What is ADR transport and what obligations does the company have?
ADR is the European agreement on the international road transport of dangerous goods. If you carry fuels, gases, corrosive substances or paints, you fall under the ADR regime. Below you see what the company, the driver and the vehicle must have.
Short answer
- ADR is the European agreement governing road transport of dangerous goods, organised by hazard class.
- A company that packs, loads, consigns, carries or unloads dangerous goods designates at least one safety adviser.
- The safety adviser draws up an annual report to management on the ADR activity.
- Each crew member holds an ADR certificate matching the goods carried, valid for 5 years.
- The vehicle carries orange plates, hazard labels and the safety equipment required by the agreement.
What the law says (in brief)
- Driver and safety adviser ADR certificates are issued in Romania by the Romanian Road Authority.
- The certificates are recognised in all EU member states and in the states party to the ADR agreement.
- The driver must hold a driving licence with a minimum seniority at the date the ADR certificate is issued.
- The psychological clearance for the ADR driver and for the safety adviser is valid for one year.
- The ADR transport document must state the UN number, the name, the class, the packing group and the quantity.
Practical example
Example: a company carries solvent-based paints, class 3, in palletised cans. It needs a designated safety adviser, a driver with a class 3 ADR certificate, orange plates, compliant fire extinguishers and the intervention kit. The transport document states the UN number of the product and the total quantity, and the quantity determines whether the full regime or the limited-quantity regime applies.
Common mistakes
- Assuming you do not need a safety adviser because you only load the goods without carrying them.
- Sending a driver with an ADR certificate for a class other than the goods actually carried.
- Forgetting the annual safety adviser report, which is requested at inspections.
- Not checking the validity of extinguishers and intervention equipment before the trip.
- Mixing goods from incompatible classes in the same vehicle.
How 4transports helps
- On each trip you note the cargo type and weight, so you see which trips carry dangerous goods.
- You can note the driver's ADR certificate in their record; 4transports does not send automatic alerts.
- Safety equipment checks can be recorded as maintenance jobs on the vehicle.