The First Gear app: book lessons, track your hours, pass your G2
Students book in-car lessons, watch you arrive for pickup, track their 40 BDE hours, and prep for the road test, in English or Tagalog. You run your day from the reverse side of the same app.
Shift through the app
Each gear opens a screen students see. R flips to Dennis's side.
★★★★★
He made all the difficult maneuvers seem super easy!
- MTO-approved BDE
- Since 2014
- English and Tagalog
1Six gears, six screens
What your students tap through
One student, Andrea, halfway through the Basic package. Tap any screen to open it in the live demo above.
2The whole license
With students from G1 to full G
Ontario's graduated licensing is long. Each stage gets a nudge, a reminder, or a booking, so students stay with First Gear from G1 all the way to the highway test.
- G1
Before day one
Sign up
Student picks a package: Basic $650, Preferred $800, or Advanced $960.
In the app: pay, upload the G1, set a pickup address.
- 20h
Online classroom
Classroom
20 hours of online classroom instruction.
In the app: module checklist and reminders when a student stalls.
- 10h
At home
Home link
10 hours of online assignments.
In the app: assignments due, done, and counted.
- 10h
With Dennis
In-car lessons
10 to 15 hours on the road with GTA pickup and drop-off.
In the app: booking, live pickup ETA, skills marked after each drive.
- G2
Certified with the MTO
Road test
BDE graduates can test after 8 months on their G1 instead of 12.
In the app: countdown, route videos, test-day car booking.
- G
12 months later
Highway test
Students come back for highway and refresher lessons.
In the app: a reminder when they're eligible, one tap to book.
RReverse gear
Dennis's side of the app
Same download, instructor login. Everything students do on their side lands here, so the phone stops ringing for things the app can answer.
- 1
Today's pickups, in order
Every lesson with the address, the student's level, and one tap for directions.
Replaces: texts asking "where should I wait?" - 2
Reschedules without the back-and-forth
Students request a new time from open slots only. Accept with one tap.
Replaces: phone tag and calendar juggling - 3
Skills marked after each drive
Parallel parking, lane changes, roundabouts. Students see their checklist update right away.
Replaces: notes you keep in your head - 4
Ready for certification
Flags who has finished all 40 hours and is ready for you to certify with the MTO.
Replaces: counting hours by hand - 5
Reviews after every pass
When a student passes, the app asks for a Google review and a photo for the pass wall.
Replaces: remembering to ask
3Built from what you already have
Your school, not a template
Everything in this sample came from firstgeardriving.ca, your roof sign, and your students' pass photos. No stock photos, no made-up packages.
Kuya Dennis is hands down the best driving instructor I've ever had! He doesn't miss a single detail. Passed my G2 on the first try.
| From you | In the app |
|---|---|
| Three BDE packages$650, $800, $960, plus 13% HST and the $30 certification fee | 2Package checkout and hours left |
| Mon–Sat, 8 AM to 6 PMPickup and drop-off anywhere in the GTA | 2Open booking slots and pickup address |
| Your gray car with the roof signThe one in your students' pass photos | 3Live pickup tracking |
| The 40-hour BDE course20 classroom, 10 home link, 10 in-car | 4Hours and skills tracker |
| Your Hamilton G2 route videoAnd any route you film next | 5Route video library |
| Students' pass photos13 already on your old website | 6The pass wall |
4Version 1
What the first release includes
A focused first version that replaces calls and texts on day one. Extras can follow once students are using it.
In version 1
- iPhone and Android apps, English and Tagalog
- Package sign-up and online payment
- Lesson booking from your open hours
- Pickup ETA and lesson-day reminders
- BDE hours and skills tracker
- G2 and G test prep with your route videos
- Pass wall and Google review requests
- Instructor mode for Dennis
Later, if you want it
- More instructors, each with their own calendar
- Gift a package to a son or daughter
- Refresher lessons for newcomers to Canada
- Referral credit for students who bring a friend
Three questions for you
- Is it just you, or do other instructors drive for First Gear?
- How do students pay today: e-Transfer, cash, or card?
- Which number should the Call button use: 416-509-6125 or 416-545-7616?
Reply to our email with your answers and we'll send a fixed estimate for this exact app.
Try the demo again