The image shows an oil tanker driven by a trucker who has earned their tanker endorsement.

CDL Endorsements Explained: Hazmat, Tanker, Doubles, and Triples

November 03, 2026•6 min read

You were looking for how to make the most money as a trucker. A fellow trucker told you that CDL endorsements open doors to higher-paying routes. In fact, if you want to earn more, truckers with commercial license endorsements earn anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000 more every year than regular truckers.

As an experienced driver, your annual salary could range anywhere from $90,000 to $150,000, depending on how you choose to specialize. You earn more because you qualify for higher paying freight, better routes, more consistent schedules, or preferred accounts.

Keep reading because we will cover how each of the endorsements will impact your earnings and move you forward in your career. For every endorsement, you must pass a separate knowledge test. Some will require a skills test, fingerprinting, and a federal background check.

How CDL Endorsements Lead to Higher Paying Opportunities

CDL endorsements give you a special authorization to haul specific types of cargo. It’s one of the fastest ways to increase your earnings potential. If you want to maximize your earnings this way, look for the endorsements with the fewest qualified drivers so that it will pay more. You will support specialized freight and drive down the best routes.

The reason you earn more with endorsements have to do with the laws of supply and demand. Fewer drivers can take the loads, so the demand for that freight goes up and the pay follows. This is one of the reasons why this type of freight earns you more money.

Now, let’s take a look at the different endorsements.

Explained: Hazmat Endorsement

If you only chased one endorsement, we’d recommend you get your hazmat endorsement. Your annual earnings will increase anywhere from 15% to 35% annually over standard CDL drivers. Your standard hazmat driver earns anywhere from $57,000 to $69,000 per year. Once you get your experience, the average trucker with a hazmat endorsement earns $89,000, but you can earn up to $105,000 to $160,000 per year if you were hauling a specialized tanker load, such as fuel, cryogenic liquids, or chemicals.

There are other factors that influence pay. For example, an H endorsement covers hazardous materials. The CDL endorsements N cover tankers. For those who want the best paying jobs, you want to go hazmat and tanker (known as an X endorsement on the CDL). This is where you can take loads for fuel, chemical, and industrial gas.

It can take a few weeks to a couple of months to receive your hazmat endorsement.

Here’s what you need to receive your hazmat endorsement:

Must be 21 years or older.
Must have a CDL.
Must provide proof of being a U.S. citizen.
Must submit fingerprints and complete your application (found here).
Must pay the TSA and fingerprinting fee.
Must pass a background check with no criminal offenses or security threats.
Must complete a mandatory theory training from one of the accredited providers.
Must pass a written knowledge test with 80% or more.
Must pay the state endorsement and licensing fees.

Hazmat is considered the hardest endorsement to get with 30% to 40% failing on the first attempt. Most fail on the written exam, so you want to focus on this part.

Explained: Tanker Endorsement

Tanker drivers earn anywhere from 15% to 25% more than standard CDL holders. Starting out, you’ll earn anywhere from $65,000 to $75,000 per year. Once you get experience, you earn anywhere from $65,000 to $90,000 per year.

When you combine tanker with hazmat, it ranks as one of the best paying endorsements known as the X endorsement. Having them both will open up a lot more high-paying opportunities. The pay varies more with this one, and it can range.

The middle pay range covers food grade liquids, petroleum, local fuel delivery, and agricultural liquids. If you want the higher pay range, it covers things like crude oil, frac sand and highly corrosive chemicals.

Here’s what you need to get your tanker endorsement:

Must be 18 years old for intrastate driving or 21 years old for interstate driving.
Must have valid Class A, Class B, or Class C CDL.
Must review the tanker section from your CDL manual.
Must pass an exam at your local DMV with 80% or higher.

You don’t have to take a road test for basic tanker-only endorsement. It’s considered one of the easiest CDL endorsements to pass on the first try because it’s short, hyper-focused on general CDL knowledge, and a knowledge-only test.

Truckers tend to fail this one when they go for the Hazmat + tanker combo. Most of the time, this happens because they tried to get both at the same time. Getting an X endorsement is where you get your six-figure annual salary for local jobs, and jobs where you’ll be home every night.

Explained: Doubles or Triples Endorsement

The CDL endorsements for doubles triples lets you drive double trailers or even triple trailers. For this endorsement, you need knowledge of trailer stability, maneuvering skills, and braking systems. Now, if you want to make the most money, the doubles or triples endorsement probably won’t get you there. You’ll earn 5% to 10% more than standard CDL drivers.

Where these two endorsements would be of value come from access to more frequent home time, predictable schedules, and steady routes.

It’s one of the faster ways to bump up your earnings.

To get your doubles endorsement, you need the following:

Must hold a valid Class A or Class B CDL license.
Must complete the ELDT Theory Training.
Must pass a test of 20 questions with 80% or higher.

Getting a triples endorsement is similar to getting your doubles endorsement. Most jurisdictions won’t require a skills test. You just need to study your manual.

What are Your Thoughts?

CDL endorsements work as one of the best ways to open the door to more opportunities. If you’re an owner-operator, it will let you expand into more of the market without being locked out of valuable contracts. You can also compete for freight in a market that not everyone can compete in. If you’re a company driver, it’s one of the fastest ways to improve your earnings. Even if you’re a new trucker, you can start getting your endorsements while still in CDL school.

At Trucker Social, we’re always looking for ways that you can earn more in trucking and advance in your career. You can find high-paying jobs with endorsements on our platform. All you have to do to get started is build or update a verified driver profile.