Should I Get HAZMAT?

If you come to TX you will need to take HazMat here, so don't waste your time and money in your home state.

If you are only going to be a frac fueling assistant, why do you need a CDL? All you'll be doing is hauling hoses around in the dust and mud, and you won't be driving anything bigger than the crew van.

 

Thanks for the info.

Because I hope to promote to frac driver with the company that hires me as a frac assistant.

 

Pfft...you have a CDL with X you get hired as a frac driver immediately. And you only need a class B for bobtail tankers. If you have a class A you're wasting your time with frac fueling.

 

I have a CDL permit. I'm getting in as an assistant where I can and getting my CDL on my own rather than paying for school. If the company that hires me as an assistant trains for CDL like Haliburton does, that's great too.

 

This is solid advice kids.

 

I never asked if I should get my hazmat though, of course I should. I should have made a separate thread for my question. It was about starting the background check in state A and taking the test to get the endorsement in state B.

 

Do youself a favor and get the 160hrs of schooling in and get a class A. There are so many more opportunities for a class A holder with an X endorsement. With frac fueling all you are going to do is work 100+ hours a week for the same money that a good class A crude or water driver makes in 60-70.

And, most of the fueling companies pay crap for wages to the frac tech. I have seen wages as low as $9/hr in south TX for assistant fuelers (what you are looking for). Hell, I know of one company that only pays its drivers $13/hr. BTW, this same company will train you to drive, but you need to sign a three year contract with them in return. And if you quit and break the contract, you owe them $6K. They are the absolute bottom of the barrel around here, but most of the other companies aren't hearts and flowers either.

If you want to go to Halliburton and sling iron, that's a whole other movie. Hope you're young and fit.

If money is a problem, there is a school in the DFW area that will finance you with about $600 down. They even have housing. And you will not have to sign a contract with any of the mega-carriers. You get out in 3-4 weeks get your Haz and get a job and pay them back $500 at a time and you're on your way. Continental is the name of the school. They have a website with all the info.

 

I disagree with his comment for two reasons: first is you could be hired at a slight increase in hourly if you have HazMat already. Second you can start pulling HM as soon as you're hired WHICH MAKES YOU MORE VALUABLE TO A POTENTIAL EMPLOYER. Then Texas gives you 90 days for you get your Texas HM endorsement. This is what I did.


Also, if an employer sees you have a hazmat endorsement he knows you've already been checked by the government, so your background should be clean. If you don't have this endorsement any employer can not know during the interview if your background will allow you to be approved or not for a HM.

As Arky stated, get the freaking HM endorsement!

safe driving

 

I don't know about Texas but in ND as long as you aren't claiming residency in ND and keep your plates registered in your home state you do not need to switch over your license and endorsements.

 

Well, let's see... You can apply for HazMat in your home state, and wait up to six weeks for it, then when you get down here you have to re-apply and pay a second time. Or, you can come down here, apply and wait up to six weeks and then go to work. The key word here is "wait". You're gonna have to do it somewhere along the line.

Either way you are going to have to apply and wait for a few weeks. Why do it more than once? If it is necessary to work while you are waiting, there are lots of non-HM CDL jobs in TX that you can do for a few weeks while you are waiting. Temp agencies all over the state are advertising for drivers. Somebody will pay you 15/hr to haul their crap around without any strings attached, and when you get the job you want you just pull the plug and move on.

BTW, while you're at it, get TWIC and Hazmat at the same time. It will save you paying twice for the background investigation. Check the TWIC website for more info.