If you are looking for new trucking job opportunities or ways to increase income from your current job, you have probably considered adding one or more CDL endorsements to your license.
Endorsements do increase truck driving job opportunities, but choosing the right one can be difficult. Let’s learn more about endorsements and how you may use them to expand your eligibility for different types of CDL jobs.
Picking the Right CDL Endorsements
A CDL, or commercial driver’s license, may be issued in three “classes” (A, B, and C). These different levels regulate how much weight you can haul, whether you can transport passenger vehicles, and other specifics, but endorsements broaden the scope of opportunities available to you.
Types of Endorsements for CDL Jobs
There are many CDL endorsements, but among those that affect trucking jobs are:
• T: Double or triple trailers - While some states don’t allow triple trailers, this endorsement lets you to pull double and triple trailers and requires a knowledge test.
• P: Passenger vehicles - The number will vary by state, but this endorsement allows you to carry a specific amount of passengers. This endorsement is required for municipal and shuttle bus drivers.
• N: Tank vehicles - If the vehicle carries a certain amount of liquid or liquid gas (specified, again, by the state) in a permanently-mounted tank, the N endorsement is required.
• S: School bus driving - This is different than the standard passenger endorsement, as it allows you to drive a school bus in your local area.
• H: Hazardous materials - For obvious reasons, this is one of the most difficult endorsements to achieve. If hazardous materials of any kind are being transported, the driver must have an H endorsement. Advance study will be helpful but HAZMAT study guides are available.
• X: Tank vehicles and hazardous materials combination - If the hazardous materials are liquid and hauled in a tanker, the driver must have the X endorsement as well.
Each type of CDL endorsements opens up new opportunities for truck drivers. Most of them are simple, affordable, and easy to obtain, HAZMAT being the obvious exception. You should also note that some require knowledge testing, road testing, and others may require a larger application fee.
The H and X endorsements are especially tricky. While they will certainly increase the value of your CDL, they come with heavy scrutinization, which includes an initial written test, a background check, and recertification on a more frequent basis, usually every two years.
Choosing the Right Type of Endorsement
So which one should you get? Honestly, if you are able, consider getting all CDL endorsements. New CDL jobs open up all the time, and whether it’s with your current trucking company or with a new carrier, having all the endorsements allows you to apply for more opportunities, enhancing your career track and earning potential.
But we also know it’s not that easy, so take these factors into consideration when choosing among the various types of CDL endorsements.
Talk to your company leaders and find out what they need. Do they have lots of double trailers that need to be hauled? Are there constantly CDL jobs opening for driving tankers? This information will help point you in the right direction.
Next, take a look at the trucking industry overall. Maybe there is a current shortage of HAZMAT drivers or a need for shuttle bus drivers.
What about your pay? Because they are more difficult to achieve, HAZMAT tanker jobs generally pay more. Is that something you want from your career?
By looking at the market, your trucking company and its needs, and your career goals, you can choose the endorsements that best suit your goals for obtaining future CDL jobs.
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