Chemical industry
Much of the chemical industry’s output is classed as dangerous goods, so transport starts from the safety data sheet and the UN number, which in turn decide the packaging, vehicle and route.
Get a quoteWhat chemical cargo looks like
The chemical industry ships raw materials, intermediates and finished products in very different forms, from laboratory reagents in small packs to thousands of tonnes of liquid in tanks. The form of the cargo determines the type of transport, the packaging requirements and even which ADR rules apply.
| Form | Examples | Transport |
|---|---|---|
| Packaged goods: jerrycans, drums, bags | Paints, solvents, reagents, fertilisers, pigments | Curtainsider, container, groupage |
| Intermediate bulk containers (IBC) | Resins, dispersions, acids, alkalis, surfactants | Curtainsider, container |
| Liquid bulk | Solvents, acids, alcohols, liquid feedstock | Road tanker, tank container, rail tank car |
| Dry bulk | Polymer pellets, fertilisers, soda ash | Silo trailer, lined container, hopper wagon |
| Gases | Industrial gases in cylinders and tanks | Specialised vehicles |
| Non-hazardous liquids | Certain oils, glycerine, liquid additives | Tank or flexitank in a 20 ft container |
Flexitanks are used only for liquids that are not dangerous goods. Products with a hazard class need packaging or a tank approved under the rules of the mode of transport.
Classification: from the safety data sheet to the UN number
The main source of transport data is the safety data sheet (SDS). It has sixteen sections, and section 14 holds the transport information: UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group and the environmental hazard mark. Responsibility for correct classification lies with the consignor.
Classification for the market (CLP pictograms on the label) and classification for transport are separate systems. A product may carry warning pictograms and still not be dangerous goods, and vice versa. The decision is therefore based on section 14 or, where that is missing, on the ADR criteria.
- Packing group (I, II or III) shows the degree of danger and sets the packaging requirements.
- Environmentally hazardous substances with no other hazard often travel as UN 3077 (solid) or UN 3082 (liquid), class 9.
- Mixtures are classified by composition, so a change of formula means checking the classification again.
- An outdated SDS is a common source of errors: the data must match the current edition of ADR.
Packaging, tanks and vehicles
Dangerous chemicals travel only in packaging of a type tested and approved for that substance. The UN mark on the packaging shows the packing group, density and pressure it is approved for. Packaging requirements are in ADR chapter 6.1, IBCs in chapter 6.5, tanks in chapters 6.7 and 6.8. For plastic IBCs ADR limits the period of use, as a rule to five years from the date of manufacture.
The tank is chosen by the tank code from ADR Table A, which sets the calculation pressure, filling and discharge arrangements and safety devices. FL vehicles (for flammable liquids) and AT vehicles carry a certificate of approval renewed every year.
- Tank cleaning. After discharge the tank is cleaned, and a cleaning document confirms that the previous product will not contaminate the next. The European Cleaning Document (ECD) is widely used in the industry.
- Empty uncleaned packaging remains subject to ADR just like full packaging until it is cleaned.
- Securing. IBCs and drums are secured so the load cannot shift under braking or in bends.
Compatibility and loading rules
Chemicals seldom travel as a single product, and mixed loads carry their own risk. ADR prohibits loading certain classes together in one transport unit (7.5.2.1) and requires toxic and infectious substances to be kept apart from foodstuffs and animal feed (7.5.4).
Beyond the ADR prohibitions there is chemical incompatibility, shown in section 10 of the SDS. Acids and alkalis, oxidisers and organic materials, and water-reactive substances should not be placed side by side even where the transport rules formally allow it. Loading includes:
- checking classes and labels against the mixed loading table;
- checking that packaging is intact and correctly marked;
- placing heavy packages at the bottom and closing open gaps;
- fitting orange plates and, where required, placards.
Temperature control and special properties
Some organic peroxides (class 5.2) and self-reactive substances (class 4.1) decompose when heated. For them ADR sets a control temperature and an emergency temperature, and they travel under temperature control (insulation, coolant or a refrigeration unit, depending on the control temperature) with regular temperature monitoring (7.1.7). Exceeding the control temperature triggers the measures prepared for that case.
