Best lanes to be running..Hazmat or No?

I don't do hazmat so here is a free lead for what it's worth. Dupre had (it was up for bid this past summer, don't know if they kept it or what happened) a contract to haul for Champion Technologies which is now part of Ecolab. They have some loads that require a reefer and are hazmat in totes so you have to have tanker endorsements as well. I visited the manager at Champion during the bid and there were a bunch of broker bids on his desk as well as carrier bids. He was really worried about the reefer haz loads because it's not that common to find a reefer carrier that has drivers with haz and tanker that are available on a regular basis. Anyway, if you're interested in hauling haz mat Dupre Logistics would be a good company to contact.

It would be a good idea to find out what it's going to cost you to get everything set up for hazmat including insurance. I haven't found that the rates justify the expense and headaches for a one man band. Hope this helps and Good luck!

 

Hook up with Tyson, Farmland, Hormel, etc. Many meat loads I've pulled payed up to $3.30 mile. You'll make more than produce but still use them as back hauls.

 

I love the concept. Just don't wake up one day and say, I am going to haul Haz Mat. Need training. Sure take a test, add it to your CDL. Let's take Asphalt for an example. AC-20. Don't burn, pretty safe to haul, need a tanker tho. Somebody that hauled that tanker before you left the drain valve open. You remove the cap and your dead. 375 degrees of spewing death come at you. I could write a book. There is a reason why haz mat pays more.

 

My younger son says the hazmat guys make pretty decent bank, especially for oilfield hauling. It gives you some flexibility as well, so I'd say consider it.

 

I haul a full load,(42K LBS) Haz-Mat totes.

no tanker needed. have it yes, but not needed.

 

As of last year you do need tanker endorsement to haul totes.

Several of the standards for learner’s permits and license testing for commercial driver’s licenses were changed on 09 May 2012. The most important change for HazMat drivers was for the definition of “tank vehicle”. Now, the transport of intermediate bulk containers (IBC’s or totes as they are affectionately called) can require the driver to have the tanker endorsement on their CDL.
The definition of a “Tank Vehicle” was changed to this:
“Tank vehicle means any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid or gaseous materials within a tank or tanks having an individual rated capacity of more than 119 gallons and an aggregate rated capacity of 1,000 gallons or more that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the chassis. A commercial motor vehicle transporting an empty storage container tank, not designed for transportation, with a rated capacity of 1,000 gallons or more that is temporarily attached to a flatbed trailer is not considered a tank vehicle.”
Because of the inclusion of the term “…or tanks…” in the definition above, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) clearly showed their intention that the new definition would cover IBCs. Therefore, any driver carrying four or more 250 gallon totes (hazardous material or not) would exceed the 1000 gallon threshold and would need to have a tanker endorsement on their CDLs.
Please note that a vehicle transporting empty totes with a volume of greater than 1000 gallons is NOT considered a tank vehicle and the driver does NOT need a tanker endorsement.

 

If you're hauling loaded totes, you need the tanker endorsement. empty totes don't need it.