ADR is the European agreement on the carriage of dangerous goods by road. It applies to almost every petroleum consignment, because fuels and many petroleum products are Class 3 flammable liquids. If you ship fuel by road in the EU, three things must be in order before the vehicle leaves: the driver, the vehicle and the documents.

Classification decides everything

Each product has a UN number and a packing group. Petrol is UN 1203, packing group II. Diesel, gasoil and heating oil are UN 1202, packing group III. Many lubricants and base oils have a flash point above 60 °C and are not classified at all, though some additives are. The classification decides the tank code, the placards, the driver training and the quantity limits, so it is the first thing your forwarder asks for.

Driver and vehicle

The driver must hold an ADR training certificate valid for tanks or packages, as applicable. The vehicle carries orange plates front and rear, hazard placards on tanks, fire extinguishers, personal protective equipment and the written instructions in a language the driver reads. Tank vehicles are inspected and certified for the products they carry, and that certificate travels with the vehicle.

The transport document

Every ADR consignment travels with a transport document showing the UN number, proper shipping name, class, packing group and quantity, plus the consignor and consignee. In practice this information is written on the CMR consignment note or attached to it. Missing or incorrect entries are the most common reason a fuel load is stopped at a roadside check.

World Logistics Services prepares the ADR transport document for every road consignment and assigns drivers and vehicles certified for the product. Send us the product name or UN number and we confirm the rest.