Haz Mat endorsement: is it worth having on your CDL?

Bruno · Oct 22, 2009

Alot of drivers I talk to don't have a Haz Mat endorsment on there CDL because they say it cost to much. Now We ask every driver that comes on with us to get their Haz Mat endorsment on their CDL. I look at the big picture when it come to this. It's another way of getting me a load faster. Plus the $89.50 only gets charged to me every four years. That's only $22.375 a year or .06 a day.

I was off the road for a month and me and my step son went into service and we was number 12 on the board. I was thinking we will be lucky if we get an offer today. Man was I wrong, an hour later Panther calls me with a Haz Mat load that picked up around Dayton, Ohio going to Mesa, Az. I asked the agent how did we get the offer, she told me that we was the only Haz Mat team within 200 miles of the pickup. The load was 1973 miles at 1.35 per mile plus FSC. Now if we hadn't had it on our CDL we would have never got that nice load. So I would say it's worth having on your CDL.

davekc · Oct 22, 2009

I don't hire without one. If one can't invest that little in their profession, what would be the point in considering them?
If there in a van, then it wouldn't matter as much.

The Enemy · Oct 22, 2009

Both Jenny and I have our HazMat endorsements. Yea, it ran $190 for both of them, but it was worth getting it. The endorsement has payed for itself over and over again. It has opened us up for more loads, even with our Sprinter. We will have it until we both stop driving.

But its ok, let people think that they don't need the endorsement, especially the van drivers, less competition for us.

moose · Oct 23, 2009

there are more costs associated with the HM endorsement .

if you live far from a fingerprinting facility , or a DMV , the down time and driving your car, can be a factor .

also you HAVE to get a copy of your cargo insurance provider ,and it is better to carry that copy in your truck .
just because a recruiter tell you over the phone that the carrier have the extra insurance , dose not take you off the hook , in a case of a spill or an accident .
that extra coverage is quit expensive (or so i been told),and many local municipality will look for someone (like your insurance)to pick up the clean up bills.
having that copy in your truck , to be presented to a law enforcement personal , is a way to show your professional.
now , in this hard times , do you really trust your carrier to pay the premiums ?

to the point , yes ,the HM endorsement is a must , well worth the investment .(a good ROI...)
can't see why anyone will do Expedite without it .

OntarioVanMan · Oct 23, 2009

I don't have it and never will....Since I can carry up to 1,000 lbs without it..and the under 1,000lbs stuff usually requires a bulkhead which I want no part of...

I can live without it...Which of course is personal preference in the way I carry on my business.

There is no right/ no wrong answer...just a choice.

If I were in a straight...then I would get the endorsement...that makes sense.

Scuba · Oct 23, 2009

Bruno SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I love it that so many dont have it i never worry about going to Detroit i can be number 21 and i will get a load offer every day i am there because of the hazmat

Desperado · Oct 23, 2009

nope you don't need one i'll pick it up don't worrie

Turtle · Oct 23, 2009

To be fair, there is an inherent risk in hauling HAZMAT, a risk that a lot of people don't want to deal with. Plus, a lot of carriers don't even pay more for the additional risk and responsibilities of hauling HAZMAT. Nearly every shipper pays more for HAZMAT, generally an average of 20% more for a comparable load, as well they should. The problem comes when the carrier fails to pass along that extra revenue to the driver, and most carriers don't, especially those who pay by the mile.

OntarioVanMan · Oct 23, 2009

Desperado said:
nope you don't need one i'll pick it up don't worrie

Be my guest...I'll even volunteer driving directions for you to pick it up...

Turtle...Correct....beside jumping the que...there is no other renumeration for the risk....if the load sprouts a leak I could be OOS for days or weeks depending on the spill...and just whom will pay me for my downtime? I carry all the risk the carrier makes all the money.
This is a user pay system....the carrier loses more by me not having it then I will...and I don't consider it a lose anyhows.

I do the east coast..I do NYC and the 5 bourghs and I get paid for that *risk*...*L*...like I said...user pay system....

layoutshooter · Oct 23, 2009

We haul a lot of hazmat. The hazmat endorsement is just ANOTHER tool in our bag of frieght getting tricks. As to the risk vs. pay thing. If WE feel it pays for the risk and the load makes money AND meets the rest of our load citeria we take it. Otherwise, we don't.

OntarioVanMan · Oct 23, 2009

You get paid for the risk...except Fema stuff and boxes get wiped out..

it is the same premise as giving a carrier 12 feet instead of 8 feet and not getting paid..people say well you got a load before others did so the 12 feet did pay...nice in theory but business ain't like that...or shouldn't...because you know the carrier charged for them 12 feet!
I invested in my equipment to make money not give it away...

layoutshooter · Oct 23, 2009

Yeah, what else would expect from the Government? You did not REALLY expect them to look out for the little guy or accept responsibilty for their actions did you? That was not even a hazmat load. We have learned our lesson on the risks of THOSE loads, it will NOT happen again. The pay for those loads DO NOT out-weigh the risks.

Desperado · Oct 23, 2009

yep but you allready have a bomb on board how much fuel do you have lol hazmat, cleaning suplies, etc unless your hauling waste hazmat there isn't much to worrie about just carried 500 lb 800 miles paid good better than ford or gm does

layoutshooter · Oct 23, 2009

Carried 2500# of C4 once. I was more concerned with hyjacking than blowing up. Neither happened. Just money in the bank.

OntarioVanMan · Oct 23, 2009

layoutshooter said:
Carried 2500# of C4 once. I was more concerned with hyjacking than blowing up. Neither happened. Just money in the bank.

And I carried 800 lbs of paint...hazmat...

and no license required..

layoutshooter · Oct 23, 2009

Paint is boring!! Paint is the ONLY hazmat that we ever had a problem with. We had a large container (8000#) of paint we picked up in Windsor, ON and took to Saturn. It leaked a bit. Not enough to do any good, just enough to cause me extra work cleaning it up!! The spill was a "dolupe" about the size of a cupcake. Gray paint on black. Took a lot of paper towels to get it off. I don't like that plant in Windsor, glad we don't get there very often.