Which endorsements are a Must?

Depends on who you plan to work for. As far as endorsements that are absolutely a must, airbrakes. everything else is just extra. The more endorsements you have the more choices you have as to who to work for. Hazmat is a requirement for some carriers, others could care less. Having hazmat doesn't always mean extra money though, and is an added expense.
Figure out who you want to drive for, then ask them what they require.

 

If you don't want to haul haz mat, you don't need the haz mat endorsement.
If you don't want to pull tankers, or haul bulk tanks strapped onto your flatbed, then you don't need a tanker endorsement.
If you don't want to pull doubles or triples, you don't need the doubles & triples endorsement.
If you don't want to haul people, you don't need the passenger endorsement.

Of course, the more endorsements you have on your license, the more versatile you will be to any employer, and the more options you have available to you when it comes to finding your next job....but they are only really necessary if you intend to operate the equipment or haul the freight which requires a specific endorsement.

I used to have them all. I dropped haz mat this last license renewal because it is a hassle....take time off work to get fingerprinted, put all of your personal information online for their cheesy TSA background check, and pay a ridiculously expensive fee, and you've got to do all of that far enough in advance of renewing your license so that they can send you a letter stating you passed their check. You've also got to retake the haz mat written test each time you renew...which means in Illinois, you can't just go to the local DMV, but rather drive a little farther to one of their "CDL" locations because you have to take that test. Then, the next time your CDL comes up for renewal, you've got to repeat the entire process....even though if you had done anything which would disqualify you from receiving the endorsement since the LAST time you jumped through their hoops, you'd still be sitting in a reserved room at the gray-bar motel.

Screw that. I dropped it & now I just need to show up at the local DMV and get my picture taken whenever my license is due for renewal....in & out in under 5 minutes.

 

Some companies will pay more cpm if you have a hazmat endorsement --By my calculations for example -: US Xpress will pay 4 cpm xtra on all miles for having a hazmat endorsement .. and most of the time you dont have a hazmat load... So.. lets say you run avg 2000 miles a week or around 100,000 mile a yr solo that would equal about a cool $4,000 + xtra.. I believe ..

Now if your running h/w teams and both have it that would be a nice $8000+ xtra for avg of 4000 mile a week ..sounds worth it to me ..

 

I only get HM pay when I am pulling a HM load.
I have had 3 of those in the 1.5 years with Swift.

I don't do tanker, and I don't pull more (or less) than a 53 footer.
Never doubles or triples.

So most of my endorsements are not worth very much.

And when I renew my license I am considering dropping the HM.
The little extra pay is not really worth the extra responsibility and time.


If I was at a company that did mainly HM, or if I went to the HM division at Swift, it would be a different story.
But I really don't care to haul dangerous freight.
Guess I am just too old to care about the 'challenge'.

 

I hate refer loads.

Too much time involved in unloads, and too much cold.
Too much noise when I try to sleep.
More time to fuel that puppy.

I guess I am just the lazy type.

 

Skip CRE for sure.

 

Nomaybe a bit more waiting at Grocery Warehouses. Most Companies will pay for Lumpers since they dont want you to unload ot yourself.