Preparing you for the road
Become a safe and confident driver!
Preparing you for the road
Become a safe and confident driver!
ABOUT TRISTAN STEPIC-RHODES
Having been born and raised in Winnipeg, I am extremely well-acquainted with all our wacky streets and seasons, including potholes, endless construction, clueless drivers, foolish pedestrians, bitter winds, flooding, ice and snow. I'll teach you how to safely navigate through these hazards so you arrive at your destination alive and in one piece every time.
With an education in logistics management, transportation economics and transportation law from Red River College and the University of Manitoba, as well as 16 years of experience as corporate trainer for the world's largest international land, sea and air express delivery company, you will find me engaging and knowledgeable about all aspects of driving.
In addition, my former experience as an actual MPI driver examiner gives me an inside edge that few other instructors can match.
I'll provide you with safe, professional and reliable Class 5 driving instruction and effective road test preparation.
From the basics of starting, steering and stopping to more advanced maneuvers
such as yielding and merging, lane changing, boulevard left turns and establishing left turns at traffic lights, I am happy to explain, demonstrate, practice and perfect these important driving skills with you.
Since everyone seems to worry most about parallel parking, I'll teach you an easy and reliable technique which will dramatically reduce any stress you may have. Easy peasy!
Being middle-aged Gen X and semi-retired, with a lovely, intelligent wife and two successful children now making their own way in the world, I think I've done all right and want to continue actively contributing to what writer Douglas Adams called Life, the Universe and Everything. My dorky dad humor is full of endless positivity, patience, experience, encouragement and hope for your success.
Each new maneuver you learn increases your confidence and reduces anxiety.
I work hard to ensure that the non-smoking training car is an environment where high energy, process-oriented learning takes place, and no negativity is allowed. Each and every student receives customized, individualized attention.
I ensure that my students understand not just how to correctly perform the required maneuvers, but also why they are supposed to be performed that way. No more mystery about what the driver examiner needs to see. A deeper understanding leads to better results.
Everyone learns at their own pace, so don't compare yourself with others. Some things in life are not necessarily competitive. Run your own race at your own pace, and define success in your own terms.
Of course, for those of you who enjoy a bit of spirited competition, the first-time road test pass rate for my students currently sits at 94 percent (April 2025.) I'm extremely proud of all my students' motivation, initiative and achievement.
Just as some people are better at math, language, music, sports, art, etc., people also learn to drive at their own pace. Some are a natural and pick up the skills and knowledge quickly, whereas others may require a bit more effort, but if you're ready to learn I'll help make it happen for you.
Not wanting to waste your time, money and effort, we'll progress as quickly and efficiently as your motivation, skills and ability allow.
You'll find me to be a fun and friendly fellow who is unlikely to yell at you, and who will happily share with you all the information and skills you'll need to successfully pass your road test and take your place as a safe, sane and sensible member of the motoring community.
SERVICE AREA
WINNIPEG: Please note that I am NOT CITY WIDE! Due to the demands of time, fuel use, reliable service, opportunity cost and simple wear and tear on the vehicle, I have a limited service area.
I DO NOT provide service west of Keewatin Street and St. James Street, or south of Portage Avenue, Nairn Avenue and Dugald Road.
We may drive through these areas during a lesson, but I prefer not to perform pick-up or drop-off there.
MY PREFERRED SERVICE AREA is essentially north and central Winnipeg, in a wide band ranging across Amber Trails, the Maples, Garden City, North End, Kildonan, Elmwood, Transcona and Canterbury Park.
If you're not quite sure where you fit into this geographic area, please tell me the name of your street or neighborhood and I'll let you know.
OUTSIDE WINNIPEG: I happily provide service at no extra charge to the commuter communities north and east of the Perimeter, including West St. Paul, East St. Paul, Birds Hill, Narol, Lockport, Selkirk, Beausejour, Pine Ridge, Springfield, Sunnyside, and Oakbank.
I may ask that rural clients meet me for a lesson in Winnipeg, Birds Hill, Selkirk or Beausejour. Doing so maximizes the efficiency and effectiveness of the lesson by reducing the commute. The student usually drives the training car home at the end of the session, unless they live outside my service area or prefer other arrangements.
