ADR transport document · Dangerous goods
The ADR transport document, digital and all in one document
For consignors and carriers of dangerous goods: a digital document that contains what chapter 5.4 of ADR requires and, in domestic transport in Spain, also serves as the DeCA, Spain’s electronic control document.
- ADR, chapter 5.4
- Domestic and international
- With the DeCA in the same document
The problem
Inspections are failed on the details
ADR does not prescribe a form: it regulates what the document must say, and that content is strictly defined. Almost everyone knows the document is required; failures come from details that are checked directly and objectively:
- 01A designation that does not match the proper shipping name.
- 02Particulars in a different order from the one the rules require, or with other data inserted between them.
- 03A missing mandatory item or a miscalculated exemption.
BlueCMR is designed so that those details do not depend on whoever fills in the document.
ADR and control document
Two obligations, one document
In domestic hire-and-reward transport of dangerous goods in Spain, two obligations of different origin apply. They are cumulative: meeting one does not exempt you from the other. What the rules do allow is combining them in the same document.
ADR transport document
Safety obligation: it identifies which dangerous goods are carried and under what conditions.
ADR, chapter 5.4
DeCA
Administrative obligation for domestic hire-and-reward transport in Spain: it must be on board, in electronic form.
Order FOM/2861/2012
If the DeCA already has to be digital, the sensible approach is for the same document to meet ADR as well, rather than running one digital flow and another on paper for the same journey.
With BlueCMR
What it solves
The official data for each substance
Identified from the UN number, without typing the classification by hand.
Particulars in their place
The document presents the chapter 5.4 particulars as the rules require.
Calculations done for you
Totals and the calculations for the quantity exemption (1.1.3.6) are worked out automatically.
Complete routes
Several collections and several deliveries in the same document.
Ready for inspection
Verification QR code, version history and electronic signature when needed.
From your system
Issue from the web, mobile or your TMS or ERP through integration.
Who it is for
Designed for those who move dangerous goods
Is your case different? Tell us about it and we will tell you frankly whether it fits. Talk to us.
- The chemical industry and its logistics operators
- Fuel and gas distribution
- Manufacturers consigning packaged dangerous goods
- Carriers with an ADR fleet
FAQ
Common questions about the ADR document
Is the ADR transport document mandatory?
Yes. ADR requires every consignment of dangerous goods to be accompanied by a transport document with specific particulars (chapter 5.4), unless the consignment is covered by one of the exemptions in ADR itself. It does not depend on whether the transport is domestic or international.
Is a separate document needed in addition to the consignment note?
Not necessarily. ADR does not prescribe a model or a format: it regulates the content. A single document can serve as consignment note, DeCA and ADR transport document, as long as it includes the particulars required by each set of rules. Carrying a single document reduces the risk of contradictions between papers.
Can it be electronic?
Yes. ADR allows the information to be processed electronically, provided that the availability of the data during transport is guaranteed with the same evidential value as on paper. In addition, in Spain the DeCA must be digital (Law 9/2025).
What must it state for each substance carried?
ADR sets strictly defined particulars for each substance —among others, the UN number, the proper shipping name, the hazard label numbers (which in most cases match the class number), the packing group and, when the route passes through tunnels with restrictions, the tunnel restriction code— and requires several of them to appear in a set order with no other data inserted between them. It also requires the number and description of the packages and the total quantity of each item of dangerous goods.
What if the transport uses the exemption for quantities carried per transport unit?
Using the 1.1.3.6 exemption does not release you from documentation: the document must state the total quantity and the calculated value of the dangerous goods in each transport category. It is a calculation best not done by hand, because an error can take the transport outside the exemption without anyone noticing.
What about international transport?
The ADR transport document is also mandatory. With BlueCMR, the ADR information can go in the eCMR itself, with the same workflow.
Is it still called “carta de porte ADR”?
In Spanish, ADR 2025 calls it “documento de transporte” (transport document). In its text, “carta de porte” (consignment note) is reserved for other documents: the CMR, the CIM and the air waybill. The expression “carta de porte ADR” is still common in the Spanish sector and refers to this same document.
This page is for information only and does not replace the advice of a dangerous goods safety adviser or the official text of ADR.
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