Most drivers need ADR initial training: the core module plus the classes they will carry. Drivers who already hold a valid ADR card need refresher training before it expires, every five years. Tanker is an extra specialisation for drivers carrying dangerous goods in tanks rather than packages. Staff who handle dangerous goods without driving them, and drivers carrying loads below the ADR threshold, need dangerous goods training for their role rather than the full driver card.
Four course names, four different situations. Booking the wrong one wastes a training day at best, and at worst leaves a driver unable to take the work they were trained for. The table below gives you the short answer. The rest of this guide explains each route, what happens if your card lapses, and what the rules say about training online. If you already know what you need, our ADR training courses in Wigan list the next dates.
In this article
ADR course types at a glance
| Course | Who it is for | What it gives you | When you need it again |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | Drivers with no ADR card, or whose card has already expired | An ADR card covering the classes and carriage type you trained and passed for | A refresher before the card's five year expiry |
| Refresher | Drivers holding a valid, unexpired ADR card | A further five years on the classes already on your card | Another refresher before the next expiry |
| Tanker | Drivers carrying dangerous goods in fixed tanks, tank containers or tank swap bodies | Tank carriage added to your card, alongside or instead of packages | Renewed with your ADR refresher |
| Dangerous Goods Awareness | Staff whose job involves dangerous goods without driving them, including office and phone roles, and drivers carrying loads below the ADR threshold | Dangerous goods training for the role, how to work out the ADR threshold for the products moved, and a certificate | When the rules or the person's duties change |
ADR initial training
Initial training is what you take the first time you qualify to carry dangerous goods by road, or when a previous card has expired and you have to start again. It is built from a compulsory core module covering the rules that apply to every ADR journey, then either the packages route or the tanks route, then the class modules for the goods you will actually carry. A driver moving fuel needs a different set of modules from one moving industrial chemicals, so the course is put together around your work rather than sold as one fixed package.
Each module ends in an exam, sat in person at an approved centre. Qualifications Scotland runs the ADR exam and card scheme on behalf of the Department for Transport. Pass, and you are issued an ADR Driver Training Certificate, the photo card most drivers call an ADR licence, valid for five years. You must carry it whenever you drive under ADR.
At Submatter, ADR training starts from £420 per delegate plus VAT, and the final price depends on the modules you take. Our guide to the ADR licence, the nine classes and what it costs covers the full cost picture, including replacement cards and resits.
ADR refresher training
Refresher training renews the card you already hold. It is not initial training from scratch, and it covers the classes and carriage type already on your card. GOV.UK sets out the timing rules:
- You can start refresher training up to one year before your current card expires.
- Pass within that year and your new card runs for five years from the expiry date of your current one, so renewing early does not cost you any time.
- You must complete the refresher exam at least two weeks before your card expires.
- If you fail, you can resit within 16 weeks without repeating the training.
The rule that catches drivers out is what happens after expiry. Once your card has lapsed, the refresher route is closed. You have to take the full training and every exam again, exactly as if you were qualifying for the first time. A shorter renewal course becomes a full initial course simply because the window was missed, so put your expiry date in the diary a year ahead and book early.
ADR tanker training
Tanker is a specialisation rather than a separate qualification. It applies to drivers carrying dangerous goods in fixed tanks, tank containers or tank swap bodies, as opposed to packages such as drums, cylinders, boxes or IBCs. It is taken as part of your ADR course, and your card records whether you are qualified for tanks, packages or both, so an enforcement officer can see straight away what you are allowed to carry.
At Submatter, the tanks module adds £80 to the cost of your ADR course. Tanker work is most common in fuel and bulk chemical haulage. If you will be loading at a fuel terminal, you will also need a Petroleum Driver Passport, which sits alongside your ADR tanker qualification rather than replacing it.
Dangerous goods training for staff and drivers below the threshold
This is the course employers most often miss, because it is not the ADR driver qualification. ADR, which has legal force in Great Britain through the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (CDG), requires training for anyone whose job involves dangerous goods, not only drivers carrying loads above the threshold. That covers two groups of people.
Staff who handle the goods but do not drive
That includes staff who pack, load and unload dangerous goods, the people who prepare the transport documents and labels, and staff whose part in the job happens at a desk or on the phone, such as taking orders or arranging consignments. Until they are trained, they may only do that work under the direct supervision of someone who is.
Drivers carrying dangerous goods below the ADR threshold
Many drivers, often in vans, carry dangerous goods in amounts small enough to fall under the small load exemption. They do not need the full ADR driver card, but ADR and CDG still require dangerous goods training for the driver, with a record kept, along with a 2 kg dry powder fire extinguisher or equivalent on the vehicle and the goods stowed properly. The threshold is not one fixed number. It depends on the product, its transport category and how much of it is on board, and mixed loads have to be added up. Get it wrong and the driver is carrying a load that needs a fully qualified ADR driver. Our guide to who needs an ADR licence sets out the threshold table.
