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What is an ADR licence?
Anyone who is planning on driving a vehicle carrying dangerous goods must, by law, obtain and hold a valid ADR licence. An ADR licence is the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road, which most European countries have signed up to, each country that complies with ADR has introduced its own safety precautions through its national legislation.
ADR ensures that dangerous goods transported by road can pass over international borders freely. As long as the cargo, vehicles and drivers all comply with its rules and regulations. A driver can remain compliant by ensuring they have a valid and up-to-date ADR licence.
ADR Training
9 ADR classes require training for you to be able to transport these specific types of dangerous goods.
The classes are as follows:
- Class 1 (Explosives)
- Class 2 (Gases)
- Class 3 (Flammable Liquids)
- Class 4 (Flammable Solids)
- Class 5 (Oxidising Agents)
- Class 6 (Toxics)
- Class 7 (Radioactives)
- Class 8 (Corrosives)
- Class 9 (Miscellaneous)

All of these classes are available for you to complete here at 2 Start Training. All of our ADR training courses are classroom-based and are conducted in immaculate classroom facilities, giving our students a private and distraction-free space to complete their training and take their paper based exams.
The different types of ADR courses we offer include:
- ADR Individual Classes Only (choose from one class and packages or tanks)
- ADR Multiple Class training
- Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA)
ADR Certification
Once you have completed your ADR Training, you will then hold an ADR licence. Your licence will be valid for up to five years, at which point you will need to complete an ADR refresher course to remain compliant.
There is a huge demand for ADR drivers, and with the nationwide driver shortage, salaries and job offers are better than ever, so don’t miss out on this great opportunity and gain your ADR licence now!
What is ADR?
An ADR licence is the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road, which most European countries have signed up to, each country that complies with ADR has introduced its own safety precautions through its national legislation.
ADR regulations and training are designed to make sure that dangerous goods can be safely transported by road, and transporting them is only performed by competent and ADR-compliant drivers and vehicles.
The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) has been around since 1968 and is overseen by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It is reviewed every two years to ensure that it still applies to new advances in technology and is strictly policed.
Most European countries are signed up to ADR and will implement their own safety measures through national legislation, which must be obeyed when crossing into or through those countries.
The introduction of the ADR vocational licence for drivers of hazardous goods provided the logistics industry a compliance level that would transform the safety of transporting such goods and is thought to have helped to save many lives since its inception.
Our ADR instructors provide you with an easy-to-understand approach to each ADR topic and provide a training approach that has seen high pass rates with our students.
What ADR components do we offer?
We offer the following ADR components:
- ADR Class 2 (gases), Class 3 (flammable liquids), Class 4 (flammable solids), Class 5 (oxidising agents), Class 6 (toxics), Class 8 (corrosives) and Class 9 (miscellaneous)
- Core, packages and tanks
- Class 1 (explosives)
- Class 7 (radioactive materials)
- Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor training (DGSA)
These courses will enable you to transport dangerous goods safely and to identify any practices that could lead to unsafe circumstances. If you need more information on which level training you need, our team are able to advise you on taking the correct ADR training course.
Who needs ADR training?
First and foremost, ADR training is a legal requirement for those impacted by its coverage.
Although it is believed that only those who transport goods by road need to complete ADR training, this is not true.
Anyone who's involved in the process will need to complete some form of ADR training, which can include those who package hazardous substances and the forklift drivers who transport the goods from the warehouse to the truck, to name a few.
What is the difference between packages and tanks?
Packages ADR Training:
Candidates who opt to complete ADR training in packages will only be able to transport hazardous goods within packages, such as carrying a load containing boxes of batteries.
Tanks ADR Training:
Candidates who complete ADR training in tanks will only be able to transport hazardous goods in tanks such as diesel tankers transporting fuel to petrol stations.
You will need to complete both packages and tanks training to be able to transport both.
What is the purpose of ADR training?
Our ADR training courses are designed to ensure that all of our students receive the knowledge and skills that they need to safely transport dangerous goods and to identify any practices that could lead to unsafe situations. Those who successfully pass their ADR training course will receive their certification which will enable them to transport dangerous goods by road (that is specific to the course they have completed).
ADR driving is a highly specific field of logistical transportation; therefore, it is vital that delegates have the correct ADR licence and training for the type of hazardous substances that they are planning on driving/transporting.
We provide a number of ADR licence courses.
Our training facilities
Those candidates who wish to complete their ADR training at one of our training sites will have access to industry-leading training facilities. Our ADR classes are taught in our fully equipped and air-conditioned classrooms, giving our students a dedicated and undisturbed space to complete their learning.
Additionally, our our depots are home to an arsenal of immaculate training vehicles, all of which are automatic and air-conditioned. We also have dedicated on-site reversing facilities where our students can practice their reversing manoeuvres.
How do I get an ADR certificate?
Obtaining your ADR certification, which often gets referred to as an ADR licence, is straight forward but does require you to really understand the subject matter.
Our ADR certification training courses at 2 Start cover ADR Classes 1 through to 9 and depending on which subject you are covering, once you successfully complete all the needed ADR topics, you will understand the ADR requirements for the driver, the vehicle and the goods being transported.
The supporting books, famously known as the ADR “Orange Books” are released every 2 years and go into full detail of each topic and its sub-topics that your ADR vocational certification requires you to know.