My rural service area has a hard limit of Oakbank to the south, Selkirk's "Bridge to Nowhere" and Highway 435 to the north, Highway 12 and 302 to the east, and Highway 8 to the west.
ROAD TEST LOCATIONS: I do not service the MPI King Edward, Bison or St. Mary's test centers.
I only service MPI Main Street, Gateway, Selkirk and Beausejour test centers.
LESSON PRICES AND PACKAGES
Two Hour Driving Lesson
$130
Includes pick-up and return. Perfect for a check-ride to see how you're doing overall for effective road test preparation.
A two hour lesson gives us enough time to go where we need to go and explain, demonstrate, practice and perfect the required maneuvers. We just can't do that during a one hour lesson, which is why I don't offer them.
A lack of practice is the reason MPI makes you take five hours of authorized instruction if you unfortunately fail three road tests; the pros know that immersive learning works!
Lesson and Road Test Package
$130
Includes pick-up and return, a 1.5 hour lesson immediately before the test, use of the training car for the test, and waiting at MPI after you pass for your new license to be issued.
Note that I do not offer my car for the lesson/road test combo unless you have had at least one separate two-hour lesson with me first. I want to understand your current knowledge and skills before I loan you my training car.
The driver examiners have learned to expect a competent and confident student behind the wheel when my car appears at an MPI test center, and I don't want to disappoint.
Eight Hour Prepaid Lesson Package
$480
Includes pick-up and return for four, two-hour driving lessons.
A great value, saving you $40 than if booked separately!
Suitable for moderately experienced drivers who wish to gain knowledge, skill and confidence behind the wheel.
You can use the fourth lesson for your road test if you'd like.
12 Hour Prepaid Lesson Package
$720
Includes pick-up and return for six, two-hour driving lessons.
A superb value, saving you $60 than if booked separately!
Perfect for nervous, anxious or new and inexperienced drivers.
We'll learn to start, steer and stop safely and reliably, and then build our skills from there.
You can use the sixth lesson for your road test if you'd like.
Driving Instructor Verification Form -
Training Support Requirement
Specific Conditions Apply (See Below)
MPI states that customers who are unsuccessful on their first three (3) attempts at a Class 5 road test must complete the Training Support Requirement (TSR). The TSR program requires a minimum of five (5) hours of documented driving instruction from an MPI-permitted driving school before the customer can make another road test attempt. Each subsequent road test after the third attempt will require an additional five (5) hours of documented driving instruction, following the same process.
Since the percentage of my clients who fail three road tests is absolutely miniscule, the TSR isn't a market I'm actively pursuing.
However, many of my clients come to me having been poorly informed and trained, or suffer from text anxiety or nervousness behind the wheel.
They seek better knowledge and increased skill, as well as my proven effective tips and tricks to reduce anxiety and maintain focus during their road test. After I teach them what they need to know, see and do, these students usually tackle their next road test successfully with skill and confidence.
However, there is a caveat:
I only accept TSR clients if they have taken at least one driving lesson with me prior to their unsuccessful third road test attempt.
If you have failed your first or second road test, you may want to take a preparatory lesson or two before you take your third, to discover what you may not know or are doing incorrectly. This greatly increases the likelihood of you successfully passing your next road test, and avoid the additional time and expense of the Training Support Requirement.
I strongly support the concept of being productively proactive, not reactive.
Make life happen for you, don't stand around in the aftermath wondering what happened!
Plumbers and carpenters know it as: measure twice, cut once.
The military calls it "The Seven Ps of Success": Proper Preventative Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.
If you meet these criteria, we can fulfill the five-hour requirement in two, 2.5 hour lessons. At the end of the five hours I'll provide you with a receipt and a signed authorization form you can use to book your next road test. My pricing is very reasonable; text me for details.
TALK TO ME
TEXT: 204-797-7312
e-Transfer: tristansdriving@gmail.com
Please note that my primary business contact is text. The e-mail address is unmonitored and used for automated e-Transfers only. So text, please!
