Tanker & Haz-Mat

Not to sure but figured this might be the right thread to post this under, but does anyone have any info that can be shared on gettnig Haz-Mat and tanker endorsments. Job's in the oil and natural gas field along with other tanker job's are plentyfull around my area right now but most want at least 2 year's experiance. Some want that 2 year's just in tanker alone or 2 year's in OTR in general. I'm only lacking about 5 months 2 full year's of OTR and I'm trying to avoid going back OTR just for such a short time to get the experiance needed. My fiance also know's a couple of people that haul salt water but I'm trying to figure out how they got the job's without any OTR experiance or a high school diploma/GED which is "required" according to their website's and job posting's. Thing is we are trying to avoid contacting these people as there are personal issue's between her and those ex- friends.

I'm going to use my tax return if I get enough back to get those endorsment's and undergo the Homeland Security background check for Haz-Mat. I'm figuring it's gonna take roughly about a month to get the ok from the background check.

 

Its easy to get, at least it was in Indiana. I went to Indiana's website and typed in hazardous material and it came up. You will fill out the info then they give you a place to get the fingerprints done. After you do the fingerprints it takes a few weeks then you'll get a paper saying you have been approved to get your hazmat. Take the paper to your BMV, take and pass your test and your done.

 

Not sure if you need to practice the hazmat or tanker tests but if you do try this link.

http://www.cristcdl.com/otc/

It will give you a good idea of what to expect on both of them.

Not sure of all the Louisiana b.s. you have to go through but in Texas you go to D.P.S. office & take your hazmat test first. If you pass they give you a slip of paper that you take to one of the centers set up to do the fingerprinting for TSA.

It will take them 6-8 weeks to process your application, sometimes less time but that is a good average time. If everything checks out good you will get a letter from TSA saying so & telling you to go back to the driver's license office to get your new license with the new endorsement.

In Texas you have to wait to receive a letter from D.P.S. stating you are cleared for the endorsement. This is the letter we have to take to the drivers license office to get the endorsement added.

By the way you can get the tanker without the hazmat if you wanted to haul non hazmat loads. Personally I say carry all the endorsements you can to make yourself the most employable though.

The endorsements in Texas were $10.00 each & if I remember correctly I believe the fingerprinting was about $80.00.

If you don't have a TWIC card you might consider getting that also. If you can qualify for the hazmat you can qualify for TWIC. Seems like TSA is going to start pushing the plants harder on this issue. Add another $135.00 or so for the TWIC.

 

I've already taken those test's on that site a few times. Thank's for the info though. Enorsment's are $5.00 each here plus according to a site I looked at it's like $89.00 for the fingerprinting here. I have the state CDL book, reg. hand book and HM hand book plus did those test's online so I should be good to go on getting them.

I still need to find out what the issue with my TWIC card is. I applied for it last year and the $132.50 was deducted from my check for it from Prime but never recieved it. Nothing should be holding me back from it.

My main issue is landing a job after getting those endorsment's w/o a full 2 year's experiance and a GED. I'm looking to get my GED but work is more important at the moment so I can get caught back up on everything and study for it in the mean time because it will take some time to get my GED. I may sound like a dummy for saying this but I am common sense and hand's on smart and have enough knowledge in basic math that has gotten me through trucking but getting into the more advanced math in book's is greek to me and I've alway's struggled with trying to learn it. So it will take some time for me to learn and pass that part of the GED section.

 

my twic only took 2 weeks

 

you will find it is just experience not necessarily OTR as OTR does nothing to prepare you for the patch at all
and word of mouth is how most folks get there jobs in the patch

have you looked into what the job is as I have hired many who want the paycheck but not the work

 

also what company are you thinking about?

 

Some of the place's I am looking at is CCS Services, Key Energy, Basic (all oilfield/salf water job's) There's also another one that just came up hauling locomotive fuel working around train's and truck's which is something that I am very interested in. I am and have been more than willing to bust my backside for a decent living but these big OTR companies make you bust your backside for peanut shell's without even a peanut inside to chew on if you know what I mean. I'm still surfing the net looking for other companies as well. Other than money, I don't mind dealing with customer's but I'm fed up with the BS games shipper's/reciever's are playing in the refrigerated side of the game and having to stay out week's or longer at a time making those BS $200-300 paychecks. I can't provide for four mouths not including myself on that crap. So I'm up tight and doing everything I can to get up and push on advance and better myself. I have past employer's that will tell you I will bust my arse and pick up someone else's slack because if they don't want that money then I'll #### sure take it.

Just got off the phone with TWIC and they are sending me the information I need to have corrected and should have my TWIC card. Problem there is they want me to make a 4+ hour drive down south to a port to pick it up which I can't do and there is nothing close to me to pick it up from. Called two of my last employer's for my W-2's so I can get my tax's taken care of and see if I may have to pay in because my tax return will be going toward's my Haz-Mat and tanker endorsments including the fingerpriting process.

Fixing to drag out some book's and call the local Vo-Tech school along with getting online to see about going after my GED and the cheapest route. That's just gonna be the only thing that's gonna slow me down.

 

Okay I am a Gas Hauler, the Company I work for requires 2 years of tractor trailer driving experiance or 1 year tractor trailer experiance plus graduation from a truck driving school. Get your endorsements and start looking around. Or just start looking around. Best of luck to you

 

find out one of the little guys working the patch and just walk into the office and ask, key is a big outfit and may be stuck on protocol but if find Bob or Joe water service and talk to them they might take you on without all the hoop jumping most pay by the hour or BBL load