ADR course with tanks — 5 days

Who needs it

• Drivers of petrol tankers and fuel bowsers
• Drivers of gas carriers and vehicles with liquefied gases
• Carriers of liquid chemicals, acids, alkalis in tanks
• Anyone working with goods in bulk, whatever the class

The specialisation does not exist apart from the base: the course contains both the basic part and the tanks module. If you already hold the basic certificate, the specialisation can be taken separately — check by phone.

What the tanks module adds

• The construction of tanks, their types and coding
• The behaviour of liquid in motion: surge, effect on handling and braking
• Filling and discharge operations, earthing, prevention of overfilling
• Shut-off fittings, safety valves, leak-tightness checks
• Tank marking and additional plate requirements
• Periodic inspections and admission of the tank to service
• Actions in the event of a large-volume leak

Why tanks are set apart. Goods in bulk behave differently from goods in packaging: the liquid moves inside the tank under braking and in bends and can overturn the vehicle. That is exactly why this specialisation has separate requirements and a separate training module.

What to prepare in advance

For ADR the list is shorter than for Code 95. Copies are sent by messenger, and the originals are needed at the training itself.

• An identity document — ID card or passport
• Tax identification number
• National driving licence
• A valid ADR (ДОПНВ) certificate — only if you are taking a refresher course

There is no separate length-of-service requirement for ADR: an open category and a valid licence are enough to join the course. If the previous certificate has already expired, call us — the procedure will differ from a scheduled refresher. The full list with explanations is on the Documents page.

How a tank differs from packaging

At first glance the difference is only in the packaging, but in fact it is in how the load behaves. The liquid in a tank moves under braking and in bends, and several tonnes shifting at once can swing a road train around. That is why the tanks module is placed in a separate programme: here you learn not so much the paperwork rules as the physics of the process and how the driver should handle it.

A separate block is filling and discharge. Most incidents with tanks happen not on the road but on the site: earthing, pressure, residues of the previous product, control of the fill level. All of this is practised until automatic, because a mistake here is not noticed straight away.

Who this is for

Above all, those who carry fuel, liquefied gases, chemical feedstock, acids and alkalis in bulk. This is the most sought-after area among carriers: there is plenty of equipment, but drivers with the right clearance are consistently in short supply, and it is exactly this mark in the certificate that employers hunt for most often.

The tanks module does not exist on its own — it always comes together with the basic course, because it builds on it. If explosive substances are also on the horizon, it makes sense to look straight at the full course: the difference in time is small, while the clearance comes out as wide as possible.

The certificate is valid for five years, then comes a refresher. There is no driving-experience requirement for ADR: a valid licence with an open category is enough.

• Duration — 5 days
• What is included — basic course + tanks
• Who it is for — bulk transport
• Format — in person
• Certificate validity — 5 years

Why tanks are a separate module

Goods in bulk behave differently from goods in packaging. The liquid in a partly filled tank surges under braking and in bends — it changes the handling of the vehicle in a way no pallet of drums does. Add to that filling and discharge, earthing, work with the fittings, residual pressure and vapours in an empty tank, which is formally no longer a load yet is in fact still dangerous.

That is precisely why the module exists separately, and precisely why the tanks endorsement is the first thing checked on the road. Without it, the basic certificate gives no clearance for bulk transport.

What the module gives in practice

Fuel, liquefied gases, acids and alkalis, food-grade and technical liquids — everything that travels in bulk requires this endorsement. For a driver who works with fuel, a course without tanks makes no sense at all.

For the terminology and the overall picture — what ДОПНВ is and how the classes are divided — see the what ДОПНВ is page.

• Application — by phone or messenger. Tell us what you carry and how — the programme depends on it.
• Documents — identity document, tax number, driving licence. No length of service required.
• Classes — in person, in an equipped classroom. The Regulations do not provide for a distance format.
• Exam and certificate — an ID-1 plastic card of international standard, valid for five years from the exam date.