Getting Hazmat

Yeah, you're not reading me right. Just leave off any discussion of felony. I am talking about discount only. I made the mistake of getting both hazmat and TWIC at the same time and paid full price for both. Just trying to save fellow board members a couple of bucks.
I'll take your word for the felony part. As with anything in the USA, when the need is great, the standards get lowered.

 

That's not red tape. Red tape is having an interview, filling out more forms, paying more money and then waiting for approval. Try dealing with the EPA or the FDA, that's madding red tape.

I've gone through three hazmat cycles, it is pretty easy, take a little time and I get to write it all off - including travel.

 

I have had my hazmat since 2002 .compared to like it was just taking the test and bada bing you get that endorsement.I'm not saying it's hard now but there is red tape.Just like applying for a job .I have spoke to many drivers over the yrs that dropped their hazmat because all the red tape and the cost.you dont think it's red tape ok fine,you have your opinion and I have mine.lets just leave it at that,

 

Let's call it "moderate red tape"!

Tolerable for some, but not worth it for others.

 

Come on guys, it isn't any red tape, you don't have to deal with much.

 

This is the problem especially in these forums. Please don't take anybody's word for anything. Find out for yourself. This is the beginning of knowledge! This is why I posted the link. By the way I did the same thing you did. I paid full price for both my TWIC and hazmat. Hey if your ever in the Hampton Va area let me know, I will buy you a cup of coffee.

 

Doglover44, no reason to not get it. Simple test and usually employer pays for it. I know mine has made me a lot of money and I said the same thing years ago. Same with a TWIC card. Any endorsement is a good thing and makes you worth an extra penny

 

The only extra "hassle" I found was the cost of the background check and the long wait for TSA approval. When I added it again in November, the Florida DMV office had a fingerprint scanner on site so it was an extra 5 minutes to get that done and it really only took that long as the clerk wasn't too sure on what was an acceptable fingerprint image so we redid them a couple times to be sure.

I first got mine back in 1995 and only dropped it when the TSA background checks were introduced. It wasn't because of the cost or "red tape", it was simply because I was living overseas and didn't have enough time to go through the process as I found out only a few days before I was flying out and I wanted to get my license renewal done before I left. As I will be back in the US when it next expires I will be renewing it again willingly...regardless of whether I am hauling hazmat or not.

 

It is an extra layer of bureaucracy that didn't used to be there before the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA were created. Some people call that red tape. It requires you to take extra steps, pay more money, and wait longer to get it. Red tape. As I said, tolerable for some and a hassle for others. But don't say it isn't red tape. It is the very definition of red tape.

 

Oh it most certainly is red tape. DHS and TSA are government agencies and they rely on adding layers bureaucracy to justify their increasing budgets. They are responsible for the other hoops one has to jump through now just to renew a license. I found the proof of residency and SS number requirement to be much more bothersome than adding the hazmat endorsement.