Paul Madsen is an HGV driver at Wincanton Magor who has recently completed an ADR training with the support of the URTU Learning project in Wales. Paul told us:
Whilst browsing through various jobs online I noticed there were many opportunities that called for an ADR license. I also thought that it would be a good time to add extra qualifications to my CV as I’d not done so for many years.
An ADR license is required if you are carrying good that are categorised in the Dangerous Goods list, above specific quantities.
To obtain an ADR license you must pass a minimum of Core, either packages or tankers and at least one class related to the goods your carrying (flammable liquids, toxic, corrosive, etc).
The course is classroom based with practical elements in First Aid and Fire awareness followed by formal tests.
I decided to enrol on a 5 day course which would provide me with initial ADR with classes 2,3,4,5,6,8 & 9 for Packages and Tankers.
The course content included:
- Legislation surrounding ADR
- Driver training requirements
- Vehicle Markings
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Practical demo of First Aid
- Preventing and dealing with fire
- Core element
- Packaging element
- Tanker element
- Understanding the following classes:
o Class 2 – Gases
o Class 3 – Flammable liquids
o Class 4 – Flammable solids
o Class 5 – Oxidising substances
o Class 6 – Infectious substances
o Class 8 – Corrosive substances
o Class 9 – Miscellaneous items
The 5-day course was held in a classroom with about 10 other drivers. The tutor would give a presentation on each of the elements outlined from which we all took notes. It’s quite an intense course and by the end I had about 50 pages of notes. However, it is all quite informal and there was the usual banter between the drivers. Breaks were regular throughout the day and there was an unlimited supply if coffee to stimulate tired brains.
The online tests at the end of the week were multiple choice and broken down into various categories. Though there seem to be a lot of tests, there are not many questions and the good thing about multiple choice is that the answer is sometimes obvious. You do however need to do some revision and prepare for the tests.
On my course the pass rate was around 80% with the others passing some but not all elements of the course.
I am so pleased to now hold an ADR license as this now gives me many more career options especially at a time when skilled HGV drivers in this area are in short supply. The recent fuel supply crisis was clear evidence of this.
I must thank my URTU Learning Rep for giving me the opportunity to obtain my ADR license. The initial cost of the training is quite high and if it was not for URTU then it I would not have obtained my license. So I recommend to anyone wishing to obtain ADR or benefit from any additional learning to contact their URTU Learning Rep and see what they can do for you.