What ADR means
ADR is the European agreement on carrying dangerous goods by road. The name comes from its French title, and it is the rulebook that hauliers across Europe work to. In Great Britain the same requirements apply through the Carriage of Dangerous Goods regulations.
The rules cover how dangerous goods are classified, packaged and labelled, what the vehicle must carry, and how the driver must be trained. Their purpose is to make sure that if something goes wrong on the road, the risk to people and the environment is kept as low as possible.
What counts as dangerous goods
ADR sorts dangerous goods into nine classes. Many are everyday commercial products, such as paints, aerosols, cleaning chemicals, fuels, gas cylinders and lithium batteries.
The nine ADR classes
- Class 1: Explosives
- Class 2: Gases
- Class 3: Flammable liquids
- Class 4: Flammable solids
- Class 5: Oxidising substances and organic peroxides
- Class 6: Toxic and infectious substances
- Class 7: Radioactive material
- Class 8: Corrosive substances
- Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous goods
What ADR requires of the haulier
- Drivers who hold an ADR training certificate for the goods being carried
- Vehicles carrying the required safety equipment, including fire extinguishers
- Orange plates and hazard markings displayed on the vehicle
- Written emergency instructions and the correct transport documents in the cab
What we need from you
- The UN number and proper shipping name of each product
- The class and packing group
- The quantity and how it is packaged
- The safety data sheet, if you have it
Before you book
Send us those details and we will confirm that we can carry your goods, what vehicle they need and the price. If you are not sure whether your product falls under ADR, send us the safety data sheet and we will help you check.
