ELDT365 › Tanker Endorsement Course › Tanker vs HAZMAT endorsement
Tanker vs HAZMAT endorsement
The Tanker (N) endorsement covers the vehicle: any tank hauling 1,000 gallons or more of liquid. The HAZMAT (H) endorsement covers the cargo: anything placarded as hazardous. Hauling fuel needs both, shown as X. Tanker requires only a knowledge test; hazmat requires FMCSA ELDT theory, a TSA background check, and a knowledge test. ELDT365 offers both courses at $20 each.
Updated October 2026 · ELDT365, listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry
Side by side
| Tanker (N) | HAZMAT (H) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is about | The vehicle: tanks over 1,000 gal total | The cargo: placarded hazardous materials |
| Federal ELDT | No | Yes, theory only |
| TSA background check | No | Yes, $86.50, fingerprints, 5-year renewal |
| State test | Knowledge test | Knowledge test |
| Behind-the-wheel | No | No |
| Time to get | Same day | 1 to 2 months (TSA) |
Which jobs need which
- Milk, water, juice, non-hazardous liquids in bulk: N only.
- Placarded hazmat in boxes, drums, or cylinders on a dry van or flatbed: H only.
- Gasoline, diesel, propane, liquid chemicals in a tank: both, X.
Tanker Endorsement Course
Online, English and Spanish, certificate on completion. No federal filing for this one.
$20
Start nowSee the course
Get them together
If there is any chance you will haul fuel, get both. Tanker adds nothing to the hazmat timeline since it is a same-day test. ELDT365 sells the hazmat theory and the tanker prep as a pair; drivers regularly buy them together for the X.
Questions drivers ask
Does X require a separate test?
No. X is what your license shows when you hold both N and H. You pass the two tests separately.
Can I get tanker first while waiting on TSA?
Yes. Many drivers pass the tanker test the same day they apply for the TSA check and add H when it clears.
Practice free before the DMV: practice test · all courses