endorsements

In the State of Missouri getting endorsements at the time you get your licenses is the cheapest way to do so. Having to add an endorsement makes you have to pay for a new license. I have every endorsement. I also have an instrument, commerical and multi engine. None of those help you get a job unless the company that you are applying for hauls that kind of frieght. In order the most useful to me has been the Hazmat. You get paid a bit more a mile for it by most companies. Doubles triples next. Tankers pay the most but it is hard to get hired right out of the gate. Passenger lets you drive a bus. And Motorcycle lets you drive a hog.

There is a move to make a tanker requirement for those who haul liquids in bottles or cans.

 

Get them all! Get the TWIC too. Get a passport. The shotgun approach is best, I say.

 

After that get the fire extinguisher endorsement

 

Looking at your truck picture, I guess you have a good paying job; maybe auto parts, etc. Not everyone can get a good job like that. With all the endorsements, a guy pulling a van just barely getting by, can move on when opportunities become available & the better opportunites usually are tanker/hazmat. One example, when I pulled refrigerated trailers, I also kept my hazmat, which meant on occassion, I didn't have to sit waiting for a load. Even with a reefer, could haul refrigerated, dry, or hazmat. A good tanker job hauling acid 48 states & Canada became available, & I was prepared with the endorsements and got the job, making $15K to $20K more per year.

 

HazMat, double/triples and tankers. We are required to have all of them for my job doing LTL. They are making everyone get tankers now cause of some stupid new law they are passing.

 

that law has been put on hold while a lawsuit against it gets settled

 

Yeah, I heard the ATA is sparring with the DOT or something. Nonetheless, our corporate safety guy is making all of our drivers get it anyway, just in case. Most of us already have it... And for those that don't, it is just a 30 question test that is really.easy to pass.

 

What the heck people.. this isn't advanced algebra.. the endorsement tests and 15 to 20 questions long.. cripes!!!