Hazmat dispatch service for placards, tanks and the drivers qualified to haul them
Diamond placards and tank trailers mean more rules than any other freight: endorsements, insurance minimums, routing limits and parking rules, all on top of normal trucking. Our hazmat dispatch service checks the paperwork side before a load reaches you, finds freight that matches your endorsements and equipment, and brings each load to you to approve. The rate con comes straight to you.
We don't offer a hazmat load until we know you're qualified to haul it. That protects you, the broker and everyone on the road.
PICK YOUR TRUCK
Hazmat and tanker
Tankers and placarded loads that need extra CDL endorsements.
- FREIGHT
- Fuel, chemicals, food-grade liquids, placarded hazmat
- CDL
- Yes, with endorsements
OUR FEE
5%
of gross (7% while your MC is under 6 months)
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Which endorsement does this load need?
Answer two questions and the checker shows the endorsement: N for tank vehicles, H for placarded hazardous materials, or X for both together 49 CFR 383.153 Information on the CDL documenteCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source. Your CDL class is a separate question, set by the vehicle's weight ratings.
The H endorsement takes the longest to get. Before a state can issue, renew or transfer it, TSA has to clear the driver in a security threat assessment, and the endorsement has to be renewed at least every five years 49 CFR 383.141 General (hazardous materials endorsement)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source. Plan for that before you buy a tank trailer or quote hazmat work.
This checker is a planning aid. Your state licensing office and the hazmat regulations for your specific material are the final word.
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What we check before offering you a hazmat load
- Endorsements. The load's class and packaging against the endorsements on your license.
- Insurance limits. Hazmat loads carry higher federal minimums, and many shippers require more. We confirm your certificate covers the load before we bring it to you.
- Hazmat registration. Carriers of certain hazmat need to be registered with the federal hazmat program, and some loads need a hazmat safety permit. We ask for proof before offering those loads.
- Routing. Tunnel restrictions, city bans and designated hazmat routes along the way.
- Parking and attendance. Where the driver can stop and for how long, given the material's class.
- Tank details. For tankers: product, wash requirements, loading procedures and terminal access.
Hazmat brokers and shippers usually check carriers harder than general freight brokers do: higher insurance, safety records and sometimes on-site audits. We build your carrier packet to answer those checks once, with your endorsements, insurance and registrations, so each new setup goes faster.
CDL carriers also need a drug and alcohol testing program in place. Our page on owner-operator drug testing requirements explains what that means for a one-truck carrier.
If any of these checks fail, we tell you what's missing instead of offering the load anyway. The shortcut isn't worth it in this freight, where one mistake can cost your authority, your insurance and far more than a load ever pays.
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Hazmat and tanker dispatch costs 5% of gross
A single tanker or hazmat unit with authority past six months pays us 5% of each hauled load's gross. Authorities under six months pay 7%, and a carrier running two or more of these trucks pays 4% on the limited-time fleet offer.
That percent is figured on the rate con total and nothing else; joining is free and declining a load is free. Hazmat insurance runs higher than general freight, so build it into the minimum rate you'll accept. All tiers are spelled out on the dispatch costs page.
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A hazmat offer, with the compliance notes on top
Every hazmat offer from us lists the material class, placards, packaging, endorsement needed, routing and parking notes and insurance requirement before the rate. Try the example: a placarded tank load with a terminal appointment.
If you only want certain classes or products, or won't run certain cities, tell us once. We filter every offer against your rules and your qualifications.
Getting into hazmat as an owner-operator
- Get the endorsement first: the knowledge test, and for H, the TSA security threat assessment.
- Price insurance at hazmat limits before you buy equipment. It can change the whole plan, and it often takes longer than you expect.
- Check whether your loads require federal hazmat registration or a hazmat safety permit, and get them in place.
- Set up hazmat training records and keep them current, as the rules require for hazmat employees.
- Start with simpler materials and lanes you know, and add classes as you gain experience.
The endorsement process has costs and waiting time of its own. Our hazmat endorsement cost and timeline calculator lays them out step by step.
