An ADR course can comprises of a total of up to 12 modules, but is customisable to a person or company’s requirements.
The 12 modules are called:
001 Core
002 Tanks
003 Packs
004 UN Class 1 (Explosives)
005 UN Class 2 (Gases)
006 UN Class 3 (Flammable Liquids)
007 UN Class 4 (Other Flammables)
008 UN Class 5 (Oxidisers and Organic Peroxides)
009 UN Class 6 (Toxic and Infectious)
010 UN Class 7 (Radioactives)
011 UN Class 8 (Corrosives)
012 UN Class 9 (Other dangerous goods not fitting the criteria of Classes 1 - 8)
The minimum requirement for a person to obtain an ADR Card is:
Core + Tanks or Packs + at least one of the UN Classes
For example, if you want to deliver gas cylinders, all that’s needed is Core, Packs and UN Class 2
Another example: A petrol tanker driver needs a minimum of Core, Tanks and UN Class 3
The commonest combination is Core, Packs and UN Classes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 which gives a general qualification to carry most dangerous goods in packages. Packages are: Drums, boxes, crates, IBCs, jerricans and gas cylinders.
Some people add the tanker module to the above, which then allows the driver to carry the same UN Classes in a tank.
For now, and deliberately avoiding the many possible technical definitions, you need the Tanks module to carry dangerous goods in:
A tanker vehicle >1,000 L carrying capacity that has the tank permanently attached to it, AND/OR
An ISO tank container >3,000 L carrying capacity.