Endorsment question

You should be able to go back and take the written exams for the Hazmat and Tankers. The HazMat was the hardest of all the exams for me, so make sure that you really study for it. Also, they will fingerprint you and you will have to pass a criminal background check for the hazmat. It costed me about $100 bucks for the exam, fingerprinting and background check. The process took about 3 months or so. Once you get approved they will place an "X" endorsement on your CDL for Tankers and HazMat.

 

Mack is right, and like larry said, between the fingerprinting and you getting your 'all clear' letter, you will have more than enough time to study the CDL manual for your HM. ONly thing is, by the time you can test and add it to your license, you may have to pay a license correction fee to get it added. The funny thing is you will have already paid it (most likely) when you upgrade to a CDL.

CHa-Ching!! Cha-Ching!! C R E A M

 

Just remember, a hazmat endorsement now requires a background check which costs at least $60 more. I am dropping my hazmat when I renew later this year because of it. I don't care about a background check, I just don't want to pay for it. I don't plan on hauling hazmat anyway as there is, usually, no more pay involved anyway.

 

I was talking to a recruiter the other day and he had a different spin on a hazmat endorsement. He said that his company hauled hazmat loads but not the type you would think of. He said that peanut butter in a large enough quantity is considered to be a hazmat load due to the peanut oil in it. He said if you were looking for a load home, a hazmat load of peanut butter could make the difference of getting home or not. I guess that's food for thought.

 

A recruiter might also tell you that if you don't have enough sunlight in a day, they will schedule more sunshine for you! He gets paid to get you in the truck. My take, if the company wants me to have haz-mat why don't they pay for it? The haz-mat load does nothing but limits where I can go plus makes me get stopped at every chance DOT see's the placards. Which opens me up for less time driving and more chances of being fined. Why pay for something that will only bring me more grief and not make me anymore money? I currently hold a haz-mat, but will never re- new it. I paid $5.00 for it. I will not pay $130.00 for it. The new haz-mat law is only another way to gouge the driver. If a terrorist sees the placard on the truck what is stopping him from killing the driver and stealing the truck? Do you think that he will have a X endorsement?

 

With the major carriers, I would agree that you do not make more money with a hazmat endorsement.

However If you haul loads for the military, you would make considerably more money. If I thought I could handle the team driving thing, I would be doing that myself.

 

In my company I do not allthough I feel as I should because of all the hoops I have to go thru now just to have the endorsement.