Transport documents & paperwork

You must carry a transport document for the dangerous goods. It describes what is on board in a set order: UN number, proper shipping name, hazard labels/class, packing group, tunnel code, and the number and type of packages plus total quantity. This lets anyone — including the emergency services — quickly see what they are dealing with. The information must be accurate and match what is actually loaded.

Order: UN number, proper shipping name, class/label, packing group, tunnel code.

The carrier must give the crew 'instructions in writing' — a standard four-page document in a language each crew member can read. It tells you what to do in an accident or emergency: actions for the whole crew, the extra personal and general equipment to carry, and the specific dangers and actions for each hazard class. Keep it handy in the cab so you can act fast.

Standard 4-page document, same wording across ADR countries.

Each crew member must carry photo ID during the carriage (for security reasons). The driver must hold a valid ADR driver training certificate covering the goods being carried and have it available to show on inspection. The certificate is valid for five years and is renewed by passing a refresher course and exam.

Carry photographic ID during transport (security requirement).

The consignor (the customer sending the goods) is responsible for getting the dangerous-goods description right on the transport document. The carrier (your employer) checks the document is correct before transport. As the driver you do the final 'is this the load I'm seeing?' check. If the description is missing a UN number, the packing group is blank, the tunnel code is missing or the quantity doesn't match the boxes on the truck, raise it — don't drive until it's fixed. The driver isn't expected to redo the classification, just to spot obvious mismatches.

Consignor writes the document; carrier checks; driver verifies match.

Some small inner-packagings travel under simpler rules: Limited Quantity (LQ) uses the black-and-white diamond LQ mark and means the full orange plates and a lot of equipment aren't needed (if the LQ thresholds in column 7a of Table A are respected). Excepted Quantity (EQ) is even smaller and uses the EQ mark — paperwork is again simpler. The transport document for LQ goods carries the words 'DANGEROUS GOODS IN LIMITED QUANTITIES' or the LQ statement and the total gross mass. You still treat the goods sensibly — they are still dangerous — but the rules step down.

LQ = black/white diamond mark (5.2.1.10) — simpler rules, no orange plates needed.

If your load also travels by sea or air either side of the road leg, the consignor often provides a multimodal dangerous-goods form (the 'DGD' or IMDG/IATA equivalent) instead of, or alongside, the ADR transport document. Read across to find: UN number, proper shipping name, class, PG and tunnel code (ADR), plus IMDG/IATA stowage info for the next mode. On the road leg the ADR rules apply — ignore mode-specific marks if they aren't valid for road (e.g. some IMDG-only marks). When in doubt ask the DGSA before driving.

Multimodal DGD often used for sea/air road combos — still ADR-compliant on road.