Besides the CDL what else?

You may need a tanker endorsement even if you are not pulling a tanker. Sometimes bulk liquids are hauled in totes and they now require a tanker endorsement for those if they exceed 1,000 gallons.

You might as well get all the endorsements with the exception of passenger. As others have pointed out they do not cost much, are not hard to get much, and can open up opportunities.

 

Vasoline...

 

When I got on with the tanker/hazmat company, they just wanted one driver and didn't want to wait; they wanted someone with the endorsements right then. They had zero turnover at that particular terminal, except if someone retired; I think the person on the bottom of the seniority list had been there 9 years. Yes, those opportunities happen & you should be prepared. Worked out good for me; it was OTR 48 states which is what I prefer.

 

What they all said....................

 

Get the whole lot - even just for the experience if getting them.

And if I had a dollar for every time I heard

"OOOOOOH those nasty scary doubles and hazmat, only Beelzebub would drive those , no thank you sir, I love my van at .34cpm . . . . . Hey! why is that driver at home every night and driving a new pickup every time I see him . . . ?"

 

Usually, when you get on with a company, you will be trained on all aspects of Doubles, or Triples. The endorsement is just that. Just an endorsement. The training aspect the company provides is where the rubber meets the road. Once you learn how much of a pain they are, in regards to cranking gear up and down constantly, hooking, unhooking, setting them up etc, you'll wish you never heard of them. Some guys wouldn't have it any other way. As for me, my arms already look like Popeye's.

 

Bet your pocket book looks full too though.....

 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your statement. Care to elaborate?

 

Maybe in your state. In North Carolina, there's a $30 application fee, then it's $15/year for any class of CDL (it's an eight year license), then $3/year per endorsement (and, if I remember correctly, the X endorsement is still charged as two).