ADR transport enquiries: send transport data before dispatch

Product requirements

Give the forwarder the product's transport information, not only its commercial name. Dangerous-goods acceptance depends on the actual classification and shipment conditions, which must be established before equipment is assigned.

Preparation and documentation

Match the documentation to the packed consignment. Package type, quantity, gross weight and dimensions should be consistent with the information used to assess the route and handling arrangements.

Acceptance and responsibilities

Raise uncertainty before booking. Classification questions or possible exemptions require a competent assessment for the actual goods; a small shipment should not simply be treated as ordinary freight.

Turn product restrictions into handling instructions

Ask the product owner to distinguish the identity of the goods from the conditions needed to move them. A technical item may have limits concerning orientation, shock, access to packaging or storage before use. Record only requirements that apply to the actual shipment, supported by the responsible contact or documentation. If the load includes batteries, liquids or other contents requiring further assessment, disclose them accurately rather than treating the outer product name as a complete description.

Translate each confirmed restriction into an action and an owner. If a case must remain upright, the packing description and receiving instruction should both communicate that requirement. If the packaging may be opened only by an authorised person, identify that person and confirm how acceptance will be documented without an unplanned opening. Do not assume that the transport team can inspect a product's technical condition or authorise its use. An example is a sealed replacement assembly: the receiver can acknowledge the physical package while the specialist performs the separate technical acceptance. Keeping those responsibilities distinct helps the shipment reach the right team without attributing unverified inspection or certification duties to the transport provider.

If accessories or separate cases belong to the same technical set, identify them in the packing record. Physical completeness and technical suitability remain different checks. A recipient should be able to recognise the agreed units without interpreting their presence as proof that the assembly is ready for use.

Match the description, documents and physical shipment

Build the document set around the actual movement and ask the responsible specialists which documents are needed for that route and product. Start with a consistent goods description, package count, weights, shipper, consignee and shipment reference. The same shipment should not appear under different quantities or addresses in separate documents. Where the description is technical, include a contact who can clarify it; a broad label such as equipment is often insufficient for operational acceptance.

Separate commercial information from handling instructions while keeping the references connected. An invoice may identify ownership and value, but it does not explain how a case should be lifted or which workshop receives it. Conversely, a warehouse note does not replace documents required for the movement. If preparation is still in progress, identify the missing document and the person authorised to release it. For example, goods can be packed and ready while their release reference is not yet available. Confirm that this dependency is resolved before dispatch. Do not infer regulatory acceptance from the mere existence of a document: the proposed shipment and its data still need to be checked by the relevant parties.

Check document versions as well as their presence. If a packing list has been replaced, withdraw the previous version from the working instruction and identify the current one. Otherwise, correct documents can still create a mismatch when different participants refer to different editions of the same shipment record.

Describe the load in its final packed state

Use a packing list that describes what the transport team will actually handle. Record the number of units, external dimensions and gross weight of each type of package. Include pallets, frames, protruding parts and protective cases in the measurements. Where packages differ, list them separately rather than dividing the total weight by the number of pieces. Mark estimates as estimates and arrange a final measurement before confirming a solution that depends on precise dimensions.

Packaging and handling instructions should support each other. Explain which faces can be touched, where lifting equipment may engage and whether the orientation must remain unchanged. Photographs can clarify unusual shapes or visible access points, but they do not establish weight or lifting suitability on their own. Consider a replacement component supplied in a returnable frame: the frame is part of the transported unit and needs to be included in both the measurements and the return arrangements. Before release, ask the packing team to confirm that the description still matches the goods. If a pallet or case has changed, update the request as well as the packing list.

Keep net product weight and gross transport weight distinct in the records. If a protective case is added after the first enquiry, confirm the revised total with the packer. Updating only the photograph leaves the transport team without the actual measurement needed for its assessment.

Compare proposals against the same confirmed scope

A useful comparison starts with a common set of shipment requirements. Give each proposed arrangement the same collection point, packed load, readiness information and receiving conditions. Separate essential requirements from preferences, and disclose any flexibility that can genuinely be used. This avoids comparing options that appear similar but assume different tasks. A more attractive headline offer is not a meaningful alternative if it omits an operation that the shipment requires.

Ask what is included, which assumptions remain open and what would trigger a review of the proposal. Relevant points may include loading responsibility, intermediate handling, appointment arrangements or the onward delivery task. The applicable scope should be confirmed for the actual request; do not infer a price or a fixed delivery commitment from a general service description. For example, a receiving window can be flexible even when the collection day is fixed, but that flexibility must be approved by the customer rather than invented by the organiser. Before acceptance, turn the selected proposal into one agreed instruction. Keep unresolved conditions visible so that booking does not accidentally convert an estimate into an expectation that nobody has confirmed.

Check that the proposal still refers to the current shipment when you accept it. If the cargo or required operation has changed since the enquiry, request confirmation of the revised scope. Keeping the original reference does not itself preserve the assumptions under which an earlier option was assessed.

Details to confirm

• Confirmed transport classification
• Packaging and quantity
• Weight and dimensions
• Route and site restrictions