Endorsement pay differential?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by ihaveaquestion, Mar 30, 2024.

  1. ihaveaquestion

    ihaveaquestion Medium Load Member

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    Let’s say a driver gets an endorsement added to their license. Regardless of DMV exam cost, whatever state their license is, then there’s the DMV add an endorsement fees. Some states even charged to have endorsements removed.. so regardless of all that.

    These days, what will the driver earn per mile on the different endorsements compared to a regular CDL no endorsements? Is it still an additional penny or so per mile? or after the pandemic perhaps there’s significant pay gaps between the different endorsements or if the driver wings it they and says I’ll study, attain all endorsements does it raise a drivers value? Is there really a noticeable difference between all the endorsements pay wise?

    Is it better for a driver to just get all of them or pick between one or the other?

    side by side what is the pay difference per year

    CDL-A with no endorsements salary?
    hazmat endorsement salary?
    tanker endorsement salary?
    doubles/triples endorsement salary?
    CDL-A with all endorsements salary?
     
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  3. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Tanker and double/triples endorsements are super easy to get and you only have to pay for them once, not every time you renew your license. Hazmat you pay every renewal plus the TSA background check. Tanker is especially important as you have to have it even to haul loaded totes in a van or on a flatbed Or get a ready-mix job.
    As far as salary there are just too many variables to be able to predict that amount. Type of trucking- tanker, van etc, company, what part of the country as well as your experience and record make it impossible to show a salary.
     
  4. ihaveaquestion

    ihaveaquestion Medium Load Member

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    Awesome! Thank you. I understand your response so technically its if the companies/carriers say to the driver we’re gonna pay you to get your tanker, pay you to get your doubles and triples, pay you to get your hazmat.. then okay! Driver says I suppose that means more pay for more risk or hard/difficult task to haul

    Only exception really is the driver themselves is like I wanna actually go into those areas and get the endorsements

    Otherwise, best strategy for adding endorsements it’s either being paid to unless driver decides to get endorsements
     
  5. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Don't know about anywhere else but the one time fee for tanker or doubles endorsements here in Arkansas is around $10. Not going to break to the bank and if a company is ready to hire you, they may want you to already have them.
     
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  6. ihaveaquestion

    ihaveaquestion Medium Load Member

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    yeah, that’s not bad at all, just to have the endorsements.

    In Nevada they charge you to not take only the exam not road test $100 or so, but also a fee to add the endorsement $15 or so and after added endorsement fee update license photo fee $3-4 dollar lol… I can understand why the hazmat is super strict TSA rules, but they do same procedure for all endorsements; however, in this state, you gotta basically ask the sheriff for anything you want such as jobs, major purchases, sit down at the slot machine or manage slots, can’t play texas hold’em at your friends table they’re a dealer at, they can get fired… it’s actually wild all the little rules & steps… But no state tax! So it evens out I suppose either way
     
  7. abyliks

    abyliks Road Train Member

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    Pretty sure MA is $25 to renew doubles/tank, i let hazmat go, have to do the test when you renew anyway so. Nonsense having it if I’m not using it
     
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  8. drivingmissdaisy

    drivingmissdaisy Road Train Member

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    You don't make extra money just having endorsements. Having the endorsements opens up doors to jobs that might make more money. But if you run dry van non-hazmat I don't care if you have every endorsement in the book, your pay will be based on your years of experience. So you, being a newbie with 0 time and 500 endorsements would get paid the same rate as another newbie with 0 time with no endorsements. If a company doesn't need your endorsements to run, they are worthless to them.

    And I know the last two companies I worked for loved people who had hazmat endorsements because those loads paid well, but you didn't get paid more for hauling them. You got paid the same rate you got for non hazmat loads. So all hazmat endorsements did was let the company take advantage of you signing up for "forced dispatch" loads which were priority (so you sat less waiting for loads) but you had to take them, for the same pay as before. Screw that.
     
  9. 77fib77

    77fib77 Road Train Member

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    Hazmat is good. It shows companies you passed a background check.
     
  10. drivingmissdaisy

    drivingmissdaisy Road Train Member

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    Which they would do on you anyway.
     
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  11. 77fib77

    77fib77 Road Train Member

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    But the license shows you did pass one, even before they run one.
     
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