The ADR transport document: what it must contain

At a roadside dangerous goods check, the first thing an officer asks for is the transport document. ADR doesn't prescribe a single form. The required details can sit on a CMR consignment note, a delivery note or a printout from the consignor's system (5.4.1.4.1). What matters is the content, and the order of the first few entries. Here's what goes in, with examples from ADR 2025.

Who prepares it, who checks it, who carries it

• The consignor hands the carrier the transport document and any other required documents (1.4.2.1.1 b).
• The carrier checks before departure that the documents are on board the transport unit (1.4.2.2.1 b).
• The driver keeps the document in the cab (8.1.2.1 a). An electronic version is allowed if the data is at least as available during the journey as it would be on paper (5.4.0.2).

Don't confuse the transport document with the instructions in writing. The instructions (5.4.3) also travel in the cab, but they're a separate document about what to do in an emergency.

You still need a transport document below the 1.1.3.6 threshold, when the vehicle runs without orange plates. Paragraph 1.1.3.6.2 lifts many duties in that case, but not carrying the document.

What the document must contain

Paragraph 5.4.1.1.1 lists the entries for every dangerous substance or article:

Item	Entry	Example
(a)	UN number preceded by the letters "UN"	UN 1202
(b)	proper shipping name, with the technical name in brackets where required	DIESEL FUEL
(c)	label model numbers, any after the first in brackets; Class 1 shows the classification code, Class 7 shows "7"	6.1 (3)
(d)	packing group where assigned, optionally preceded by "PG"	III or PG III
(e)	number and description of packages; a UN packaging code may only supplement the description	4 drums (1A1)
(f)	total quantity of each item, by volume, gross mass or net mass	800 litres
(g)	name and address of the consignor
(h)	name and address of the consignee
(i)	any declaration required by a special agreement the journey relies on
(k)	tunnel restriction code in capitals and brackets, or "(-)", when the route passes through a restricted tunnel	(D/E)

Item (j) is reserved. Where goods are delivered to several consignees who can't be identified at the start of the journey, "Delivery Sale" may replace the consignee, with the agreement of the competent authorities concerned (5.4.1.1.1 h).

Items (a), (b), (c), (d) and (k) must appear in that order, one after the other, with nothing in between unless ADR allows it. The rest can go anywhere on the document. Upper or lower case is up to you (5.4.1.1.2).

What it looks like in practice

A few typical entries, with data taken from Table A in Chapter 3.2:

• Diesel in drums: "UN 1202 DIESEL FUEL, 3, III, (D/E)", followed by something like "4 drums (1A1), 800 litres".
• Petrol: "UN 1203 PETROL, 3, II, (D/E)".
• Sulphuric acid: "UN 1830 SULPHURIC ACID, 8, II, (E)".
• Waste: "UN 1230 WASTE METHANOL, 3 (6.1), II, (D/E)". The word "WASTE" goes before the name (5.4.1.1.3.1).

When a Table A entry lists several names joined by a lower-case "or", you show only the most appropriate one (3.1.2.2). That's why "PETROL" is enough instead of "MOTOR SPIRIT or GASOLINE or PETROL".

Extra wording in special cases

• Empty uncleaned means of containment: "EMPTY, UNCLEANED" or "RESIDUE, LAST CONTAINED" before or after the description. The quantity in (f) is dropped (5.4.1.1.6.1). For empty packagings ADR allows a short form such as "EMPTY PACKAGING, 6.1 (3)" (5.4.1.1.6.2.1).
• Environmentally hazardous substances: the additional words "ENVIRONMENTALLY HAZARDOUS". Not needed for UN 3077 and UN 3082, where it's already in the name (5.4.1.1.18).
• Hot substances: a liquid at 100 °C or more, or a solid at 240 °C or more, gets the word "HOT" immediately before the name, unless the name already conveys the temperature (5.4.1.1.14).
• Loads under 1.1.3.6: the total quantity and the calculated value for each transport category go on the document (Note 1 to 5.4.1.1.1 f). That's how a checker sees why you're running without orange plates.

Language and number of copies

The document is filled in in an official language of the country of dispatch. If that isn't English, French or German, the entries also have to be in one of those three, unless agreements between the countries involved say otherwise (5.4.1.4.1). A consignment from the UK can therefore be documented in English alone.

If a consignment won't fit on one transport unit, each unit needs its own document or a copy. Separate documents are also needed for goods that can't be loaded together (5.4.1.4.2). See our guide to mixed loading for those rules.

A quick check before you set off

• The UN numbers and labels on the document match the marks on the packages.
• Every item has its packing group and quantity.
• The tunnel code is there if your route passes through a restricted tunnel. Our tunnel guide explains how to read it.
• The instructions in writing are in the cab as well.

Practise it now

Transport document questions come up regularly in the ADR exam: the order of entries, the tunnel code, the wording for waste. Our free test explains every answer and cites the paragraph. The app covers the full syllabus and works offline.

Sources

ADR 2025 (UNECE English text): 1.1.3.6.2, 1.4.2.1.1, 1.4.2.2.1, 3.1.2.2, 5.4.0.2, 5.4.1.1.1 to 5.4.1.1.18, 5.4.1.4.1, 5.4.1.4.2, 8.1.2.1. Examples from 5.4.1.1.1, 5.4.1.1.3.1 and Table A in Chapter 3.2. This guide explains the basics. When preparing a document, the wording of ADR applies.