Hazmat endorsement? Yes or no?
#11
I've had my HazMat since I got my cdl 7 years ago. I've hauled a grand total of 3 hazmat loads. Was it worth getting? Hmmm - the loads paid me nothing additional for the extra headaches. So, myself, when my license renewal comes up next year, the hazmat is gone. Definitely not worth spending the time/money to get the TSA background for it.
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#13
Re: re
Originally Posted by crankyazz
to me it's just not worth it. you get more hastle from DOT. not to mention all the other headaches... just my two cents.
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#14
I have had a hazmat endorsement since they started issuing them. I haven't hauled a hazmat load in probably at least 2 years. Before that, perhaps 1 per year at the most. The hazmat loads I got during the preceding years paid more than anything else, at the time. I am not sure it was worth it for one load.
I haven't had any more hassle due to having placards on my trailer. There were rumors after 9/11 that they were cracking down. Kentucky was supposed to be stopping all hazmat loads. I hauled a placarded load into Kentucky right after I heard the rumor. I was never stopped. Unless you or your company has a poor safety record, I see no reason why you should be stopped any more frequently than a non hazmat load. At least I have never had a problem.
#15
Board Regular
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Planet Houston
Posts: 357
I've pulled loads with 9 placards from Crane, IN to Houston with no problems. I've pulled local loads with 1 placard in Houston and got DOT'd twice in one day.
Go figure. I don't see any extra hassling and I pull placarded loads every day. I say get the endorsement. Better to have it and not need it that need it and not have it, I say. Experience and flexibility pay off in this industry. All I haul in Haz-mat, and I've hauled it with vans, tankers, flatbeds, intermodals, roll-offs, and straight trucks. Haven't done an end-dump load yet, but my company does have some end-dump trailers, so it's only a matter of time. When it's time to change jobs I'll be able to pick my job. -p.
#16
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Northern NV
Posts: 707
Originally Posted by PhuzzyGnu
I've pulled loads with 9 placards from Crane, IN to Houston with no problems. I've pulled local loads with 1 placard in Houston and got DOT'd twice in one day.
Go figure. I don't see any extra hassling and I pull placarded loads every day. I say get the endorsement. Better to have it and not need it that need it and not have it, I say. Experience and flexibility pay off in this industry. All I haul in Haz-mat, and I've hauled it with vans, tankers, flatbeds, intermodals, roll-offs, and straight trucks. Haven't done an end-dump load yet, but my company does have some end-dump trailers, so it's only a matter of time. When it's time to change jobs I'll be able to pick my job. -p. Its pretty much mandatory on the LTL side this racket. I'm not aware of any reputable LTL carrier that will hire you without it.
#17
Board Regular
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Planet Houston
Posts: 357
It was a military haz-waste pickup from the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center.
Flammable Gas 2 Flammable liquid 3 Flammable solid 4.1 Spontaneously Combustible 4.2 Dangerous when wet 4.3 Oxidizer 5.1 Toxic 6 Corrosive 8 Bulk 3077 class 9 My personal record is 12 placards on a load of New Orleans Katrina Haz-Waste, which my company hauls out. We're over 2,500 truckloads I'm told. -p.
#18
Originally Posted by PhuzzyGnu
My personal record is 12 placards on a load of New Orleans Katrina Haz-Waste, which my company hauls out. We're over 2,500 truckloads I'm told.
-p. That would have made one hell of a pic :shock:
#19
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Northeast region
Posts: 62
After reading the responses I will be getting my Hazmat b/c my goal in a few years after going OTR is too work for a tanker company hauling and delivering gasoline locally b/c it is tough to start a family driving OTR from what I am told.
I have talked with a Shell tanker driver and he told me he makes $70,000 per year! Sounds good to me, just hope the job is not impossible to get.
#20
Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Tifton, Ga
Posts: 58
I am finished with trucking school and I go to take my pretrip test, backing range and driving test on monday, then on thursday I go to get my fingerprints taken for the hazmat, but Tuesday I can go take to hazmat written exam at DMV, trying to get my ducks in a row.
The company I am going to work for makes hazmat a requirement.
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