ADR is it worth it ?

Got 3 years Class 1 experience under my belt now, and wondering whether completing my ADR is worth the financial investment, to increase my work options.I know it can give me upto 28 hrs cpc so that’s a plus. But is it worth it from a job point of view, or would Hiab or Moffat training for example be a better option. I’m sure it’s probably been asked on here before, but I can’t find it, so interested in what some of you more experienced drivers might think ?

I did mine for the CPC as you get two for one as long as its one of the training schemes thats registered for CPC (not all are).

Turned out to be useful as I got my current job via that as a lot of pallet companies need ADR drivers, but should point out that I dont get paid any more. Some jobs do of course but they tend to be specialist, eg tankers.

ADR wont get you into those jobs any quicker as many will still want driving experience. Oh and it deffo wont get you onto petrol tankers, but they are getting crap these days by sounds of things.

Ultimately, yes for CPC but no if you’re expecting to suddenly earn loads-a-money as Harry Enfield would say.

Edit: Forgot about HIAB etc. Would say ADR is an easier addon as its just driving with a little more paperwork. HIAB and Moffet require a lot of experience to get good beyond just driving.

Not sure HIAB would be worth it as loads of people do that and its very easy to go wrong. Moffet is mich more specialiswd wirk and you often find a company using those will train you. They try to kill the operator in my experience. :slight_smile:

I had adr and moffet.
Neither earned me any more money.

If you want it for your dcpc hours then it’s something to add on to the cv. But I always say, I’d rather get the right person with the right attitude and no ADR, than the wrong person with ADR. I’ve always trained.ed our drivers up.

Did it for the DCPC hours, think it was 28 in total, so only need one more “session” for the full 35.

I now get an extra £1.50 per hour regardless of ADR load or not, which soon sobers the £500 I spent doing it.

Depending on we’re you live I would only say it’s worth it if you can get on tankers. From jobs I’ve seen in the past having adr in packages is really not worth the money you will pay for the course.

I had it for 15 years on tank work, but like others I found it didn’t really bring any extra cash in. Now expired and I wouldn’t renew. I do retain the knowledge however, and it’s good to study it up if you are on general pallet work just so you can recognize what you can and can’t carry instead of relying on the sperm donor in the office saying just take it, it’ll be OK.

Thanks for the replies chaps. Looks like as a way of updating your cpc, then it’s a reasonable option, but otherwise not massively beneficial if at all, in terms of improved wages, job opportunities.

I suspect that those jobs worth chasing that pay proper, they expect and will train/test you to their standards whether you’ve already been doing the job.

Proper car transporter operators do this regardless, been off for injury long term and definately with new starters even if long experienced, they’ll put you with a trainer to make sure you’re up to speed and doing it their way, no different on tanks, yes you’ll get a compressed re-training schedule but you will be trained and have to show the trainer you can do the job to their standards.

I certainly wouldn’t bother doing ADR or learning or providing any other skills to the company for free, it would either pay me to do so, or maybe at a push if it got me in at a more normal job literally a stroll from my gaff so paid me in another way, ie one car less zero travelling costs.

I’ve done the full ADR course twice before and both times I never used it, would I do it again? … only if a potential employer put me through it

Don’t do it. There’s no more money in it. At XPO its a bonus at Christmas which works out at about 5p an hour.
All you get is more grief.
Those orange boards just scream at VOSA or the police to pull you over and find a way of parting you from your money. It’s not like there’s a shortage of jobs out there.
Sod em.

Just to add a bit of positivity, I picked up 2 ADR jobs that were right place, right time things. If I didn’t have the ticket they would of been filled by others that did.
BUT I only did the course because it was on offer at the time and I got my CPC hours.
In fact it was a waste to begin with, like others have said, plenty of firms want packages but with out paying any more for it…how ever if your dream job comes along but you don’t have the ticket?
Of course the biggest factor in this are there any decent ADR firms anywhere near you?

Got my ADR after leaving the military. Was told that it was where the big money was at.

Somewhat true if you can get into the fuel tankers. But it’s a very competitive job.
Hauliers like Sutton’s advertise a handsome wage, but I’ve seen some displeased employees on here.

There are more Class 2 ADR jobs, Gas canister and such, but they pay about the same as normal Class 1.

Agency wise, I’ve been offered plenty of jobs in ADR vans (Hazardous waste), but the pay is around £9~ p/h
Best job I have been offered with ADR was tramping, which was at a fixed £14 p/h. But that’s fairly rare.

Basically, unless you have a goal in mind (like getting into fuel), I wouldn’t bother.

peirre:
I’ve done the full ADR course twice before and both times I never used it, would I do it again? … only if a potential employer put me through it

Agreed. My ADR ran out about 15 years ago, didn’t get paid any extra for having it, loads of grief on boats, arguments about when you could leave Transmarck (fridge haz) etc.

If an employer put me through it and it suited me, then yeah, but I feel there are still people thinking “HIAB, ADR, XYZ and I’ll be the most employable agency man of eVar”.

Nah.