Hazmat dispatch service that only offers loads you're qualified to haul
Our hazmat dispatch service and tanker dispatch start with your qualifications, not the board. Endorsements, registration, insurance limits and equipment decide which loads you can legally take. We check all of them before an offer goes out, so you never get a load you'd have to turn down at the shipper, or one you shouldn't be hauling at all.
5% of gross for one truck, no contract, and every load is your call.
What do you run?
The short version
Five questions carriers ask before anything else. Full answers are in the notes at the bottom of the page.
- Cost
- 5% of gross for one truck, 4% for fleets of 2 or more, 7% for new MCs until month 6.
- Non-hazmat tankers
- Yes. Food-grade and other non-hazardous liquids, with the tank endorsement.
- Endorsements
- Tank for tank vehicles, hazmat for placarded loads, both for hazmat in a tank.
- Insurance
- Federal minimums from $750,000 to $5,000,000 depending on what you haul.
- Approval
- Every load is yours to accept or turn down. The rate con comes to you.
- What we won't do
- Offer a load you're not endorsed, registered or insured for. Ever.
Pick the freight. See what it requires.
Choose what you'd haul and the list shows which federal requirements apply: endorsements, registration, placards and the minimum insurance. It's a planning aid, not legal advice, and state rules or a shipper's own requirements can add more.
What will you haul?
The $5,000,000 level applies to hazardous substances in bulk tanks and certain highly hazardous materials. Your insurance agent can tell you which applies to your freight.
- Hazmat (H) endorsement AppliesNeeded to drive a vehicle carrying hazardous materials that must be placarded.
- Tank (N) endorsement Not for this freightNeeded for a tank vehicle: tanks over 119 gallons each and 1,000 gallons or more in total.
- Both H and N Not for this freightMany states print the combination as a single code on the license. Either way, you need both.
- PHMSA registration AppliesGenerally required to transport hazmat in quantities that need placards, and in bulk packaging of 3,500 gallons or more.
- Placards and shipping papers AppliesThe shipper provides the papers; the carrier displays the right placards and keeps the papers in reach.
- Minimum insurance (for-hire) AppliesFederal minimum for this freight: $1,000,000 or $5,000,000. Brokers and shippers often require more.
Source:49 CFR 383.5, definitions (tank vehicle, hazardous materials) · checked 2026-1049 CFR 383.93, CDL endorsements · checked 2026-1049 CFR 387.9, financial responsibility, minimum levels · checked 2026-1049 CFR 107.601, hazardous materials registration · checked 2026-10
Two definitions do most of the work. A tank vehicle is any commercial vehicle built to carry liquids or gases in tanks over 119 gallons each and 1,000 gallons or more in total, and that takes the tank endorsement. Hazardous materials, for licensing, are materials that must be placarded, and those take the hazmat endorsement. Hazmat in a tank takes both.
Insurance follows the freight. The federal floor for for-hire general freight is $750,000. Oil and most listed hazardous materials raise it to $1,000,000, and hazardous substances in bulk tanks plus certain highly hazardous materials raise it to $5,000,000. Registration with PHMSA generally applies once you haul hazmat in placarded quantities or in large bulk packaging. If any of this is new to you, settle it with your insurance agent and the regulations before you look at loads.
Product, class and placards on every offer
Every hazmat or tanker offer shows the product, its hazard class, the placards, any tank, wash or equipment requirements, the lane, the rate and the extras. You decide with all of it in view. If you book it, the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you.
Load offer / Tanker
Baton Rouge, LA to Houston, TX
- Miles
- 270
- Rate
- $1,500
- Per mile
- $5.56
On the rate con: non-hazmat industrial liquid, wash receipt required
Pickup: Mon 07:00
Nothing is booked until you say so. You see the lane, the miles, the rate and every extra before anyone commits your truck.
The hazmat and tanker freight we book
We match the product to your equipment, your endorsements and your insurance. Here's the range, and what each kind asks of you.
- Fuel
- Gasoline, diesel and other fuels in cargo tanks. Hazmat and tank endorsements, higher insurance, and loading rack credentials at terminals.
- Chemicals
- Industrial and specialty chemicals in bulk tanks. Product compatibility, tank lining and wash history matter as much as the endorsements.
- Food-grade liquids
- Liquid sugar, oils, juices and similar products. Non-hazmat, but strict cleaning, dedicated tanks and wash certificates.
- Packaged hazmat
- Placarded drums, totes and cylinders in vans or on flatbeds. Hazmat endorsement, correct placards and shipping papers within reach.
- Water and non-hazmat liquids
- Bulk water and other non-hazardous liquids. Tank endorsement, usually regional work.
- Dry bulk
- Pneumatic tanks hauling powders and granules. Some products are regulated, many aren't; we check each one.
The full licensing picture for tankers is in our tanker endorsement guide. If you're in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma or Arkansas, our South Central coverage page covers the Gulf corridors we work.
What brokers and shippers check before they load you
Hazmat and tanker shippers vet carriers harder than almost anyone in trucking. Expect every one of these questions, and have the answers ready.
- 01Endorsements on the licenseCopies for every driver who will touch their freight.
- 02Insurance at their levelOften above the federal minimum, with the shipper named as certificate holder.
- 03PHMSA registrationCurrent registration if you haul placarded quantities.
- 04Safety recordInspection history, out-of-service rate and any hazmat violations.
- 05Equipment and wash historyTank specs, linings, last products hauled and wash certificates for food-grade or sensitive loads.
- 06Drug and alcohol testing programRequired for CDL drivers. Shippers and brokers ask about it during setup.
If your testing program isn't in place yet, read our page on the DOT drug testing consortium for owner-operators. Every driver hauling hazmat or tanker freight needs a CDL, so every one of them needs a testing program.