One of the great joys of being popular and effective is that I'm often very busy. This means that I'm usually fully booked at least a week or two in advance, especially during the April through November high season. If you need a lesson within a day or two, you can try, but I can't promise I'll be available.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING...
I wanted to extend my many thanks for all of your impeccable driving lessons. It's difficult to find a teacher who is so invested and truly wants the student to succeed as much as the student themselves! Not only that, but you have a very positive, easy going and upbeat energy that I don't think many driving instructors have. You are also very genuine and genuinely curious about others which is a great quality to have. Thanks for being the best driving teacher !!! I wish more people knew about you because you provide TOP quality service !!!
~ Helen
Hi Tristan! i still can't believe that i have my full license now. it has been a dream for 4 years now, after my last failed test i felt like giving up. even though i was anxious to my bones i am glad i went on and took lessons and booked a road test (which was my biggest fear). i cannot express enough how grateful i am to take ur classes. not only did i learn how to pass i learned how to be confident in driving. my road test was one of the main things that held me down, but now i am able to pursue my ambitions. i will spread the word about you because everyone needs the wisdom and advice of the best driving instructor out there. thank you again Tristan
~ Julienne
Hi there, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tristan for being such an amazing driving instructor. I thoroughly enjoyed his method of teaching, his optimistic attitude , and overall knowledge of the Highway Traffic Act. He is an amazing guy. If you are a novice driver looking for a driving school, I would highly recommend. I'm also a firm believer that if you are going to take lessons, you should do the 2 hour increments. You get a lot more experience with the driving instructor, and behind the wheel, which will help your driving test! Thank you for such an amazing experience. Good luck to all you future drivers out there!
~ Dave
I took driving lessons for my road test with another school and I failed. It was a very frustrating experience. I looked for another school. Tristan was my teacher and he is definitely the best, trust me. Thanks to him I clearly understood how we should drive in Manitoba and the reason for each rule. I realize that before (with the other school) I really had not learned anything. Tristan is the best instructor! He is kind, patient, with all the knowledge, knows how to teach and helped me to trust in my skills and knowledge. I did my second test today, I felt very calm and confident and I passed it without problems. Thanks Tristan, without his help I would not have achieved it.
~Teresa
Thanks for all your help with each of my 3 kids! You've built their confidence and helped them to be safe drivers. We will continue to recommend your service to friends and family. Every person we have referred over the years is so pleased with your lessons too. Thank you!!
~Alisa
Good morning I just wanted to let you know that Nathan passed and you had a lot to do with that He had a lot more confidence going into this test after driving with you Thank you so much I will definitely be referring you to anybody who needs lessons Have a wonderful day
~Heather
PURCHASE SERVICES
Two Hour Driving Lesson OR Lesson/Road Test Combo
C$ 130.00
Two hour in-car driving lesson OR 1.5 hour lesson and use of car for road test
Eight Hour Prepaid Lesson Package
C$ 480.00
Includes four two-hour driving lessons
12 Hour Prepaid Lesson Package
C$ 720.00
Includes six two-hour driving lessons
LEGALITIES AND FORMALITIES
Please be aware that due to the complex and dynamic nature of the learning environment and the techniques being taught, it is very important that the student SPEAK A REASONABLE LEVEL OF CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH.
Please contact me BEFORE sending any money. We need to ensure that our location, timing and availability can all synch up before finalizing anything.
Hey, life happens! In case of personal or family emergency, school or employment demands, inclement weather, unexpected mechanical malady, etc., lessons may be cancelled, postponed or refunded. I'm pretty flexible and understanding about these things. I don't want you stressed, so no worries, we can always rebook.
I will always send you a friendly reminder of your scheduled lesson the day before.
I will text you when I arrive for the lesson. If you are running a bit late, unless you text me to let me know you need a bit of extra time, I will wait ten minutes before I leave.
If you are a no-show for a scheduled and confirmed lesson, then that lesson may be forfeited and counted as one of the package lessons, unless you have a pretty good reason why you couldn't show up.
Last minute emergencies excepted and accepted, of course, but I respect your time, effort and money invested, so please respect mine.
