How much more is it for Hazmat insurance?

Saw some mighty nice paying load of empty [LIGHT] kerosine tanks going out near me to various military bases. Called and the broker insisted that I did not need to be a hazmat carrier to take the loads. OK. But, the driver had to have hazmat on their license to be loaded. OK. But, the load is not hazmat, according to the broker. OK.

Turns out the tanks are placarded, and contain residue.

FMCSA requires they be treated as if they were full bc they have not been cleaned and the placards are still on the tanks.

Called my insurance to find out what it would take to haul hazmat and the answer was that my insurance would more than double. I didn't bother to push for an exact price. I'm not set up on the carrier end to haul hazmat.

Broker insisted that carriers move these all the time without being set up for hazmat. The loads are coming out near my home and would be a great regular load out three times/ week but I won't haul them unless I'm doing it legal.

 

This seems kind of odd because to have a HazMat endorsement bulge to have over a thousand pounds or a thousand gallons of the Hazmat product so if they just have residue with a tank I don't think it would need to be a Hazmat load. When fuel tankers are empty alright I do not think they wash them out to go get the same product. Also when a tanker endorsement is required you need a thousand more or more gallons oh the bulk book material such as in a hundred gallon totes.

 

That's what I thought, initially. And that is what the broker was telling me.

But, when I looked up the FMCSA regs, it stated that empty hazmat containers needed to be cleaned and stripped of their placard in order to not be considered hazmat.

I called OOIDA and was basically told that it is hazmat if the placard is still on it or if there is residue in it.

Trust me, I want to haul those tanks. They go out in twos on a 48' deck and weigh nothing. Straps only.

 

It's HAZMAT. That broker is either a liar, an idiot or both.

 

Well the broker is not on the line if something happens. 99.9% of the time, the frieght gets delivered and the broker and driver gets paid. I could have easily booked that load and ran it to whatever army base and collected my money.

But, I have a lot on the line and can't be doing that stuff.

It was an eye opener to me that some brokers just DGAF as long as they book the freight. And as an o/o, I have to watch my own arse all the time.

 

They're no different than the average dispatcher IMO. Some are so desperate to get a load covered they'll tell you anything. I had one tell me it was ok to take an explosives load through the mountains on the PA turnpike once.

 

A guy left over here he told me it’s 2000 a month for hazmat

 

I didn't read any of this thread... HazMat does not pay spit unless you are doing something high dollar. If you are NOT hauling nuclear waste for $100 a mile, I would pass.

 

Or just have a dedicated customer running contract freight that justifies the added expenses for the moves.

 

That's what I am thinking.

Shipper is local.

They require drivers to have hazmat on their CDL before they load but probably do not know about motor carrier requirements for hazmat. They have enough freight moving to justify me to jump through the hoops.

but it's all just thinking out loud right now...