For both groups, the training has three parts: general awareness of how the dangerous goods rules work, training specific to the person's role, and safety training matched to the risks of that role. Employers must keep records of it and refresh it as the rules change.
Our Dangerous Goods Awareness course, part of our Driver CPC programme, is built for both groups and issues a certificate. It shows staff and drivers how to work out the threshold for the products they move and when the full ADR rules apply. For anyone who handles dangerous goods day to day, or signs off consignments as a transport or logistics manager, the full ADR course is best practice rather than a legal requirement.
Separately, many businesses that consign, carry, pack, load or unload dangerous goods must appoint a Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser, with limited exemptions. That is a named role for one person, and it does not replace training for everyone else involved.
Which ADR classes should you take?
That depends on what your work involves. As a starting point, general haulage most often needs Class 3 (flammable liquids), Class 8 (corrosives) and Class 9 (miscellaneous dangerous goods), with Class 2 added where gas cylinders are involved. Fuel distribution centres on Class 3, usually with the tanks module. Bulk chemical haulage tends to need a wider mix of classes, again often with tanks. Classes 1 (explosives) and 7 (radioactive material) are separate specialist modules.
Treat this as a guide, not a substitute for checking what your operation actually carries. Our guide to the nine ADR classes gives everyday examples for each one, and if you are still unsure, call us and we will work it out with you before you book.
Can you do ADR training online?
Not fully, and never the exam. ADR exams are always sat in person at an approved centre and must be invigilated. A temporary Department for Transport authorisation currently allows approved providers to deliver some theory training remotely, and it ends on 31 December 2026.
Submatter runs all of its ADR training face to face at our Wigan centre. The class time is where most questions get answered, and it means you train and sit your exams in one place. If you see a course advertised as a fully online ADR qualification with no in-person exam, check it carefully before you pay.
Does ADR count towards your Driver CPC?
It can, as an optional extra. When you book an ADR course with Submatter you can add Driver CPC periodic training hours at £20 per seven hour day, up to 28 hours across the training days. Those hours count towards the 35 hours of periodic training you need every five years, and we arrange the certificates and register the hours after the course. If you have already completed some periodic training, tell us when you book and we will add only what you need. For the rest of your hours, see our Driver CPC periodic training courses.
Ready to book the right ADR course?
Our training centre at 11 Beecham Court, Wigan, is just off junction 25 of the M6 and takes drivers from across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Cumbria. Check ADR course dates and book online, call 07513 683932, or send us a message if you are not sure which course your drivers or staff need, and we will talk it through with you.
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ADR course FAQs
What is the difference between ADR initial and refresher training?
Initial training is for drivers qualifying for the first time, or whose card has expired. It covers the core module, the packages or tanks route and the classes you need. Refresher training renews a card that is still valid, covers the classes already on it, and can be started up to a year before expiry.
When should I book my ADR refresher?
In the final year before your card expires. Passing within that year gives you five years from your current expiry date, and the refresher exam must be completed at least two weeks before expiry. If your card lapses first, you have to take the full initial course again.
Do I need ADR tanker training?
Yes, if you carry dangerous goods in fixed tanks, tank containers or tank swap bodies. No, if you only carry them in packages such as drums, cylinders or IBCs. Fuel and bulk chemical haulage are the most common reasons drivers add the tanks module.
Do warehouse staff need an ADR licence?
No. Staff who handle, load or document dangerous goods without driving them, including office and phone roles, do not need the ADR driver card, but they do need role-specific dangerous goods training before they take on those duties. The full ADR course is best practice for anyone handling these goods day to day.
Do I need ADR training if my load is below the threshold?
Not the full ADR driver card, if the load is within the small load limits. You still need dangerous goods training for your role, with a record kept, and the vehicle must carry a 2 kg dry powder fire extinguisher or equivalent. Whether a load is below the threshold depends on the product and how much of it you carry, and our Dangerous Goods Awareness course shows you how to work it out.
Which ADR classes do most drivers take?
Classes 3, 8 and 9 cover most general haulage work, with Class 2 added for gas cylinders. Fuel and chemical work usually adds the tanks module. The right mix depends on what you carry, so it is worth checking with your training provider before you book.
Can I do my ADR training online?
Not fully. ADR exams are always sat in person at an approved centre. Some theory can currently be delivered remotely under a temporary authorisation that ends on 31 December 2026. Submatter delivers all ADR training face to face in Wigan.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Become a qualified dangerous goods (ADR) vehicle driver
- GOV.UK: Staying qualified as an ADR driver
- GOV.UK: Find an ADR training course
- HSE: Carriage of dangerous goods, crew and vehicle
- HSE: Carriage of dangerous goods, main exemptions
- HSE: ADR and Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers
- Department for Transport: Remote delivery of dangerous goods driver training authorisation