The lines we never cross on hazmat
Hazmat mistakes don't stay small. So the desk works to a short list of rules with no exceptions: no load you aren't endorsed, registered and insured for; no product your tank isn't suited to; no schedule that only works if you skip rest; and no pressure to accept a load with missing or unclear shipping papers.
If something at the shipper doesn't match the offer, stop and call us. A placard that doesn't match the papers, a product that wasn't on the rate con, a tank that hasn't been washed for this product. We take it up with the broker. A refused load costs a day. The wrong load costs far more.
If something goes wrong on the road, like a leak, a spill or a crash, your first calls are to emergency services and to the emergency response number on the shipping papers. Call us after that. We notify the broker, help with the delivery and the paperwork, and keep the rest of your week from falling apart while you deal with what matters.
What we ask a hazmat or tanker carrier on the setup call
The answers decide which products and lanes we can offer you. Bring copies; we'll need them for broker setups anyway.
- 01Endorsements per driverTank, hazmat or both, and when each expires.
- 02Insurance limitsYour liability limit and cargo coverage, and whether pollution coverage is included.
- 03EquipmentTank type, capacity, compartments and lining, or van and flatbed setup for packaged hazmat.
- 04Products you will and won't haulSome carriers stay food-grade only. Some won't touch certain classes. Your list, your call.
- 05Wash and cleaningWhere you wash and how you document it.
- 06Terminal accessAny loading rack credentials or terminal training you already hold.
One tanker load, start to finish
- OfferProduct, hazard class if any, tank and wash requirements, terminal or plant, lane, rate and extras. You say yes or no.
- Rate conComes from the broker to you with the product named, the wash terms and any detention or pump-off terms written in.
- WashIf the product needs a clean tank, you wash and keep the certificate. Some shippers won't load without it.
- LoadingAt a terminal rack or a plant. Check-in, credentials, loading, seals and the shipping papers in reach.
- In transitPlacards correct for what's in the tank. We take the check calls and warn the broker early about any delay.
- DeliveryPump-off or unload at the receiver. Time logged, detention flagged past free time, signed delivery receipt.
- PaperworkBill of lading, wash certificate and delivery receipt go to the broker or your factoring company.
Food-grade tanks and the backhaul problem
Food-grade tankers
Food-grade liquid freight isn't hazmat, but it has rules of its own. Shippers want a tank that has only carried food products, a wash certificate from a recognized wash facility before every load, and sometimes a seal on every valve. Haul one non-food product and many food shippers won't load that tank again. We keep your product history in your notes so we never offer a load that would close food-grade work to you, or one your tank no longer qualifies for.
Backhauls for tankers
Tankers often run loaded one way and empty the other, because the product going out rarely matches a product coming back. Compatibility limits what can follow what, and a wash between products costs money and time. When we plan your week, we look for products that can follow the last one without a wash, or a backhaul that pays enough to cover one. Sometimes the honest answer is an empty run home, and you'll hear that before you accept the outbound load, not after.
5% of gross on loads you haul
Hazmat and tanker dispatch is 5% of load revenue for one truck with an MC older than 6 months. Fleets of 2 or more trucks pay 4%, and new authorities pay 7% until month 6. Wash fees or other costs reimbursed by the broker aren't in the fee base. No setup fee, no minimums, month-to-month with 30 days notice.
Details are on the dispatch pricing page. Hazmat and tanker brokers can pay on long terms, so if cash flow is tight, freight factoring is worth a look.
- Load rate
- $1,500
- Wash reimbursed
- $175
- Fee base
- $1,500
- Fee at 5%
- $75
Thinking about moving into hazmat?
Carriers often look at hazmat because the rates look higher. Some of that premium is real. But the costs come with it: higher insurance, the endorsement and its background check, registration, stricter equipment and paperwork, and brokers who want to see hazmat experience before they hand over their freight.
Our honest advice for a carrier with no hazmat history: build a clean safety record first, get the endorsements and talk to your insurance agent about the real premium before you count on the higher rates. Packaged hazmat in a van or on a flatbed is often an easier first step than a cargo tank, because the equipment is what you already run.
When you're ready, tell us on the setup call. We'll look for shippers and brokers that take carriers early in their hazmat history, and we'll keep offers inside what your endorsements, registration and insurance allow while that history builds.
Hazmat and tanker dispatch questions
Note 01How much does hazmat dispatch cost?
5% of the load's gross for one truck with an MC older than 6 months, charged only on loads you haul. Fleets of 2 or more trucks pay 4%, and new MCs pay 7% until month 6. No setup fee, no minimums, month-to-month with 30 days notice to cancel.
Note 02Do you dispatch tanker trucks without hazmat?
Yes. Plenty of tanker freight isn't hazardous: food-grade liquids, water, some industrial liquids. You still need the tank endorsement for a tank vehicle, and the cleaning and wash requirements on food-grade loads are strict. We match the product to your tank, your wash history and your endorsements.
Note 03What endorsements do I need?
A tank endorsement for a tank vehicle, meaning tanks over 119 gallons each and 1,000 gallons or more in total. A hazmat endorsement to carry hazardous materials that must be placarded. Many states print the combination as one code. The hazmat endorsement also requires a federal security threat assessment.
Note 04What insurance do hazmat loads require?
The federal minimum for for-hire carriers is $750,000 for general freight, $1,000,000 for oil and most listed hazardous materials, and $5,000,000 for hazardous substances in bulk tanks and certain highly hazardous materials. Brokers and shippers often require more. Your agent can tell you which level fits your freight.
Note 05Do I approve every load?
Every one. You see the product, its hazard class, the placards, the tank or trailer requirements, the lane, rate and extras before you decide. If you book it, the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you. Saying no costs nothing, and loads you aren't qualified for never reach you.