Other products are sensitive to cold: they freeze, crystallise or separate. In winter they travel in heated tanks, insulated containers or with thermal covers on the IBCs. Class 4.3 substances give off flammable gases in contact with water, so tight packaging and a dry load space are critical.
Regulatory requirements: REACH, CLP, precursors, dual use
Chemicals are subject not only to transport rules but also to market rules. These must be checked before shipment, because a breach surfaces at customs or at the consignee.
- REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006): the EU manufacturer or importer registers substances brought in at one tonne or more per year. A non-EU manufacturer can act through an only representative.
- CLP (Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008) sets classification and labelling of chemicals on the EU market.
- Drug precursors: trade between the EU and third countries is governed by Regulation (EC) No 111/2005; in Ukraine, precursors are also under separate control.
- Dual-use chemicals appear on the control list of Regulation (EU) 2021/821; in Ukraine their export is controlled by the State Service of Export Control.
Chemicals by sea, rail and air
Each mode has its own dangerous goods rules: the IMDG Code at sea, RID on EU railways and Annex 2 to SMGS on the 1520 mm network, the ICAO Technical Instructions and IATA DGR in the air. In a multimodal shipment the cargo must meet the rules of every leg, and the strictest of them sets the packaging and marking for the whole route.
For the sea leg, the container is packed in line with the Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code), and the shipper provides the verified gross mass (VGM): since 1 July 2016 no packed container is loaded on a ship without it. Marine pollutants carry their own mark. By air, chemicals fly with quantity limits per package, and some substances are allowed only on cargo aircraft.
How the work is organised and what the customer provides
Chemical transport is planned from the product data. ETIKO organises the work in this order:
- Receiving the current safety data sheet and data on packaging, quantity and weight.
- Checking the classification, packing group and special provisions of ADR, IMDG or RID.
- Choosing the mode and vehicle: curtainsider, tanker, tank container, reefer.
- Checking the route: tunnel restrictions, transit country requirements, border crossings.
- Checking the carrier’s documents: certificate of approval, driver training, tank cleaning document.
- Preparing the dangerous goods transport document, instructions in writing, CMR and customs documents.
- Loading with a compatibility check, securing and marking.
- Delivery, discharge or unloading, and return of empty packaging or the tank for cleaning.
The customer provides the current SDS, UN number, type and number of packages, gross and net weight, temperature requirements, addresses and loading and unloading conditions, and whether empty packaging is returned.
What drives cost and risk
Chemical transport is priced from the same elements as an ordinary trip, but each one depends on the product’s properties. The price is affected by:
- hazard class and packing group;
- vehicle type: curtainsider, tanker, reefer, tank container;
- tank cleaning before loading and after discharge;
- the need for temperature control or heating;
- route restrictions for tunnels and transit countries;
- whether groupage is possible given compatibility;
- documentation for empty packaging on the return trip.
The main risks lie in the data, not on the road: an outdated SDS, a wrong classification, damaged or unapproved packaging, residues of the previous product in the tank. Any of these can stop the cargo at a border or in a port.
Services
Frequently asked questions
What data is needed to ship chemical products?
A current safety data sheet (SDS) is needed, especially section 14 with the UN number, class and packing group. The type and number of packages, weight, temperature requirements and loading and unloading addresses are also needed. Without this data the vehicle and route cannot be chosen.
Is a chemical with CLP pictograms always dangerous goods?
Not necessarily. Market classification under CLP and transport classification under ADR are separate systems. The answer comes from section 14 of the SDS or a check against the ADR criteria.
Can different chemicals travel in one truck?
Yes, if the ADR mixed loading table allows it and the safety data sheets show no chemical incompatibility. Toxic substances are kept apart from foodstuffs and feed. Acids and alkalis, oxidisers and organic materials are best not placed side by side.
Is REACH registration needed to supply chemicals to the EU?
Substances brought into the EU at one tonne or more per year are registered by the EU manufacturer or importer. A non-EU manufacturer can act through an only representative. This is checked before shipment because it concerns the right to sell the product on the EU market.
Does empty chemical packaging fall under ADR?
Yes, empty uncleaned packaging and tanks remain subject to ADR until they are cleaned. They are marked and documented as dangerous goods. This is taken into account when planning the return trip.
Transport request
Need a reliable logistics partner?
Tell us about your cargo — the ETIKO team will plan your route and get back to you.