Hazardous Materials Endorsement

You don't have to exploit anything really.. Like pulling a reefer trailer over a dry van (you cannot haul ice cream in a van.. you you can haul dry goods in a reefer).. if you are in the area where there is freight / loads and you have a Hazmat endorsement it makes you more available for loads that other people cannot haul.

 

It's more than that, if you are compensated according to what the shipper or broker pays. Then you make much more money for hauling Hazmat. On the other hand, if you are paid only by the mile you will have more opportunities to keep busy.

In my situation, paid a percentage of the line haul, it works very well. Hazmat pays 20-50% more than standard loads AND since drivers at my company don't have Hazmat and tanker endorsements I get those loads in spite of the fact they are ahead of me to be dispatched.

 

Does anyone know as a owner op. Does having the endorsement increase your insurance costs?

 

I really don't think so and have never heard of that. If you are going to haul hazmat, the insurance (minimums) surely goes up. I have no idea what the minimum requirements for a hazmat carrier are.. but its gotta be pretty large.

 

Low paying jobs are dime a dozen. Good paying jobs with 100% company paid benefits are rarer but do exist.

 

It's really good to have for the ltl companies . Yrc,reddaway,newpenn,odfl,ups,estes,saia,central transport,oak harbor,r&l carriers,abf freight,mountain valley express,conway/xpo,fedex freight,nemf,etc,etc all want you to have it .. when it comes down to the wire they're picking the guy with the hazmat endorsement over the one that can get it

 

Having the endorsement on your license does not by itself increase your insurance cost. If you get your own authority you will have to specify in detail what if any types of hazmat you want to be authorized to carry, and that will absolutely increase your liability insurance cost. If on the other hand you lease onto a carrier, the cost of insuring for hazmat will be theirs, assuming they carry hazmat. It never increases bobtail or physical damage insurance.

 

Is there a certain load board to find hazmat loads. I found Trucking Planet Freight and Empty Truck Load Board | Trucking Planet Freight Matching Load Board and Free Freight Quotes Load Matching Trucking Freight Shipping
but can't find any hazmat loads. I live in the midwest Omaha, Neb area. I am looking for more or a dedicated route that actually pays $1.75 or more.Flatbed

 

I'm a fuelman and have had my haz for about 20 years now and I'm unaware of any waiver programs for any of the disqualifying conditions medical or legal. Problem is that you'll be dealing with 2 entities, your state and the feds. Sounds like you may need an attorney. Truth is haz freight doesn't really pay better than general freight now... Times keep a changing. Good luck though driver.

 

Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't. Having a hazmat endorsement always expands your freight opportunities though. And there are some good employers out there that won't hire you without it so it also expands your opportunities for employment.