Should I add endorsements? Will it be beneficial?

With HazMat the issue isn't having A FELONY. The issue is WHAT FELONY do you have and is it on the TSA DQ List.
TSA publishes the felony convictions that prohibit you from ever having a HM and they publish the list of the felony convictions that prohibit you for 7 years from conviction or release date. If your felony is on the list, you don't get a HM. If it's not on the list you can get a HM. It's not a guessing game.

Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors | Transportation Security Administration

 

If you are happy, don't keep looking until you are unhappy. While you are happy and have plenty of time, research and find a company that you would want to work for if your current company went bankrupt. Keep that 2nd company in your file as where you will go if that happened. Every year of stability at your current job just makes you more and more attractive and will make getting the next job easier and easier. Having a felony, if you do, is going to restrict you some in companies that will hire, but having 5 years or more at one company shows you really are stable, reliable, and productive, which removes most of the doubt of seeing your felony, if you have it, on your application. You have a good deal that is working for you. IMO, it would be foolish to toss it away and just see if you can improve somewhere else. I would get the HM, if you can afford it, just in case. It may help later, but it can't hurt. Spend the $150-200 on yourself, but don't leave a good job.

 

having an enjoyable work atmosphere is a huge thing!!! all the horror stories on about driver abuse is real and over the whole spectrum of companies.

if you like where you are, to me that's worth money.

getting paid good money and the company is always crapping on you ain't worth it.

at least that's how I did it. lower pay but peace of mind

 

If you get HM your current company might be able to get some backhaul HM loads for you and get some higher paying loads,if they are licensed and insured to haul HM.

 

First, thsts awesome that you are succeeding! Well done!

Beyond that I would stay there. You are familiar with the operations, good shift, good pay that only gets way better, sounds like you are happy where you are.

Why move and risk being unhappy?

The money is where you are at, once you hit 100k, past that is really hard to improve on and have everything else you have.

 

My take on endorsements is that I 99% agree with the above. My only disagreement is the hazmat thing. A huge cross-section of the trucking world hazmat is not needed. I kept an X endorsement for my last 8 or so years while working. I rarely pulled hazmat. The last time I did so I was called by my fleet manager and asked if I would pick up a special load that required hazmat. Normally the company did not accept hazmat loads. That load took me out of Southern Florida. If you don't need a hazmat endorsement and have no plans to change jobs, I strongly advise against pursuing it.

 

It never hurts to have endorsements, but if you like where you're working, stay there. I don't believe in making change for the sake of change. Drivers get caught up in making all these moves when what they had was working just fine. 70k is good money. Plus you're getting consistent raises. Your pay keeps increasing. If it were me, I'd get all endorsements; however I'd keep them in my back pocket just in case the time arrived for me to make a move.