ADR transport

Dangerous goods are substances or articles that can harm people, property or the environment in transit: they may catch fire, explode, poison, burn or pollute. The category goes well beyond fuel and chemicals. Paints, aerosols, adhesives, disinfectants, batteries and lithium cells built into equipment are dangerous goods too.

International carriage of dangerous goods by road is governed by the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), developed under the UN Economic Commission for Europe. Ukraine acceded by a law in 2000, and the agreement has applied to Ukraine since 1 June 2000. In the European Union, Directive 2008/68/EC extends the same rules to domestic transport.

Annexes A and B, which hold the technical rules, are revised every two years. The requirements for a given load are therefore checked against the current edition of ADR, not against old instructions or the way the previous shipment was handled.

Each substance or group of similar substances has a UN number, a four-digit code from the UN Model Regulations. For example, UN 1203 is petrol, UN 1202 diesel fuel, UN 3480 lithium ion batteries and UN 1845 dry ice. Looking up the number in Table A of ADR chapter 3.2 gives everything needed for transport: the proper shipping name, class, packing group, labels, special provisions, permitted packaging, transport category and tunnel restriction code.

The packing group shows the degree of danger within a class:

• packing group I: high danger;
• packing group II: medium danger;
• packing group III: low danger.

The higher the danger, the stronger the packaging must be and the smaller the quantities allowed under the simplified rules. Some classes, including 1, 2 and 7, have no packing groups and use their own systems instead.

Road tunnels in ADR countries may be assigned a category from A to E. Category A has no restrictions. Category B is closed to goods that could cause a very large explosion; C adds goods that could cause a large explosion or a large toxic release; D adds goods that could cause a large fire; E restricts almost all goods that require the vehicle to be marked. The tunnel restriction code of the goods is entered in the transport document and matched against the tunnel categories on the route. A closed tunnel means a detour, with a different distance and transit time.

ADR also provides simplifications, and they are often what makes a shipment cheaper:

• Limited quantities (LQ, chapter 3.4). Small inner packagings in combination packaging, with a gross-mass limit per package. The package carries a special diamond-shaped mark and most other requirements do not apply. When a vehicle carries a large number of such packages, the transport unit is marked as well.
• Excepted quantities (EQ, chapter 3.5). Very small quantities in inner packagings, such as samples. The permitted amount is set by a code in Table A, and the package bears the excepted-quantities mark.
• Quantities per transport unit (subsection 1.1.3.6). The limit depends on the transport category of the substance. When a vehicle carries goods of different categories, they are converted by a formula and the total must not exceed 1000. Transport category 0 is never eligible. Orange plates and tunnel restrictions then do not apply, but the transport document, a fire extinguisher, basic driver training and proper stowage remain mandatory.

Whether an exemption applies is decided from the specific UN number, packaging and quantity. A mistake in that calculation turns an ordinary trip into a breach of the rules.

An ADR shipment cannot be priced without data on the goods. The price depends on:

• the class and packing group: explosives, radioactive and toxic substances need special vehicles and training;
• the mode of carriage: packages, tank or bulk, a dedicated vehicle or groupage;
• quantity and weight, and whether a simplification applies;
• the route: tunnel detours, weekend and holiday truck bans in some countries, ferry crossings;
• any need for security, escort or temperature control;
• customs procedures and the number of borders.

Transit time depends on how quickly a carrier with the right approvals is available, how long it takes to check and correct the documents, and on the traffic rules along the route. Delays most often come not from the road but from incomplete data at the start: an outdated safety data sheet, missing marks or unsuitable packaging.

The road transport of dangerous goods in Europe is governed by the ADR agreement. It covers the whole chain, not just the trip itself:

• Classification. The goods get a UN number, a proper shipping name, a hazard class and a packing group.
• Packaging. The packaging must be of a type approved for those goods and carry the matching mark.
• Marking. Packages show the UN number and hazard labels; the vehicle shows orange plates and, where required, placards.
• Loading. The rules prohibit loading incompatible classes together and require the load to be secured.
• Vehicle and crew. The vehicle carries the required equipment, and the driver holds ADR training.
• Route. Tunnel restrictions depend on the code of the goods and are taken into account in planning.
• Documents. A set of documents travels with the load for the whole trip.

Vehicle

• Orange plates of 40 × 30 cm at the front and rear, with hazard and UN numbers in defined cases.
• Fire extinguishers and an equipment kit, whose contents depend on the hazard labels of the goods.
• For EX/II, EX/III, FL and AT vehicles, a certificate of approval renewed every year.

Driver

• An ADR driver training certificate, valid for five years and tied to the permitted classes.
• Instructions in writing for an accident, in a language the crew understands.

Route

• Tunnels fall into categories A to E. The tunnel restriction code of the goods determines which ones they may pass through.

When the rules are lighter

• ADR provides exemptions: small quantities per transport unit (subsection 1.1.3.6), limited quantities (chapter 3.4) and excepted quantities (chapter 3.5). Whether one applies depends on the substance and the quantity.