A differential on a tractor-trailer combination means something very different from a pay differential, but the two are oddly related. A truck鈥檚 differential can mean the transmission鈥檚 differential, or the power divider, which is another differential altogether. A pay differential? That is how much more a might be able to make with certain endorsements for your Commercial Driver鈥檚 License (CDL).
The CDL you earn comes from a state鈥檚 motor vehicle agency, but once you have it, you are under the supervision, ultimately, of the (FMCSA). FMCSA regulates trucking in all 50 states. They set driver hours, work conditions, equipment limitations, and licensing requirements.
FMCSA does not, however, provide you with your CDL. Each state examines and licenses you, and you can only be licensed (certified) in one state. Every other state, operating under FMCSA鈥檚 guidelines, recognizes your state鈥檚 certification of your ability to follow the rules and regulations to operate a commercial vehicle.
Once you have your CDL, you can add endorsements. These are not separate papers to tote around; they are codes on your license:
Interestingly, flatbed operation is neither a special certification nor an endorsement, but does require special skills. You can receive specialized training to operate flatbed, and you often will see a pay differential (depending on the national carrier that employs you). Another special circumstance is drayage.
Drayage is the term for driving loads to and from ports in the United States. Pick up a container from a container ship at the port of New Orleans and drive it 30 miles to a New Orleans warehouse for repacking; that is drayage. Getting onto the port鈥檚 piers, however, is not easy, and should not be.
Due to national security, our ports are protected by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which follows the Maritime Transportation Security Act. The Act requires that workers with access to maritime facilities and vessels have the , or TWIC庐. You cannot simply go to your motor vehicle department and get this certification:
Some trucking companies reward the special hurdles a driver goes through to earn a TWIC庐 with a pay differential; others do not.
If you are just determined to start a squabble at a truckstop, announce something like this: 鈥淚 think [blank] is the best endorsement.鈥� You will be certain to offend many drivers. Dry van operators, including day cab drivers sometimes think they鈥檙e better than flatbed drivers. Flatbed drivers may disregard tank truckers. Tank truck drivers think dry van drivers are lightweights. It does not matter鈥攊f you do not have the endorsement, the one you do not have is the one you pretend not to like.
But for pay differentials, you can hardly argue against X鈥攖ank and hazmat. Many dry van operators are now required to pick up tank endorsement even if all they carry is a barrel of glue and a truckload of feathers. Any liquid, in any size container, can slosh, which can cause a spill or throw a truck鈥檚 center of gravity off.
FMCSA is charged with keeping our nation鈥檚 highways safe, regardless of who drives on them. To do that, FMCSA has strict requirements for anyone wanting to . The process is complicated, expensive, and as invasive as getting a TWIC庐.
TSA will screen you and do a thorough background check, which you pay for (around $110). You still have to take your state鈥檚 Hazardous Materials Endorsement Knowledge Test. and pay both the test and endorsement fees. These vary from state to state.
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You cannot get any endorsement without a CDL, and you cannot get a CDL without excellent training. Contact 探花视频 today to learn how ATI can help you train to be a commercial driver. The certificate could be your best certification, because it can open the road to a new career for you.
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