Endorsement Questions (Hazmat, Tankers)

Thanks! I think I'm going to do Plan A and go ahead and get my permit and then study for the Hazmat endorsement while I'm doing the driving portion of the driving school. I talked with the instructor today and he said that there's nothing to study and no homework after the first week of class. So, I'll have driving instruction during the day and study the Hazmat stuff at night.

Then the day I get my CDL, I'll go to the DMV and take the tests for the endorsements.

I'm going to ask them when I test for the permit, if I can go ahead and start the background check stuff so that can be getting done while I'm studying for the test. If not, I might take a stab at the Hazmat test that day anyway. I'll have read the chapter by then.

Once I have my Hazmat endorsement, I'll then apply for my TWIC and FAST and hopefully save a few bucks.

 

A couple of the companies that I'm interested in driving for want you to have a Hazmat and TWIC. And one is a tanker specific job that requires Hazmat at the git go.

In any event, the reason that I want to do this all up front is so that I can then focus on "learning to drive" as you suggested without having to go back and study for the endorsements while I'm trying to "learn to drive".

 

Does anyone know if I can pay for and start the background check before I take the endorsement test?

In other words, can I start the background check and then study for a couple of weeks before going in to take the endorsement test while I'm on a learner's permit?

The reason that I ask is that I'm thinking that if it's possible, I could start the background check when I take my permit test and tanker endorsement test and then study the Hazmat stuff while I'm in driving school and then go back in and take the Hazmat endorsement test before I take the CDL road test and get my actual license.

If I can do that, I don't lose any time and I'll wind up graduating and getting my CDL with all the endorsements I need/want to start out with ASAP.

 

They won't do my background check until after I pass the Hazmat test. But that's okay cause here's what happened.

I went and took my tests for my permit today. And the tester said that since I did so well on all the other tests (only missed 3 questions out of all the 3 basic tests for the CDL A permit, the tanker endorsement and doubles and triples endorsement) that I should give the Hazmat test a shot while I was there.

So, I did. And he said that I missed passing it by just ONE QUESTION and I hadn't even read the chapter yet!

So, he suggested that he not issue my permit today and instead I should go home and actually read the chapter and come back first thing in the morning and take the HazMat endorsement test again so that he can issue my permit with all of my endorsements on it and start my background check tomorrow. So, that's what I'm doing.

So, tomorrow I should have my CDL A Permit with Tanker, Double/Triple and Hazmat endorsement tests passed and they'll do my Hazmat background check while I'm going to driving school (I start next Monday, 28 Nov 2011).

I also renewed my passport today!

So, when I graduate from driving school I'll have a CDL A with Tanker, Hazmat and Double/Triple endorsements and my passport. So, all I'll need to do is get my TWIC and FAST cards and I should have all of my credentials taken care of before, or shortly after (in the case of the TWIC and FAST cards) I start my first job!!

I'm pumped!!

 

In my state you have to pass the test before they'll do the background check.