Corporal Benjamin Coleman would absolutely describe his job as toxic — but not in the way you might think. For the past 12 years, he’s been a specialist with the State Transport Police’s HAZMAT Team, the final chapter in what has been a 26-year law enforcement career with the Department of Public Safety.
“I’m terrible at remembering dates,” he said. “But when you like your job so much, the dates don’t really matter. I didn’t get up in the morning and go, ‘Man, I have to go to work.’ No, I think with STP, it’s always something different. It’s been an adventure, really.”
Coleman was working long hours in a local textile mill when his father’s friend, Highway Patrol Sergeant Jimmy Shay, piqued his interest in law enforcement. He began exploring career opportunities in the field, eventually landing a position as an officer with the Bureau of Protective Services in 1998.
After three years with BPS, Coleman made a career switch and transferred to the State Transport Police.
“I like getting my hands dirty,” Coleman said. “With STP, I can do that by inspecting trucks and other commercial vehicles. I love the challenges that come along with the job.”
While working with STP, Coleman joined the HAZMAT/Level VI Team, which was formed in 2013 under retired Colonel Leroy Taylor. It was a niche that fascinated Coleman, who enjoys consulting books, learning about the properties of different chemicals and substances, and ensuring they are transported safely. For many years, he was STP’s main HAZMAT specialist inspecting commercial motor vehicles for hazardous materials, radiation, and mechanical defects.
“In one region, you may have an officer who likes to work with hand scales and weigh trucks all the time,” Coleman said. “You may have another that likes to handle traffic. My thing is HAZMAT inspections. That’s what I like to do.”
STP’s HAZMAT unit is a team of highly trained officers who evaluate hazardous materials as well as performing Level VI inspections, which involves taking samples from a package containing radioactive materials. This ensures that commercial vehicles traveling through South Carolina meet federal and state safety regulations.
“You’d be surprised by what comes up and down our roads all the time,” Coleman said. “The worst cases I’ve seen involve mechanical issues. Sometimes you’ll come across gas tankers with dysfunctional brakes. Each truck carrying radioactive materials must be completely defect-free in order to leave our inspection site.”
Coleman’s expertise has opened up many doors for him, including opportunities to travel across the country and sharpen his skills through commercial hazardous material training. His travels have led him down into mines and nuclear testing areas such as the Nevada National Security Site.
“The training is like a conference for us HAZMAT geeks,” Coleman chuckled. “STP has sent me places that only a handful of people could ever go, and those will be memories that'll last a long time.”
After more than 26 years of law enforcement service, Coleman recently made the decision to retire. Following his departure, he plans to open a dog boarding facility with his friend, who is also a retired police officer.
Coleman credits not only his adventures on the road, but also his fellow officers, for making his career with STP so memorable — and for being there for him on the good days and the bad ones.
“Over the course of this job, I lost my brother and both my parents,” he said. “Whenever I needed time off or anything, I was always told, ‘We’ve got it. Don’t worry about it.’ It’s really just a tight-knit family here. And that’s what I’m going to miss — the friends and the family atmosphere.”
