Endorsements
Topic 1593 | Page 1
Tom, Welcome to the forum!
It's really best to go ahead and get those endorsements out of the way at the beginning just simply because once you get on the road driving a truck you will find it next to impossible to take the time to study and go take the various tests. So many people think they don't want to do this or that type of driving and wonder why they should get the endorsements for it. You really don't know at the beginning of your career what you are going to prefer, and you aren't really aware of the opportunities that may come your way.
The endorsements tests are not that difficult, and the endorsements really make you a more versatile and valuable employee. I encourage anyone just trying to break into this business to go ahead and get all the endorsements right from the beginning. You are in the studying mode at the start and it just makes sense to take care of it then. Later on you may decide you wish you could haul raw mild in a food grade tanker or who knows what else may appeal to you, or present itself to you as an opportunity. Without having the proper endorsements in place you are limiting yourself.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Sorry, typing too fast I guess, that word "mild" is supposed to be "milk".
Sorry, typing too fast I guess, that word "mild" is supposed to be "milk".
Ah, that would make more sense.
Thanks for the advice. It's the same feeling that I had, but I thought it best to get some perspective from experienced people on here. The school that offers the training with endorsements starts two weeks later than I had initially planned, so that puts a crimp in my plans, but I can adjust and overcome.
I'll just use the extra time to study the High Road program info. ^.^
Tom, in most states you can go ahead and take those endorsement tests before you have even gotten your CDL. I don't know what you are considering for school, but I recommend that you get your permit out of the way before you even go to school, and in Texas I just went ahead and took my endorsement tests immediately after I passed my permit test. The High Road Training Program will get you prepared for whatever you need. The only endorsement I had to wait on was the Hazmat , but I did it immediately upon passing the CDL driving test. When I got my permit it already had my endorsements on it and they were transferred to my CDL upon my completion of that portion of the testing.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Yeah Tom, Old School is right. You don't have to wait for the schooling to start to get your permit and endorsements, except maybe Hazmat. A background check is required for Hazmat and some states make you wait until you've already gotten your license before you can get your Hazmat endorsement. But you can get your permit and all of the other endorsements any time by simply taking the written exams on your own. You don't have to wait for the schooling to start. Everything you'll need is in our High Road Training Program.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
Yeah Tom, Old School is right. You don't have to wait for the schooling to start to get your permit and endorsements, except maybe Hazmat. A background check is required for Hazmat and some states make you wait until you've already gotten your license before you can get your Hazmat endorsement. But you can get your permit and all of the other endorsements any time by simply taking the written exams on your own. You don't have to wait for the schooling to start. Everything you'll need is in our High Road Training Program.
Got it.
The reason I asked is that I'm trying to make a decision between two different schools. They're pretty much the same in cost ($5k) but one school goes for 5 weeks, has the cost of the TIP and Medical card rolled into the price, and covers the Hazmat and Double/Triples endorsements in the fifth week. The school I originally was looking at has the TIP and Medical card paid out of pocket and only goes for four weeks.
Downside is that I have to wait another two weeks to get started at the school that has Hazmat training.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
I have not even started my classes yet, so this is just my opinion, if you feel everything else is equal and they spend an extra week preparing you for the hazmat I would do the 4 week school. I say this because I would feel my time would be better spent studying the hazmat portion of the high road training here and getting onto my driver training a week sooner.
Woody
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
The only endorsement that may be difficult is the Hazmat. Most states, if your CDL school is OUTSIDE your home state, will NOT accept a HAZMAT endorsement from out of state.
But yes, GET your endorsements knocked out while in school. BTW, the rules on what FMCSA considers a tanker have changed. If you are hauling totes of liquid totaling over 1,000 gallons for all the totes combined, then you need a tanker endorsement.
Dave
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
The only endorsement that may be difficult is the Hazmat. Most states, if your CDL school is OUTSIDE your home state, will NOT accept a HAZMAT endorsement from out of state.
But yes, GET your endorsements knocked out while in school. BTW, the rules on what FMCSA considers a tanker have changed. If you are hauling totes of liquid totaling over 1,000 gallons for all the totes combined, then you need a tanker endorsement.
Dave
Yeah, I'm definitely going to get my endorsements while going to CDL school. I'm just trying to decide if I should go to a school that gives an extra week at the end specifically for it, or just start CDL school next week as originally planned and study and get the endorsements on my own.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.New Reply:
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When choosing a CDL school, how important is it to get some the Hazmat and Double/Triple trailer endorsements? Does it depend on what company you're aiming to work for, or would the endorsements just be a good thing to get regardless?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.