If I accidentally miss a scheduled and confirmed lesson, we can reschedule that lesson and I'll provide you with an additional two hour lesson for free.
Either party may cancel a lesson package at any time and for any reason. Lessons already taken will be charged full price and the balance refunded.
You have four (4) months (120 days) to use the four two-hour lesson package from the date of the first lesson. After that, I will charge full price for the lessons used and refund your balance via e-Transfer.
You have six (6) months (180 days) to use the six two hour lesson package from the date of the first lesson. After that, I will charge full price for the lessons used and refund your remaining balance via e-Transfer.
If you wait too long between lessons you'll forget everything for the test, which is a frustrating waste of time, effort and money. Your examiner will need to see you perform precise actions and maneuvers in a consistent manner, and if you don't practice them regularly, you are likely to forget and fail the test. We don't want that!
This has actually never happened, but if you receive a traffic ticket during our lesson, you and I will each pay fifty percent of the total.
If there is a collision, you are responsible for fifty percent of the $200 training car insurance deductible. If the collision occurs while you are on a road test with the driver examiner, you are responsible for the full deductible amount.
Please don't show up half-asleep, drunk or high. I really want you to drive well and pass your road test, but you are unlikely to do that if you are under the influence.
Taking an in-car driving lesson with Tristan's Driving School signifies your agreement with and acceptance of the above terms.
I'm a laissez-faire libertarian in outlook -- I want religious gay married couples to protect their marijuana plants with guns -- but driving is very much a combination of social and technical skills, as well as the ability to quickly make safe and proper judgment, so we want your skills sharp and your senses fully engaged at all times. You evolved a great big brain for a reason, so don't squander it!
Not gonna lie; If you seem impaired by anything in any way, you're not driving my car. What you do on your own time and your own dime in your own place is your own business, but don't slow your reflexes and fog your thought processes with illicit chemicals, drugs and alcohol when behind the wheel of an automobile and sharing the road with others. Along with earning your right to drive is the responsibility to do so safely. Let's all play nice out there!
This is a modern Christian business. I'm in no way a particularly dogmatic, angry Old Testament, hellfire-and-damnation "Bible-thumper," but as I get older and pivot from indifferent agnosticism to belief, I just like the idea of a Creator who set the cosmos in motion. Be aware of wonder! Think about it: You are a spirit driving a meat-coated skeleton, made from stardust, riding a rock hurtling through space around a giant ball of fire. How is that not absolutely, spectacularly, miraculously amazing?
LGBTQ friendly!
FIRST NATIONS: I'm happy to provide an invoice you can forward to Jordan's Principle, which often assists with funding driving lessons. It's a very good program, and I urge you to investigate how it can help you achieve your goals.
I'm proud to help financially contribute to Darcy's ARC pet rescue shelter and to the Craig Street Cats TNR homeless cat assistance program. Always spay or neuter your pets!
Remember not to leave your pets trapped in a hot car this summer!
Our monthly point to ponder:
Nothing will destroy a great employee's morale and inspiration faster than watching their employer tolerate and reward a bad one.
When there is no consequence for a poor work ethic, and no reward for a good work ethic, there is no motivation to succeed.
Don't push your best, brightest and most loyal people to the point where they no longer care, because if you do you run the risk of pushing away great talent while settling for mediocrity.
tl;dr Lots of reading above, but the short version is that I really know my stuff and am very good at what I do. That's why 80% of my new customers are referrals from previous clients.
When you hire a plumber, electrician or other tradesperson, they come into your home, do their thing and leave. Hopefully everyone is friendly, but you're not likely to spend a lot of time in each other's presence.
As a fellow problem-solving service provider, what I do is a bit different. Since you or your kids will be spending a fair amount of time in the training car with me, I want you to sort of get a feel for who I am and how I am, and decide if my ability, experience, intelligence and personality is right for you and your loved ones.
I know my target market, the sort of people I want to work with and who want to work with me, and we connect, since like attracts like. I'm certainly not all things to all people and never want to be, but if you're cool and clever, serious about learning to drive properly and pass your road test, I'm your man!