How often has this happened

[CharlesD]

I have a driver picking up a load this morning, and when he's on the phone with me giving me pieces and weight and BOL #, he mentions that there is a hazmat charge on the bill. I had him scan the bill in and send it to me and sure enough, it's hazmat and it's 1430 pounds. I don't have insurance for hazmat and the driver doesn't have the endorsement either, so doing the load is out of the question. I had to contact the other carrier I got the load from and tell them the good news so they can get a unit in to pick it up, or broker it out again.

How often has this happened to you? You get in somewhere thinking you're picking up a 600 lb load and the thing ends up being over 1000 and hazmat, so you end up with a dry run and you can't do the load? Just curious. It's only happened to me once before, and that was with a load that I was picking up, not one that I had another driver doing.

With all that, I'm still hesitant to pay the higher cargo insurance rate for hazmat and have the driver get the endorsement, because it just doesn't seem to me that there is a whole lot of hazmat out there for vans, at least not enough to make it worth my while financially. Thoughts?

 

[highway star]

It's only happened to me once. I'm endorsed, but the carrier I was with didn't do it. Got a dry run. Whoever set the load up with us screwed up. A lot of carriers feel it's not worth the added insurance and potential liability to do hazmat. I think I agree.

 

[CharlesD]

A lot of carriers feel it's not worth the added insurance and potential liability to do hazmat. I think I agree.

Which is why I don't mess with it. I just don't want the hassle. It would have been nice to know this going in, but the the carrier that brokered the load to me wasn't informed either. They sounded as surprised as I was.

 

[paid vacationer]

Hey Charles, I'm not saying this broker or carrier was trying to pull a fast one, but I have had it happen before to me as well as others I've spoke to. Gotta watch 'em for sure. As to the weight issue, usually it ends up being less not more weight. But you know who would be in hot tea if the truck is over weight. IMO hazmat does not pay enough above a normal load to be worth the while except for the fact that it might keep you running more. Jus my 2 cents.

 

[Twizted1]

I dont feel the extra costs and headache are worth it.The last insurance quote i got was almost double of what I'am paying now.The DOT fines are even higher for haz-mat related stuff also.Good thing your driver caught it,instead of enforcement

 

[Jack_Berry]

had a call once for a load of batteries. wet cell type. this was when i was dispatching. can you believe NONE of the companies the transportation guys contracted with had a haz certificate? there were 50 tl carriers and a bunch of ltl carriers and there was no haz cert to be seen.

i had brought this up in a meeting before ths happened and was told that there was no haz handled by any carrier. then we had a load of paint from oak creek wi to fargo. once again no haz carrier approved.

i can't remember how either was resolved but the only haz carriers were our expediters.

 

[pjjjjj]

Insurance is way too high for a tiny company to get hazmat, IF it's even available from their insurer of choice.
With a large company/carrier, the risk to the insurer is spread amongst hundreds of vehicles, as opposed to just one or 5 or 10. Some insurers will insure a small carrier for just some types of hazmat.
I know another tiny carrier in my area who used to do hazmat several years ago, but the shippers balked at paying a higher price on their hazmat loads. So he got rid of it after awhile, and now they complain he doesn't do hazmat. All he can say is too bad you didn't want to pay for it when I did it.
If your insurer will insure you CharlesD, and of course depending on the price, you may find yourself in a favorable position if you can offer something others cannot. You may become the go-to guy during these leaner times.