the unexpected benefits you’ll find from learning to drive off-road, and how it can apply to your daily commute.

Modern Off-Road Vehicles Are Sophisticated and Complex

Old off-road vehicles were crude machines, with a simple lever to switch from two-wheel to four-wheel drive. Sometimes you even had to get out and manually lock each front wheel hub to engage four-wheel drive. The process is much easier in modern vehicles, but the technology can be confusing to newcomers.

Pearse Umlauf, CEO of Jeep Jamboree USA, tells us taking an off-road course like the Jeep Adventure Academy shows drivers the “various advanced off-road systems on newer vehicles that have knobs and switches that control advanced [off-road] functions that many buyers know little about.”

These tools, like locking differentials and crawl-control modes, can make off-road driving less of a challenge. But dealership employees often can’t teach new car buyers how to use them.

How Does Taking an Off-Road Class Help With Your On-Road Commute?

Most of us don’t go off-roading every day. Our vehicles, instead, must contend with our daily commute.

Blake Torgersen, site producer for Ford’s Bronco Off-Roadeo in Moab, Utah, says the time spent learning how to drive off-road actually makes a difference in our daily driving.

“We practice driving around boulders and trees and through tight turns on the trail … that would benefit somebody navigating Costco parking lots and squeezing into tight spaces,” he says.

Beyond that, drivers an off-roading school find they quickly learn how to handle treacherous situations. Off-roading makes a driver much more aware of where each wheel is, so avoiding potholes and other hazards becomes second nature. Drivers learn the various off-road driving systems their vehicles come with, along with the skills to use them.

Umlauf says drivers gain the confidence to “put these systems into practice in the real world … in severe weather like heavy snow” so they can get home no matter the road conditions.

Finding an Off-Road Class

Both Jeep Jamboree and Bronco Off-Roadeo offer classes at multiple locations around the country. Some require you own a specific brand of vehicle. The Bronco Off-Roadeo one-day driving experience is included with the purchase of a new Ford Bronco. Some classes include the use of a vehicle.

Other options include Overland Experts and The Off-Road Safety Academy. You can also search social media for local off-roading clubs. Many groups are constantly looking for new members and might offer formal off-road classes.

What To Expect at an Off-Road Class

Cavan Images/Getty Images

Umlauf says roughly 95% of participants at the Jeep Adventure Academy have never been off-road. But at these events, drivers are on equal footing, and no one has to be self-conscious about asking questions.

Most off-road classes feature a brief classroom component to introduce the instructors and explain how the day will proceed. Most of your time is spent out on the trail in a small group of other vehicles.

You may have an instructor next to you in your vehicle. More often, instructors and trail guides walk alongside the group, giving guidance to navigate over and around obstacles.

Umlauf says the most common phrase he hears at the end of a class is, “I had no idea my vehicle could do that. If I hadn’t seen the vehicle ahead in line doing it, I wouldn’t have thought I could do it.” Torgersen adds a lot of participants “never thought they’d be off the pavement. But once they do something like this, they find a new hobby and make new friends.”

The Cost of an Off-Road Class

The costs vary by location and provider, but prices often are reasonable considering the skills learned and time involved. The one-day Jeep Adventure Academy runs $495, including lunch. You must provide your own Jeep, however. The half-day Bronco Off-Roadeo, which includes the use of a new Ford Bronco, costs $795.

About the Experts

• Pearse Umlauf is the CEO of Jeep Jamboree USA. He has been an off-road driving instructor for more than two decades.
• Blake Torgersen is the site producer for Ford’s Bronco Off-Roadeo in Moab, Utah. He has been an off-road driving instructor for about 20 years.