Which endorsements would you recommend new CDL holders get?

This should be a clue. I remember originally we didn't need the 'S' endorsement. All that was needed was the 'P' It became codified in 2002-2005. My opinion...don't want it. They can drive their own thugs...I mean children.

SUMMARY:

FMCSA amends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to specify that a driver who passed knowledge and skills tests approved by the Agency for a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) school bus endorsement prior to September 30, 2002, meets the requirements of 49 CFR 383.123. FMCSA also amends the FMCSRs to provide that States have until September 30, 2006, to administer knowledge and skills tests that comply, to all school bus drivers. Finally, to conform with extension of the compliance date, the expiration date for allowing States to waive the driving skills test under 49 CFR 383.123(b) is extended to September 30, 2006. As a result of this interim rule, the 2-year exemptions for drivers in 11 States from the knowledge and skills testing requirement proposed in the FMCSA notice published July 14, 2005, are no longer necessary. ​

After checking this, I did some further investigation, and indeed, when the original CDL requirements were initiated/mandated in 1991/92, there was no 'S' endorsement, only the 'P' ensorsement. The below text and link, shows part of the history of the legislation, whereby it was changed in 1999 to inlclude a new endorsement, the 'S' endorsement.

Section 214 of the Motor Carrier
Safety Improvement Act of 1999
(MCSIA), Public Law 106–159, 113 Stat.
1748 at 1766 (December 9, 1999),
required a special CDL endorsement for
drivers of school buses, including: (1) A
driving skills test in a school bus; and
(2) proper safety procedures for loading
and unloading children, using
emergency exits and traversing highway
rail grade crossings, 49 U.S.C. 31305
note. These regulations are found in 49
CFR 383.123.​

So you see the full story. Unless there is further legislative history I'm not aware of, and I speak also of personal experience because I remember when they were passing it, I already had my CDL and some School Bus drivers I knew socially were complaining about needing to get a CDL....that was the first step, and then they codified a School Bus only endorsement also afterwards.

 

Only get HAZMAT if it is gonna pay.
More rules and regs, more responsibility.

IMHO, worth more than an extra dollar an hour, or 4 cents a mile.

 

I've only ever been an open deck guy and don't do hazmat but I guess I assumed anytime someone was running that #### it was extra pay. Seems crazy to think a company wouldn't throw you extra money to haul hazmat.

 

Get the P endorsement and Hazmat if you can

 

About 8 years ago I believe.
Driving a school bus is way different than Greyhound or tour bus.