Question about law on hazmat trucks and trainees.

I would only want a Dir of Safety making this decision. I would probably not even accept an answer on the phone from a cop in the state's DMV.

Can you imagine telling a judge in court "I thought I was good because some strangers on the internet said so." As a trainer I would want something in writing from the school or company giving me authorization. That written authorization won't protect anyone from the possible multi-thousand dollar fine. I say don't do it.

 

A lot of those tankers are more dangerous empty than full.
More fumes ..... unless purged and cleaned with clean out paper work.

 

I dont know if thats true. I haul empty totes all the time and I still need a tanker endorsement to haul them. So I wouldnt be surprised if a tanker required it even if empty.

EDIT: Looked it up in the rulebook and I stand corrected (by me). Taker is only required if it actually contains stuff. It still may require a hazmat depending on what it contained but the tanker isnt required. The dispatcher that told me so was misinformed.

 

I understand they are not considered licensed while on a permit but they are endorsed. My permit had the "X" endorsement printed on it for hazmat tanker

 

Sorry I'm late to the party. The short answer is no because you can't drive a loaded tanker on a permit. Also, eventhough the student has a valid hazmat endorsement they still are prohibited from operating class A tanks that have hazmat residue.

The trailer would need to be cleaned and purged with a certificate of cleaning before the student can operate it. 383.25 doesn't make any exceptions for a CDL upgrade from B to A.

 

My reasoning is as follows:
1. CLP holder only has a passenger car license, not CDL.
2. Passenger car DL cannot hold endorsements like HM, Doubles/Triples, etc. Motorcycle being the only endorsement I can think of. Can you add air-brakes or tanker endorsement to a passenger DL? I'm guessing no, but it is a guess.
3. Therefore the CLP holder, a driver that can exercise his privileges only with a CDL holder in the vehicle.
4. CLP holder's endorsements are irrelevant until he attain a CDL. Those CLP endorsements become active the moment the CLP is replaced by the CDL.

The thought experiment would be can a HM CLP trainee pull a HM trailer if the CDL trainer doesn't have HM? I claim no.

 

Guess it's changed. At one time in Tennessee you could give up your cdl for a regular drivers license and still keep the endorsements.

 

I'm not speaking about that condition. I'm betting, since most of those endorsements never expire they stay viable in your file, but I don't expect any of them to be printed on your DL. I believe TN "remembers" your CDL for 5 years after you downgrade or surrender it. I don't know if those "remembered" endorsements live past that 5 year period. I try to not depend on these arcane rules & policies by just renewing everything until I'm 300% sure to never ever drive CDL again. I'm renewing my HM now, just in case & just to avoid having to get it all over on short notice should I want to CDL drive again. I haven't had 10 seconds of missing the open road yet. Every other time I stopped driving that feeling was common & strong.