The ADR 1.1.3.6 small-load exemption: transport categories, points and a worked example
ADR 1.1.3.6 lets a vehicle carry a limited amount of fully regulated dangerous goods without orange plates, placards or an ADR-certificated driver. Each substance has a transport category. Multiply the quantity by 50 for category 1, by 3 for category 2 and by 1 for category 3, add them up, and if the total for the vehicle is 1,000 or less the exemption applies. Category 0 goods never qualify. Training, a 2 kg fire extinguisher and a transport document are still required.
Transport categories
Every UN number is given a transport category in column 15 of the Dangerous Goods List (Table A of ADR chapter 3.2). It usually follows the hazard: packing group I substances tend to sit in category 1, packing group II in category 2, packing group III in category 3, but the table is the authority, not the rule of thumb.
- Category 0: no exemption. Any quantity needs full ADR.
- Category 1: multiply by 50. On its own, up to 20 units per vehicle.
- Category 2: multiply by 3. On its own, up to 333 units per vehicle.
- Category 3: multiply by 1. On its own, up to 1,000 units per vehicle.
- Category 4: multiply by 0. No limit from the points calculation.
What counts as a unit
For solids, liquefied gases and dissolved gases the unit is the net mass in kilograms. For liquids it is the quantity contained, in litres. For compressed gases it is the water capacity of the cylinder in litres. For articles, such as batteries, it is the gross mass in kilograms.
The total is for the whole transport unit, so every regulated item on the van counts, from every customer. Goods carried as Limited Quantity or Excepted Quantity do not count towards it.
A worked example
Say a van is asked to carry three items. The transport categories here are for illustration; always check column 15 for your actual UN numbers.
- 150 litres of a category 2 flammable liquid: 150 x 3 = 450 points.
- 300 kg of a category 3 corrosive solid: 300 x 1 = 300 points.
- 4 kg of a category 1 substance: 4 x 50 = 200 points.
- Total: 950 points. That is 1,000 or under, so the exemption applies.
- Add another 20 litres of the category 2 liquid (60 points) and the total becomes 1,010. The whole load now needs full ADR.
What is still required under the exemption
The exemption removes the heavy end of ADR, not all of it. These still apply:
- Training: the driver and everyone involved must be trained under ADR chapter 1.3 for their role.
- A portable fire extinguisher of at least 2 kg dry powder, suitable for class A, B and C fires (or an equivalent capacity of another suitable agent).
- A transport document with the UN number, proper shipping name, class, packing group, the number and description of packages and the quantity of each item.
- Correct packaging, hazard labels and marks on every package, exactly as for a full ADR load.
- Load securing, no smoking in or near the vehicle, and the general safety rules on loading and unloading.
What the exemption removes
The vehicle does not need orange plates or placards, and does not need an ADR certificate of approval. The driver does not need an ADR vocational training certificate. Instructions in writing do not have to be carried. That is why a mixed load of drums and cartons can often go on an ordinary same-day van, provided the sum is done properly before collection.
The calculation is the consignor's information and the carrier's responsibility to check. We do it before we accept the job and again if the load changes at the collection point. If extra items turn up that take the total over 1,000, we will leave them behind rather than run over.
What we need from you
For each item: the UN number, the packing group, the number of packages and the quantity in each (litres for liquids, kilograms for solids and articles). We will work out the points, tell you in writing which side of the line the load sits, and say plainly if it needs a placarded vehicle.
This page explains the framework; it is not a compliance opinion on your consignment. Send us the UN number, the packing group and the weight or volume per package and we will tell you in writing which route it travels under.
What X-Eagle will carry
ADR-trained driver available. Full ADR loads are accepted subject to class and quantity, confirmed before booking; small-quantity / Limited Quantity loads handled routinely. Send us the UN number, class, packing group and quantity and we will tell you in writing whether we can take it before you book — if a load is outside what we can carry, we say so on the first call.
What we will not carry
- Any load whose 1.1.3.6 total comes to more than 1,000 points.
- Transport category 0 goods, in any quantity.
- Placarded (full ADR) loads as a routine service: we quote them only case by case, with the class and quantity confirmed before booking.
- Class 1 explosives and Class 7 radioactive material.
Common questions
What is the 1,000-point rule in ADR?
Under ADR 1.1.3.6, each regulated item is multiplied by a factor for its transport category: 50 for category 1, 3 for category 2, 1 for category 3 and 0 for category 4. If the total for the vehicle is 1,000 or less, the vehicle does not need placards or an ADR-certificated driver. Category 0 goods are never exempt.
Where do I find the transport category?
Column 15 of Table A in ADR chapter 3.2, against the UN number and packing group. Section 14 of the safety data sheet gives you the UN number and packing group to look up.
Does a 1.1.3.6 load need a transport document?
Yes. The exemption does not remove the transport document. It must identify each item, including the UN number, proper shipping name, class, packing group and quantity.
What fire extinguisher is required for a small load?
At least one portable fire extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 2 kg dry powder, suitable for class A, B and C fires, or an equivalent capacity for another suitable agent.
Do Limited Quantity goods count towards the 1,000 points?
No. Goods carried as Limited Quantity or Excepted Quantity are covered by their own provisions and are not added to the 1.1.3.6 total.
Send us the UN number and we will tell you how it travels
The UN number, the packing group and the quantity per package settle it in one call. We will put the answer in writing before anything is collected.