What placard does an amazon relay contractor need to test for?
It depends entirely on what you actually haul. If your loads include hazardous materials in amounts that require placarding, you need the hazmat (H) endorsement on a CDL. Most general freight, ordinary boxed parcels and palletized goods, is not placarded and does not require a hazmat endorsement. Confirm what your specific loads contain.
It is about the freight, not the company
The need for a hazmat endorsement comes from what you carry, not from who you contract with. If your loads include hazardous materials in quantities that require placards, you need the hazmat (H) endorsement. If they do not, you do not. So the answer depends on the actual cargo.
Most general freight is not hazmat
A large share of general freight, ordinary boxed parcels, palletized consumer goods, and the like, is not hazardous material and is not placarded, so it does not require a hazmat endorsement. Many contract and relay routes move exactly this kind of non-hazmat freight, which is why a hazmat endorsement is often not needed.
When you would need the endorsement
What triggers the requirement:
| Situation | Hazmat endorsement? |
|---|---|
| Placarded hazardous materials | Yes, the H endorsement |
| Ordinary non-hazmat freight | No |
| Mixed loads with placarded hazmat | Yes |
| A CDL-class vehicle itself | Depends on vehicle, separate from hazmat |
Placarded hazmat drives the H endorsement requirement. Confirm with the carrier and your state.
Do not forget the vehicle question
Whether you need a CDL at all depends on the vehicle class (weight rating and configuration), which is separate from the hazmat question. The hazmat endorsement is an add-on for carrying hazardous materials. So there are really two questions: does the vehicle require a CDL, and does the cargo require the hazmat endorsement.
How to find out and verify
Check what your specific loads actually contain and whether any are placarded hazardous materials, and confirm the vehicle class you are driving. This site is a study tool and does not assign requirements, so confirm exactly what license and endorsements your work needs with the carrier, your state licensing authority, and the regulations.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a contract delivery driver need a hazmat endorsement?
- Only if the loads include placarded hazardous materials. Then the hazmat (H) endorsement is required. Ordinary non-hazmat freight does not require it. Confirm what your specific loads contain with the carrier and your state.
- Is most general freight placarded?
- No. Most ordinary boxed parcels and palletized goods are not hazardous materials and are not placarded, so they do not require a hazmat endorsement.
- What is the difference between needing a CDL and a hazmat endorsement?
- A CDL depends on the vehicle class. The hazmat endorsement is an add-on for carrying placarded hazardous materials. They are two separate questions; confirm both for your work.