Line 01 / Hazmat dispatch service
A hazmat dispatch service that knows what your endorsements cost you
Hazmat carriers pay to be allowed to haul before they haul anything: a yearly PHMSA registration, higher insurance minimums, endorsements with background checks, and training that has to be renewed. Those costs only pay back on loads that use them. Our hazmat and tanker dispatch matches loads to your endorsements, your insurance tier and your equipment, and prices the extra fixed costs in.
Line 02 / Onboarding checklist
What we need before the first hazmat or tanker load
Hazmat brokers and shippers check more than most. Every item here is something they will ask for; having it ready is the difference between booking this week and next month.
Tanker work adds its own layer: product compatibility, washout records between loads, and whether your tank is approved for the commodity. Food-grade and chemical tankers rarely swap freight, so tell us which you run.
PHMSA registration
Current registration number and proof on board, renewed each year.
Insurance certificate
Showing the right tier: $1,000,000 for most hazmat, $5,000,000 for high-hazard bulk.
Driver endorsements
H, N or X on each driver's CDL, with expiry dates.
Hazmat training records
For every hazmat employee, refreshed at least every 3 years.
Equipment details
Tank type, capacity, compartments and specification, or placarded van and trailer details, plus placards and spill kit.
Security plan
If your commodities require one, the written plan and who maintains it.
Drug and alcohol program
A random testing pool for every CDL driver.
Line 03 / Hazmat cost checklist
The yearly cost of being allowed to haul hazmat
Published fees (PHMSA registration and the TSA threat assessment) are fixed lines. Everything that varies by state, insurer or commodity is marked EXAMPLE: put in your own quotes. Switch the insurance tier to see what moving into high-hazard bulk does to the total. Then divide by your miles: that is what hazmat adds to your cost per mile before you count a single hazmat load.
A carrier that hauls hazmat a few times a month pays the same registration and much of the same insurance as one that hauls it every day. That is the arithmetic behind the advice to commit to hazmat freight or stay out of it.
Yearly, $250 fee + $25 processing
Per driver, at HME issue and renewal
Varies by state (EXAMPLE)
Required at least every 3 years; yearly share shown (EXAMPLE)
Over a $750,000 general freight policy; ask your agent (EXAMPLE)
Varies by commodity (EXAMPLE)
Blue lines are published fees. EXAMPLE lines vary by state, commodity and insurer: put in your own quotes.
Source: LII / eCFR, 49 CFR 107.612, hazmat registration fees · checked Oct 2026
Source: TSA, Hazardous Materials Endorsement threat assessment · checked Oct 2026
Source: LII / eCFR, 49 CFR 387.9, minimum levels of financial responsibility · checked Oct 2026
Source: LII / eCFR, 49 CFR 172.704, hazmat employee training · checked Oct 2026
The high-hazard tier covers bulk Division 1.1-1.3 explosives, Division 2.3 Zone A and 6.1 Packing Group I Zone A materials, bulk Division 2.1 or 2.2, highway route controlled Class 7, and hazardous substances in cargo tanks over 3,500 water gallons. Moving into that freight can multiply your insurance cost, so it only makes sense if the loads keep coming.
Spread over your miles, these costs belong in your cost per mile like fuel and insurance. The trucking cost per mile calculator takes them in the "permits" and "other fixed" lines, so your floor rate for hazmat loads includes them.
Hazmat freight we book
Fuels and petroleum products, industrial and agricultural chemicals, corrosives, paints and coatings, compressed gases in cylinders, lithium batteries and other placarded freight in vans, plus bulk liquids for tank carriers. We match each load to the class, quantity and packaging your endorsements and insurance cover.
Why hazmat pays more, and when it doesn't
Fewer carriers can haul it, so rates are usually higher. But the extra fixed costs come out of that premium, and a hazmat-qualified truck running general freight half the week is paying for credentials it isn't using. The money is in keeping hazmat loads coming, which is what we plan for.
Tanker specifics
Tank work turns on what was in the tank last. Product compatibility, washout certificates, compartments and outage rules decide which loads you can take next. We track your last product and plan the sequence so you aren't paying for a washout before every load.
Line 04 / Fee and questions
Tanker dispatch and hazmat questions
5% of gross for one truck with 6+ months of authority, 7% while your MC is under 6 months, 4% per truck for two or more (limited time). No setup fee, no contract, cancel with 30 days notice. Details on our dispatch fees. Every load is offered to you first with the commodity, class and quantity, and the rate confirmation comes straight to you. A load you aren't comfortable with is a load you decline, at no cost.
How much is PHMSA registration?
For a small business or not-for-profit, $250 a year plus a $25 processing fee, $275 in total. Other registrants pay $2,575 plus $25. Fees are set in 49 CFR 107.612; check PHMSA's registration page before you file, in case a new rule changes them.
What insurance do hazmat carriers need?
Federal minimums for interstate for-hire carriers in vehicles of 10,001 lb or more: $1,000,000 for most hazardous materials, oil and hazardous waste, and $5,000,000 for the highest-hazard bulk loads, compared with $750,000 for general freight. Shippers and brokers often require more. We are not an insurance agency; your agent sets the policy.
Can a new MC haul hazmat?
Legally, yes, once the registration, endorsements, training and insurance are in place. In practice, many hazmat shippers and brokers want an operating history and a clean safety record first, so new authorities often start with lower-risk placarded freight or a smaller customer list. We start you with the ones that accept new carriers.
Which CDL endorsements are needed for hazmat?
An H endorsement for placarded hazardous materials, an N endorsement for tank vehicles, or an X endorsement, which combines both, for hazmat in tanks. The H endorsement requires a TSA security threat assessment and a state knowledge test; state fees and testing rules vary.
Do hazmat loads pay more?
Usually, because fewer carriers can haul them and shippers pay for the extra care, credentials and insurance. But the premium has to cover your higher fixed costs first. Use the cost checklist on this page to see what hazmat adds to your cost per mile, then judge each hazmat rate against that higher floor.
Do you dispatch food-grade tankers?
Yes. Food-grade tank work runs on its own rules: dedicated tanks, wash certificates and approved product lists. We keep food-grade and chemical freight apart and plan your loads by your tank's approvals.
Do I need a PHMSA registration?
If you transport hazardous materials in quantities that require placards, or certain other listed quantities, you generally must register with PHMSA each year before you haul and carry proof of registration. Check the threshold for your commodities on PHMSA's registration page; small, unplacarded quantities may be exempt.
What we check on every hazmat offer
- + Proper shipping name, hazard class and quantity against your endorsements and insurance tier.
- + Tank compatibility and the last product hauled, with washout requirements.
- + Route restrictions for hazmat, including tunnels and city limits.
- + Loading and unloading procedures at the shipper and receiver.
- + Rate, accessorials and pay terms, in writing before you accept.
Make the endorsements earn their keep
Send your equipment, endorsements, insurance tier and lanes. We book hazmat and tanker loads that match them, and you confirm every one.
5% of gross. No setup fee. Cancel with 30 days notice.