A hazmat dispatch service that checks the requirements before it counters the rate
Hazmat and tanker loads pay for the extra work and risk, but only if you can legally haul them. Every posting comes with requirements: endorsements on the driver's CDL, registrations and permits for the carrier, insurance above general freight minimums, placards, and shipper rules on top of the federal ones. Miss one and the load isn't yours, no matter the rate.
Our hazmat dispatch service starts there. We match each posting to what your truck, your driver and your authority actually have, then check the broker, counter and bring you the load to approve. Tanker dispatch works the same way, with the tank's specs and cleaning history added to the list.
- 5% of gross, 1 truck
- 7% new MC
- 4% fleets
- No setup fee
What a hazmat or tanker posting really requires
Here's the card we check every hazmat and tanker posting against before we pick up the phone. Each line comes from federal rules; your state and the shipper can add more. Confirm the details for your own operation with the official sources.
Driver endorsements
An H endorsement for placarded hazmat, an N endorsement for tank vehicles, or X for both, under 49 CFR Part 383. The H endorsement requires a TSA security threat assessment.
Carrier registration
PHMSA hazardous materials registration for many placarded shipments, under 49 CFR Part 107, Subpart G. Some highly hazardous materials also need an FMCSA Hazardous Materials Safety Permit.
Insurance minimums
Under 49 CFR 387.9, minimums for hazmat carriers are $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 depending on the material and how it's shipped, compared with $750,000 for general freight. Shippers often require more.
Placards and papers
Correct placards for the class and quantity, shipping papers within reach, and emergency response information, under 49 CFR Parts 172 and 177.
Tank specs
For tankers: tank type, capacity, compartments, last product hauled and wash certificate. Many products can't follow certain others without a cleaning.
Routing
Some cities, tunnels and bridges restrict hazmat. The route has to be legal before the rate means anything.
Every one of those requirements shows up in the rate. A load that needs a $5,000,000 policy, a tank wash and a long legal route should pay more than one that doesn't, and the counter should say why. EXAMPLE: two 500-mile tanker loads on similar lanes, one food-grade with a wash already done, one placarded chemical needing a wash and a longer route. The second should price well above the first, because it costs you more to haul.
Hazmat and tanker freight we dispatch
We dispatch carriers with the endorsements, registrations and coverage for the freight they haul. That can mean placarded freight in a dry van or reefer, bulk liquids in a tanker, or both. The loads we look for depend on what's on your card.
- Placarded dry freight. Packaged hazmat in vans, often mixed with general freight, for carriers with an H endorsement and the right registration.
- Bulk liquid tanker. Chemicals, fuels and other liquids for carriers with N or X endorsements and the right tank.
- Food-grade tanker. Non-hazardous liquids like oils and sweeteners, where tank cleanliness and wash history matter more than placards.
- Dedicated and contract work. Many tanker shippers prefer steady carriers. Where a shipper offers regular lanes, we bring it to you as an option.
We don't put you on freight your paperwork doesn't cover, and we don't guess at requirements. If a posting is unclear about class, quantity or tank specs, we ask the broker in writing before it goes anywhere near you. Convert any offer into all-in dollars per mile with the rate per mile calculator before you decide.
Why broker checks matter more on hazmat
A problem load in hazmat isn't just a payment problem. It can be a compliance problem with your name on it. That makes the broker check more important here than on any other freight.
Before we counter, we look up the broker's authority and registration on FMCSA's public records, confirm contact details match, read the payment terms, and make sure the shipping papers and placard requirements described in the posting make sense for the product. If a broker can't tell us what the product is, its hazard class and the quantity, we don't book it.
Then the load comes to you. You see the product, the class, the quantity, the route and the terms. You say yes or no, and the broker sends the rate confirmation to you. You never haul something you didn't see first.
Running hazmat on a new authority
A new authority can haul hazmat, but it's a harder start than general freight. You need the registrations and permits in place before the first placarded load, insurance at the higher minimums, and drivers with the right endorsements. Many hazmat shippers and brokers also want to see a safety history before they'll use a new carrier.
That's why many new hazmat carriers start with a mix: some general freight to build history while the hazmat side gets set up. We help you plan that mix, so the truck earns while your record builds, and we bring hazmat loads as brokers start saying yes.
Because a hazmat or tanker truck needs a CDL, your drivers need DOT drug and alcohol testing under 49 CFR Part 382, including a random testing pool. Get that in place before the first load.
Tank washes, product history and why they decide the load
For tanker carriers, the last product in the tank can decide the next load before the rate does. Many products can't follow certain others without a wash, and food-grade shippers often want a wash certificate and a record of what the tank has carried. A great rate on a load you can't take without a wash isn't a great rate until the wash is priced in.
So we keep your tank's recent history on your card and match postings to it. When a load needs a wash, we say so up front and ask whether the broker or shipper covers it. When a reload would put an incompatible product behind the one you're carrying, we look for something else instead.
If you run more than one tank or switch between food-grade and chemical work, tell us how you manage cleaning. We'll plan the order of loads around it so you're not washing more often than you have to.
What our hazmat and tanker dispatchers handle
- Matching postings to your endorsements, registrations, insurance limits and tank specs.
- Asking brokers for product, hazard class, quantity and packaging in writing before we counter.
- Checking routes for hazmat restrictions before a load reaches you.
- Broker checks on FMCSA's public records and payment terms on every load.
- Negotiating the rate with the extra requirements counted, including washes, detention and long legal routes.
- Check calls, delivery updates, detention claims and a weekly report of every load, gross, fee and empty miles.
You stay in charge of what goes in your tank. Every load comes to you with the product and its requirements spelled out, and you approve or decline it.
If something about a load changes after you say yes, like a different product, a higher quantity or a new delivery site, we stop and check the requirements again before you move. A changed hazmat load is a new load, and you get to decide on it again.
What hazmat and tanker dispatch costs
5% of the gross on loads you haul for one truck with authority 6 months or older. 7% while your MC is under 6 months. 4% for two or more trucks while the fleet rate lasts.
No setup fee, no minimum, month-to-month, 30 days notice to cancel and nothing in a week you don't haul. The fee breakdown shows the math in cents per mile.
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Hazmat and tanker dispatch questions
Do you dispatch tankers?
Which CDL endorsements are needed for hazmat?
What do I need to haul hazmat?
Can a new MC haul hazmat?
What insurance do hazmat carriers need?
See what a hazmat week keeps.
Example week at 5% of gross. Your tier may differ.
Dispatch my hazmat rig| Gross (EXAMPLE) | $4,000 |
|---|---|
| Fee 5% | $200 |
| You keep | $3,800 |
| No haul | $0 fee |