ADR (dangerous goods)
ADR is the international agreement governing the carriage of dangerous goods by road, setting rules for classification, packaging, labelling, documentation, vehicles and driver training.
What is ADR (dangerous goods)?
ADR stands for Accord relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route — in English, the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road. It was signed in Geneva in 1957 under the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and entered into force in 1968; the word 'European' was dropped from its English title in 2021 to reflect its global reach. The technical annexes are updated every two years, and within the EU, Directive 2008/68/EC applies the same rules to domestic road transport.
ADR sorts dangerous goods into nine classes — 1 explosives, 2 gases, 3 flammable liquids, 4 flammable solids, 5 oxidising substances and organic peroxides, 6 toxic and infectious substances, 7 radioactive material, 8 corrosives and 9 miscellaneous — and identifies each substance by a four-digit UN number. The UN number drives everything else: packaging, labels, orange plates, tunnel restrictions and the transport document, which lists the UN number, proper shipping name, label, packing group, tunnel restriction code and quantity. Look up any number with the free ADR UN number lookup.
Drivers carrying dangerous goods above the small-load thresholds need an ADR driver training certificate, commonly called the ADR licence or ADR card. A TMS supports ADR operations by storing drivers' certificates and expiry dates, flagging ADR goods on the order, respecting tunnel codes in routing and attaching the required documents to the trip.
Frequently asked questions
What does ADR stand for?
ADR comes from the French title Accord relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route: the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road. Until 2021 its English title began with 'European'.
What is an ADR certificate?
The ADR driver training certificate — the ADR licence or ADR card — proves that a driver has completed approved dangerous-goods training and passed the exam. The basic course covers packaged goods; specialisation courses add tank transport, class 1 explosives and class 7 radioactive material. The certificate is valid for five years and is renewed with a refresher course and exam, which can be taken in the year before it expires.
Who needs an ADR licence?
Drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods above the small-load thresholds of ADR 1.1.3.6 — for example more than 1,000 kg or litres of transport category 3 goods — and drivers of tank vehicles carrying dangerous goods. Below the thresholds no certificate is needed, but the driver still needs general awareness training and the vehicle must carry a 2 kg fire extinguisher.
How often does ADR change?
The agreement's annexes are amended every two years, with each new edition taking effect on 1 January of an odd year and a transition period in which the previous edition may still be used. Check the edition in force for the goods you carry, and your UN numbers in the UN number lookup.
See ADR (dangerous goods) in a real TMS
Transportial puts these concepts to work in one operational platform — planning, tracking, documents, and finance.