How do you assign instructors and cars by licence category?
An instructor may only teach the categories they are certified for, and each category requires a properly equipped vehicle. Correct allocation is a matrix, not a list.
Short answer
- You assign instructors based on their ARR certificate: each instructor teaches only the categories listed on it (B, BE, C, D).
- The instructor certificate is issued by the Romanian Road Authority (ARR) under Order 733/2013 and is valid for 5 years, renewed through a training course.
- You assign cars to categories by their equipment: dual controls for B, a trailer combination for BE, a truck for C, a bus for D.
- The calendar must filter automatically: for a category-B student, only instructor-B + car-B pairs show as available.
The steps of category allocation
- Inventory the certificates: note each instructor's ARR categories and the certificate expiry date (5-year validity).
- Inventory the fleet: tag each vehicle with the category it is equipped and approved for.
- Build the instructor–category–car matrix and identify its gaps (categories with a single instructor or a single vehicle).
- Set the calendar to offer only the valid combinations for the student's category.
- Review the matrix at every hire, vehicle purchase or certificate extension.
A concrete example: 4 instructors, 6 cars
The matrix immediately shows the weak points: BE and C each depend on a single instructor and a single vehicle. If instructor 4 is on leave, category C stops entirely — which is why a certificate extension for another instructor gets planned.
Allocation matrix for a school with 4 instructors and 6 cars
| Instructor | Categories on certificate | Assigned vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| Instructor 1 | B | B cars no. 1 and 2 |
| Instructor 2 | B | B cars no. 3 and 4 |
| Instructor 3 | B, BE | B car no. 4 + the trailer combination (BE) |
| Instructor 4 | B, C | B car no. 1 + the truck (C) |
Common allocation mistakes
- Allocation "from memory": a BE student ends up booked with an instructor certified only for B.
- Certificate expiry not diarised: the ARR certificate is valid for 5 years and renewal requires a course — discovered late, it leaves the category without an instructor.
- A single car per category with no fallback: any breakdown halts the whole category.
- All new students sent to the same "popular" instructor, while the others have gaps in their schedule.
How 4driving helps
- Each instructor's record stores the B/BE/C/D categories and the certificate deadline, with an alert before expiry.
- Each vehicle is tied to its category, and the calendar offers only valid instructor + car pairs for the student's category.
- An invalid combination (instructor not certified for the category, car of another category) cannot be saved.
- Load reports per instructor and per car show where students pile up and where gaps remain.