To obtain your ADR vocational certification you must complete the required ADR Classes for the type of hazardous goods you will be transporting, this can range from our single ADR courses that cover Explosives (Class 1), Radioactive (Class 7) for example, through to our full ADR Classes 1-9 course.
To gain your certification, you will need to pass a training course at a registered centre, such as 2 Start Ltd, ensuring that the course you have taken covers everything you will need for future transport loads. To help with this, we have arranged different packages available.
You must get your certification before you transport any dangerous goods by road. The certification is valid for five years and must be renewed before continuing to drive.
How long does an ADR certificate last?
An ADR licence is valid for up to 5 years, by which point you will be required to carry out an ADR licence renewal or refresher course. In order to remain compliant, you will need valid adr certification.
Carrying a valid ADR card is a legal requirement.
2 Start would recommend you undertake your retraining to remain compliant with the ADR regulations at least 2 months (6-8 weeks) before your expiration date to allow for your new card to arrive in time. However, you can begin to refresh your ADR training within the last 12 months before your ADR cards expiration date.
It is important for you to remain compliant so that you can keep up to date with new technology and legislative changes that could have occurred since you gained your licence. Furthermore, it will help increase the safety of you and those around you when transporting hazardous goods by road.
Where can I complete my ADR training?
We have ADR training courses available for you to book online now at all 4 of our training depots. This includes locations in Portsmouth, Southampton, Reading and Worthing, giving us good coverage of the surrounding areas including Hampshire, Berkshire and West Sussex regions.
These courses will enable you to transport dangerous goods safely and to identify any practices that could lead to unsafe circumstances. If you need more information on which level training you need, our team are able to advise you on taking the correct ADR training course at our Southampton centre.
Driver ADR training certificates required under ADR
Under the European Agreement on ADR, drivers of vehicles with tanks and certain tank components, and some drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods in packages, must hold a special vocational certificate, sometimes referred to informally as an ‘ADR Certificate’.
All drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods must attend an approved basic ADR training course. These courses equip drivers with information and tools so that they:
- Are aware of the hazards in the carriage of dangerous goods
- Can take steps to reduce the likelihood of an incident taking place
- Can take all necessary measures for their own safety and that of the public and the environment to limit the effects of any incident that does occur
- Have individual practical experience of the actions they will need to take
What is an ADR licence?
ADR is the abbreviation for the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road.
ADR training and moving dangerous goods by road are governed by international regulations and are strictly policed. Most European countries are signed up to the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR).
Each country that complies with ADR implements specific safety measures through its own national legislation.
The purpose of ADR is to ensure that dangerous goods (including clinical and other dangerous waste) being carried by road can cross international borders freely, as long as goods, vehicles and drivers comply with its provisions.
ADR has been in force since 1968 and is administered by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It’s updated every 2 years to take account of technological advances.
Obtaining your ADR Vocational Training is straightforward but does require you to really understand the subject matter.
Our ADR certificate training courses at 2 Start cover ADR Classes 1 through to 9 and depending on which subject you are covering, once you successfully complete all the needed ADR topics, you will understand the ADR requirements for the driver, the vehicle and the goods being transported.
The supporting books, famously known as the ADR “Orange Books” are released every 2 years and go into full detail about each topic and its sub-topics that your ADR vocational certificate requires you to know.
To obtain your ADR vocational certificate you must complete the required ADR Classes for the type of hazardous goods you will be transporting, this can range from our single ADR courses that cover Explosives (Class 1), Radioactive (Class 7) for example, through to our full ADR Classes 1-9 course.
ADR Driver Training
ADR which is the abbreviation for ‘European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road’ it was first outlined in 1957 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and then updated in April of 1985.
The introduction of the ADR vocational certificate for drivers of hazardous goods provided the logistics industry with a compliance level that would transform the safety of transporting such goods and is thought to have helped to save many lives since its inception.
Our ADR instructors provide you with an easy-to-understand approach to each ADR topic and provide a training approach that has seen high pass rates with our students.
What classes are covered in the ADR training courses?
- Class 1 – Explosives
- Class 2 – Gases
- Class 3 – Flammable Liquids
- Class 4 – Flammable solids
- Class 5 – Oxidizing agents
- Class 6 – Toxics
- Class 7 – Radioactive
- Class 9 – Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles
We offer the following types of ADR Training:
ADR Classes 2,3,4,5,6,8,9 in Core Packages & Tanks
Class 1 Explosives
Class 7 Radioactive
ADR training is available at all our branches. For more about our ADR Training courses contact the office on 02392 123555.
Are there ADR exemptions?
Transportation of hazardous goods that fall under the ADR classification does have certain exemptions which will be covered in your ADR training with 2 Start.
ADR exemptions include and take into consideration:
- Excepted Quantities
- Load Thresholds
- Limited Quantities
This is not exhaustive and is covered in-depth as part of the full training with 2 Start.
HSE provide a good overview on their website of the ADR Exemptions, which provides more detail regards the exemptions you will need to learn and understand as part of any ADR training.
Why Train with 2 Start?
Call our advisors 02392 123 555
Speak with our experienced advisors Monday - Friday 7:00am - 5:30pm