Where hazmat and tanker freight comes from
Placarded freight comes from chemical plants, refineries and fuel terminals, industrial gas suppliers, fertilizer and agricultural chemical dealers, and manufacturers shipping paints, solvents and batteries. Food-grade tankers serve dairies, juice and oil producers and food plants. Much of this freight moves on regular schedules between the same plants and terminals, which rewards carriers who build steady relationships.
That steadiness is one of the attractions of tank and hazmat work. Once a shipper trusts your safety record and paperwork, they tend to keep calling. We plan your weeks around those regular runs where we can, and fill gaps with spot loads that match your endorsements and tank type.
Not every tank load is hazmat. Food-grade liquids, some chemicals and water move in tankers without placards, and only need the N endorsement. If you're building toward hazmat, non-hazmat tank work is a good way to learn surge, washes and terminal routines first. Tell us where you are on that path and we'll offer loads that match it, not loads that skip ahead of your experience.
Tanker loads: what makes them different
Liquid moves. A partly filled tank surges forward when you brake and sideways in a turn, which changes how the truck handles. Baffled tanks reduce surge; smooth-bore tanks, often required for food-grade products, don't. Drivers new to tankers need time to learn the feel. Our guide to the types of semi trucks shows how tankers compare with other rigs.
Tanks also need washing between many loads, especially when the product changes, and a wash ticket proves it. Terminals have their own loading procedures, safety gear rules and appointment systems. All of that is time, and time belongs in the rate.
We list the product, wash requirement and terminal details on every tanker offer, so you can judge the real time a load takes before you say yes.
Hazmat mistakes that cost the most
- Hauling before the endorsement is on the license. A pending endorsement is no endorsement.
- Insurance that doesn't match the load. Check limits against each load's requirement, not just your general policy.
- Missing shipping papers or placards. The papers must be within reach and the placards correct for what's in the trailer.
- Ignoring route restrictions. A tunnel or city ban can force a long detour; plan it before you accept.
- Skipping the wash ticket. The next shipper may refuse a tank without proof it was cleaned.
Each of these is avoidable with the details checked up front, which is exactly how we prepare every hazmat offer.
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Hazmat / tanker dispatch questions
CH 01Which CDL endorsements are needed for hazmat?
Placarded hazardous materials need the H endorsement. Tank vehicles carrying liquids or gases in bulk need the N endorsement. A tank load that is also placarded hazmat needs both, shown as X on the license. Your CDL class still depends on the vehicle's weight ratings. Check your state's licensing office for the testing steps.
CH 02How long does a hazmat endorsement take?
It depends on your state and on the TSA security threat assessment, which has to come back before the state can add the H endorsement. You'll also take a knowledge test. Plan for weeks, not days, and don't book hazmat freight until the endorsement is on your license. Our hazmat endorsement calculator lays out the steps.
CH 03Do hazmat loads pay more?
Often they do, because fewer drivers hold the endorsements, the insurance costs more and the work carries more rules and risk. Whether a load pays enough depends on the lane, the commodity and the time it takes. Judge each one by its all-in rate per mile after your higher insurance and compliance costs.
CH 04Do you dispatch tankers?
Yes, both hazmat and non-hazmat tankers, such as food-grade liquids, fuel and chemicals. Tank loads have their own concerns, like liquid surge, wash requirements between loads and loading procedures at each terminal. Every tanker offer from us lists the product, the wash requirement and the loading details before you decide.
CH 05Do hazmat loads have special parking rules?
Yes. Federal hazmat rules limit where and how long certain placarded loads can be parked and attended, and some cities, tunnels and routes restrict hazmat entirely. The rules depend on the material's class. We note parking and routing restrictions on the offer, but the driver is responsible for knowing the rules for the load they carry.
18 wheels · 1 dispatcher · your call on every load
Haul hazmat with the paperwork checked first
Tell us your endorsements, your trailer and the products you haul. We'll check every load against them, and every load still waits for your yes.