Transport Dangerous Goods

Dangerous Goods (ADR/IMO/IATA) - Classification and Compliance

Dangerous goods rules aren't one rulebook - they're three, and they don't agree with each other. Something legal to move by road under ADR can be restricted or banned entirely under the air freight rules. Cargo Logistic Solutions manages ADR-compliant road transport across Europe and coordinates with IMO (IMDG Code) and IATA (DGR) requirements whenever a shipment moves by more than one mode.

What This Page Covers

This is the general framework for dangerous goods classification and compliance across transport modes - the UN hazard classes, documentation, placarding, and driver certification that apply regardless of industry. If you're specifically shipping industrial chemicals and want to know about tank compatibility and cleaning between chemical loads, that's covered on our Chemicals & Hazardous Materials page. Here, we cover the rules themselves: what the nine hazard classes are, what changes between road, sea, and air, and what documentation a dangerous goods shipment actually needs.

Three Rulebooks, Not One

• ADR governs road transport of dangerous goods across Europe - this is the framework our contracted fleet and drivers operate under for every hazardous shipment we carry by road.
• IMDG Code (International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code) governs sea transport, currently on Amendment 42−24 - requirements for packaging, labelling, and segregation differ from ADR in several respects.
• IATA DGR (Dangerous Goods Regulations) governs air transport, currently the 67th edition (effective 1 January 2026) - often the strictest of the three, with tighter limits than road or sea on items like lithium batteries.

If your shipment moves by more than one mode - road to a port, then sea, for example - it needs to satisfy each code separately at the relevant leg. A shipment cleared for road transport isn't automatically cleared for the ship or aircraft that follows.

The Nine UN Hazard Classes

What ADR Compliance Actually Requires

• Classification and packing group. The shipper is legally responsible for correctly classifying the substance and assigning the right packing group before it's offered for transport.
• Orange plates and placards. Vehicles carrying dangerous goods above certain thresholds must display orange hazard identification plates showing the UN number and hazard code, visible from outside the vehicle.
• Transport documents. Every ADR shipment needs a transport document stating the UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group, and quantity.
• Driver certification (ADR licence). Drivers carrying dangerous goods above the limited/excepted quantity thresholds must hold a valid ADR training certificate specific to the relevant hazard class, renewed periodically.
• Tunnel restriction codes. Certain tunnels restrict or prohibit specific ADR classes - routes need to be checked against tunnel codes before departure, not discovered mid-route.
• Limited and excepted quantities. Small quantities below ADR's limited quantity (LQ) or excepted quantity (EQ) thresholds can move under simplified rules without full placarding - this is often overlooked and can needlessly complicate a shipment that didn't need full ADR treatment.

What Affects Dangerous Goods Transport Cost

• Hazard class and quantity - full ADR loads above LQ/EQ thresholds cost more than limited-quantity shipments due to documentation and driver certification requirements.
• Multimodal compliance - shipments crossing between road, sea, and air need separate compliance checks for each code, adding coordination cost.
• Tunnel and route restrictions - some routes require longer alternatives to avoid tunnels restricted for the relevant hazard class.
• Segregation requirements - incompatible hazard classes travelling together need separate compartments or vehicles.
• Insurance - dangerous goods typically carry higher insurance costs, reflected in the quoted rate.
• Documentation complexity - multi-leg, multimodal shipments generate more paperwork than a single-mode road movement.

Why Choose Cargo Logistic Solutions for Dangerous Goods Transport

Our drivers hold ADR certification specific to the hazard classes they carry, and every shipment is checked against classification, placarding, and tunnel restrictions before it leaves the yard. Where a shipment needs to move beyond road - by sea or air - we coordinate with the relevant IMDG or IATA DGR requirements rather than assuming ADR clearance is enough. Every load is insured, and our dedicated logistics contact tracks documentation and certification so nothing is missing at a border or port. Dangerous goods is one of the core shipment types we manage alongside FTL, LTL, and temperature-controlled formats.

Shipping dangerous goods by road, sea, or air? Get a quote - we'll confirm classification, documentation, and which code applies to each leg of your shipment.